Language/Marathi/Grammar/Nouns

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Marathi → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Nouns

Welcome to the lesson on Nouns in Marathi! Nouns are the backbone of any language, and understanding them is crucial for building your language skills. They allow us to name people, places, things, and ideas, forming the foundation of our communication.

In this lesson, we'll explore the various aspects of Marathi nouns, including:

• Gender: How nouns are categorized as masculine, feminine, or neuter.

• Number: The distinction between singular and plural forms.

• Cases: Understanding how nouns change based on their function in a sentence.

This lesson is designed for complete beginners, ensuring that you have a solid grasp of nouns as you progress through your journey in learning Marathi.

Understanding Gender in Marathi Nouns

In Marathi, nouns are categorized based on gender, which can be somewhat different from English. There are three genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter.

Masculine nouns generally refer to male beings or entities that are traditionally considered masculine.

Feminine nouns refer to female beings or entities that are traditionally considered feminine.

Neuter nouns are those that do not have a gender or represent inanimate objects.

Here's a simple table to illustrate:

Marathi	Pronunciation	English
मुलगा	mulga	Boy
मुलगी	mulgi	Girl
घर	ghar	House

Let's look at a more detailed example of how gender works in Marathi nouns.

Marathi	Pronunciation	English
वडील	vadil	Father
आई	aai	Mother
पुस्तक	pustak	Book
कुत्रा	kutra	Dog
मांजर	manjhar	Cat

As you can see, "वडील" (father) and "कुत्रा" (dog) are masculine nouns, while "आई" (mother) and "मांजर" (cat) are feminine. "पुस्तक" (book) and "घर" (house) are neuter nouns.

Understanding Number in Marathi Nouns

Next, let’s explore the concept of number in Marathi nouns, which refers to whether a noun is singular or plural.

• Singular nouns refer to one item, while plural nouns refer to more than one item.

In Marathi, the rules for forming plurals can vary based on the gender of the noun. Here are some examples:

Singular (Marathi)	Singular (Pronunciation)	Plural (Marathi)	Plural (Pronunciation)
कुत्रा	kutra	कुत्रे	kutre
मांजर	manjhar	मांजरे	manjhare
पुस्तक	pustak	पुस्तके	pustake
घर	ghar	घरे	ghare

As you can see, the plurals for masculine nouns often end with "-े" (e) or "-ी" (i) for feminine nouns. Neuter nouns can take "-के" (ke) in the plural form.

Understanding Cases in Marathi Nouns

Marathi nouns also change form based on their function in a sentence, known as cases. The three primary cases are:

• Nominative: The subject of the sentence.

• Accusative: The object of the sentence.

• Dative: The indirect object.

Let's look at how this works with a few examples:

Case	Marathi Example	Pronunciation	English Translation
Nominative	मुलगा खेळतो	mulga khelto	The boy plays
Accusative	मी मुलगाला पाहतो	mi mulgala pahto	I see the boy
Dative	मला मुलगाला द्या	mala mulgala dya	Give me the boy

As you advance in your learning, you’ll notice how the form of the noun changes based on its role in the sentence.

Summary of Nouns

In summary, Marathi nouns can be complex, but they follow a systematic structure. To recap:

• Gender: Masculine, feminine, and neuter nouns.

• Number: Singular and plural forms.

• Cases: Nouns change based on their role in sentences (nominative, accusative, dative).

Now that we have a solid understanding of Marathi nouns, let’s put this knowledge into practice!

Practice Exercises

Here are some exercise scenarios designed to help you apply what you've learned about nouns:

Exercise 1: Gender Identification

Identify whether the following nouns are masculine, feminine, or neuter.

1. आकाश (Sky)

2. बाळ (Baby)

3. गाडी (Car)

4. ताज (Crown)

Answers:

1. Neuter

2. Masculine

3. Feminine

4. Masculine

Exercise 2: Singular to Plural Transformation

Convert the following singular nouns into their plural forms.

1. कोंबडा (Rooster)

2. झाड (Tree)

3. गाणं (Song)

4. बाग (Garden)

Answers:

1. कोंबडे (Roosters)

2. झाडे (Trees)

3. गाणे (Songs)

4. बागा (Gardens)

Exercise 3: Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the noun based on gender.

1. ______ आई (Mother)

2. ______ वडील (Father)

3. ______ पुस्तक (Book)

4. ______ कुत्रा (Dog)

Answers:

1. मातेसमोर (In front of the mother)

2. वडीलांवर (On the father)

3. पुस्तकांवर (On the book)

4. कुत्र्यांवर (On the dog)

Exercise 4: Case Identification

Identify the case of the following sentences.

1. मुलगी पाण्यात आहे. (The girl is in the water.)

2. मी बॉल खेळतो. (I play with the ball.)

3. तिला चॉकलेट हवे आहे. (She wants chocolate.)

Answers:

1. Nominative

2. Accusative

3. Dative

Exercise 5: Noun Translation

Translate these nouns from English to Marathi.

1. Tree

2. Man

3. Woman

4. Water

Answers:

1. झाड (Jhad)

2. माणूस (Manus)

3. स्त्री (Stri)

4. पाणी (Paani)

Exercise 6: Noun Forms

Write down the plural form of the following nouns.

1. कापड (Cloth)

2. ओवी (Poem)

3. बोट (Finger)

4. फळ (Fruit)

Answers:

1. कापडं (Cloths)

2. ओव्या (Poems)

3. बोटं (Fingers)

4. फळं (Fruits)

Exercise 7: Match the Noun to Its Gender

Match the following nouns with their correct gender.

1. गाडी (Car)

2. बिस्किट (Biscuit)

3. मुलगा (Boy)

4. शाळा (School)

Answers:

1. Feminine

2. Neuter

3. Masculine

4. Feminine

Exercise 8: Create Sentences

Create sentences using the following nouns:

1. कुत्रा (Dog)

2. बाग (Garden)

3. पुस्तक (Book)

Answers:

1. कुत्रा घरात आहे. (The dog is in the house.)

2. बाग सुंदर आहे. (The garden is beautiful.)

3. पुस्तक वाचत आहे. (I am reading the book.)

Exercise 9: Identify the Noun

In the following sentences, identify the nouns and their forms.

1. शाळेत मुलगे शिकतात. (Boys study at school.)

2. मला पाणी हवे आहे. (I want water.)

Answers:

1. मुलगे (Masculine, Plural)

2. पाणी (Neuter, Singular)

Exercise 10: Gender Conversion

Convert the following masculine nouns to their feminine forms.

1. वडील (Father)

2. मित्र (Friend)

3. माणूस (Man)

Answers:

1. आई (Mother)

2. मैत्रिण (Female friend)

3. स्त्री (Woman)

Conclusion

Congratulations! You've successfully navigated through the intricacies of Marathi nouns. Understanding gender, number, and cases is essential as you continue your journey to fluency. Remember, practice makes perfect! Keep revisiting these concepts and try to incorporate them into your daily conversations.

Continue to explore the richness of the Marathi language, and don't hesitate to reach out for any guidance. Happy learning!

Table of Contents - Marathi Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Basic Greetings and Introductions

• Greetings
• Introductions

  ---

Basic Sentence Structure

• Subject-Object-Verb
• Negation

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-20
• Telling Time

  ---

Nouns and Pronouns

• Nouns
• Pronouns

  ---

Common Verbs and Adjectives

• Common Verbs
• Common Adjectives

  ---

Questions and Answers

• Question Words
• Answering Questions

  ---

Food and Dining

• Food Vocabulary
• Dining Phrases

  ---

Marathi Festivals and Traditions

• Festivals
• Traditions

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Transportation Vocabulary
• Accommodation Vocabulary

  ---

Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Prepositions
• Conjunctions

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Relationship Phrases

  ---

Marathi Literature and Cinema

• Literature
• Cinema

Sources

• Marathi grammar - Wikipedia
• MARATHI GRAMMAR SARVANAAM WORKSHEETS | Nouns ...
• MARATHI GRAMMAR SARVANAAM WORKSHEETS | Grammar for ...

Other Lessons

• How to Use Have
• Adjectives
• Pronouns
• How to Use Be
• Questions
• Nouns namo नामो
• Conditional Mood
• Give your Opinion
• Gender

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