Language/Marathi/Grammar/Devanagari-script
As a Marathi language teacher with 20 years of experience, I am excited to introduce you to the basics of Marathi writing using the Devanagari script. In this lesson, you will learn how to write and read Marathi using the script, including the letter forms and diacritics.
Introduction
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by around 83 million people mainly in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the official language and co-official language in the state, and it is also spoken in Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, and Telangana. Marathi is written using the Devanagari script, which is also used to write Hindi, Nepali, and other languages.
Whether you want to read Marathi literature, write letters in Marathi, or simply understand Marathi texts, learning the Devanagari script is essential. Let's dive into the basics of Marathi writing using the Devanagari script.
Basics of Devanagari script
Devanagari script is a phonetic script that represents phonemes (sounds) in Marathi. It has 52 letters, including 12 vowels and 40 consonants. Each letter is represented by a distinct symbol with a unique sound. In addition, Devanagari script uses diacritics to indicate vowel sounds.
Here are some basic rules of Marathi writing in the Devanagari script:
- Each Marathi letter has a corresponding sound, which makes it a phonetic script.
- Space is not used to separate words, and each new word is written in a new line.
- Matra (diacritics) are used to add vowels sounds to consonants, which changes the pronunciation of consonants.
Marathi consonants
There are 40 consonants in Marathi, and each consonant has a basic form and variations depending on how the matra is added. The variations are used to represent different sounds.
Here's a table of Marathi consonants and their pronunciation.
| Marathi | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| क | k | king |
| ख | kh | khaki |
| ग | g | good |
| घ | gh | ghost |
| ङ | ng | sing |
| च | ch | chop |
| छ | chh | church |
| ज | j | jump |
| झ | jh | hedge |
| ञ | ñ | canyon |
| ट | ṭ | stop |
| ठ | ṭh | Smith |
| ड | ḍ | drum |
| ढ | ḍh | bread |
| ण | ṇ | burn |
| त | t | tone |
| थ | th | thin |
| द | d | deep |
| ध | dh | the |
| न | n | nose |
| प | p | pet |
| फ | ph | phone |
| ब | b | big |
| भ | bh | behind |
| म | m | man |
| य | y | yes |
| र | r | rat |
| ल | l | lamp |
| व | v | vet |
| श | sh | shape |
| ष | ṣ | shop |
| स | s | sun |
| ह | h | help |
| क्ष | kṣ | checkmate |
| ज्ञ | gy | genius |
Note that the pronunciation of some of the consonants might differ among speakers based on their dialect.
Marathi vowels
Marathi has twelve vowels sounds, which are divided into three groups: short, long and diphthongs.
Here's a table of Marathi vowels and their pronunciation:
| Marathi | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| अ | a | hut |
| आ | ā | father |
| इ | i | bid |
| ई | ī | feel |
| उ | u | put |
| ऊ | ū | fool |
| ए | e | bed |
| ऐ | ai | kind |
| ओ | o | bone |
| औ | au | plow |
| अं | ə̃ | band |
| अः | ' | hunk |
Note that the apostrophe character ( ' ) is used to indicate the nasalized vowel sound in the Marathi language.
Matra (diacritics)
Matra is a diacritic used in Devanagari script to add vowel sounds to consonants. Depending on how the matra is used, it can change the pronunciation of consonants.
Here are some examples of Marathi consonants with matra and their pronunciation:
| Marathi | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| का | ka | car |
| की | kee | beak |
| कु | ku | cook |
| कू | koo | cool |
| के | ke | partake |
| कै | kai | kite |
| को | ko | coat |
| कौ | kau | cow |
| कं | kan | can |
| कः | kah | cart |
Note that matra can also represent vowel sounds when they appear on their own without a consonant.
Punctuation
Punctuation marks are used in Marathi writing to indicate pauses, sentence endings, and other elements of the text. Marathi follows the same punctuation conventions as the English language. Here are some common punctuation marks used in Marathi:
- Full stop: । (danda)
- Comma: ० (purna viraam)
- Question mark: ? (prashna chinh)
- Exclamation mark: ! (udatt chinh)
Conclusion
Learning the basics of the Devanagari script is essential for anyone interested in reading, writing, or speaking Marathi language. Do not hesitate to continue your learning journey and practice as much as possible. The more you immerse yourself in the language, the faster you'll progress in your Marathi language learning journey!