Marathi for absolute beginners
Zero to first conversation — your first week of Marathi, step by step.
🔊 Tap any speaker button to hear Marathi spoken. Too fast or slow? Use the speed button at the bottom-right of the page.
Day one speaks: नमस्कार (hello), हो (yes), नाही (no) — say them to mirrors, pets, shopkeepers. Pronunciation need not be perfect; attempts earn smiles and corrections. Speaking starts speaking; nothing else does.
Days two to four add survival: धन्यवाद (thanks), माफ करा (sorry), पाणी (water), किती? (how much?). Four days, seven words, infinite transactions. Survival Marathi fits in a pocket and works everywhere.
Days five to seven build sentences: मी शिक्षक आहे (I am a teacher), मला चहा हवं आहे (I want tea), तुम्ही कसे आहात? (how are you?). Frames plus words equal conversation — slots fill fast when frames stand ready.
Week two opens the script: अ आ इ ई, then क ख ग घ — Devanagari through familiar words. Read what you already say; letters become friends, not walls. Speak-first learners read faster — motivation decodes.
Words and phrases for this topic
| English | Marathi | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Beginning / start | सुरुवात | survaat |
| Hello (respectful) | नमस्कार | namaskar |
| Yes | हो | ho |
| No | नाही | naahi |
| Thank you | धन्यवाद | dhanyavaad |
| Sorry | माफ करा | maaph karaa |
| Okay / it is fine | ठीक आहे | theek aahe |
| I | मी | mi |
| Water | पाणी | paani |
| How much? | किती? | kiti |
| How are you? | तुम्ही कसे आहात? | tumhi kase aahaat |
| Good / well | चांगलं | chaanglan |
| See you again | पुन्हा भेटू | punha bhetu |
Language, culture, and common traps
Practice: recall, then use
Use this quick recall drill for Marathi for absolute beginners. Hide the script and romanisation columns; say the Marathi form for each cue before revealing its row, then check spelling and sound. The phrase-table speaker buttons provide a model when a matching browser voice is available.
- Beginning / start
- Okay / it is fine
- See you again
Transfer practice. Select three forms you can use this week and attach each to a real routine: greeting someone, asking a simple question, or describing what you need. Practise for a few minutes on separate days. If recall fails, reveal the answer, say it once, and try again later rather than copying it repeatedly. Start from सुरुवात (survaat) and decide whether it fits the situation before using it elsewhere.
Context check. For Marathi for absolute beginners, “See you again” belongs to a particular setting. A common mistake is to treat an English gloss as universal; read the language-specific note above and ask a fluent speaker when local usage differs.
Check your recall: answer key
- सुरुवात survaat — Beginning / start
- ठीक आहे theek aahe — Okay / it is fine
- पुन्हा भेटू punha bhetu — See you again
Questions learners ask
नमस्कार, हो, नाही, धन्यवाद, माफ करा, ठीक आहे, मी — seven words that open every door in Maharashtra. Speak them from day one.
No — speak first in Roman letters, add Devanagari in week two. Speakers stay motivated; script-drillers quit. Talk today, read tomorrow.
Twenty focused minutes: five words, one dialogue, one song line. Daily beats marathon — streaks compound into fluency.