Learning pronouns in Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language spoken predominantly in the Indian state of Maharashtra, is crucial for mastering both spoken and written communication. Marathi pronouns are characterized by their forms according to person, number, gender, and case. This guide covers personal, possessive, demonstrative, reflexive, and interrogative pronouns, providing detailed explanations and examples for each, including transliterations for pronunciation help.

Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns in Marathi replace nouns referring to people or things and are used based on the person being referred to.

Subject Pronouns:

• मी (Mī) – I: “मी जात आहे.” (Mī jāt āhe) – I am going.
• तू (Tū) – You (singular, informal): “तू कसा आहेस?” (Tū kasā āhes?) – How are you?
• तो/ती (To/Tī) – He/She: “तो खेळतो आहे.” / “ती खेळते आहे.” (To kheḷto āhe / Tī kheḷte āhe) – He is playing. / She is playing.
• आम्ही (Āmhī) – We: “आम्ही अभ्यास करतो आहोत.” (Āmhī abhyās karatō āhot) – We are studying.
• तुम्ही (Tumhī) – You (plural or formal): “तुम्ही कुठे आहात?” (Tumhī kuṭhe āhāt?) – Where are you?
• ते/त्या (Te/Tyā) – They: “ते येत आहेत.” / “त्या येत आहेत.” (Te yet āhet / Tyā yet āhet) – They are coming.

Object Pronouns:

Object pronouns often follow the verb and indicate the receiver of the action.

• मला (Malā) – Me: “तू मला ओळखतोस का?” (Tū malā oḷakhatos kā?) – Do you recognize me?
• तुला (Tulā) – You: “मी तुला भेटू इच्छितो.” (Mī tulā bheṭū icchito) – I want to meet you.
• त्याला/तिला (Tyālā/Tilā) – Him/Her: “मी त्याला/तिला पाहिले.” (Mī tyālā/tilā pāhile) – I saw him/her.
• आम्हाला (Āmhālā) – Us: “त्याने आम्हाला सांगितले.” (Tyāne āmhālā sāṅgitale) – He told us.
• तुम्हाला (Tumhālā) – You (plural or formal): “मी तुम्हाला कळवेन.” (Mī tumhālā kaḷaven) – I will inform you.
• त्यांना (Tyānnā) – Them: “मी त्यांना आणले.” (Mī tyānnā āṇale) – I brought them.

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns in Marathi indicate ownership and are often expressed by adding “चे” (che) to the personal pronouns.

• माझे (Mājhe) – My: “हे माझे पुस्तक आहे.” (He mājhe pustak āhe) – This is my book.
• तुझे (Tujhe) – Your: “ते तुझे चष्मे आहेत का?” (Te tujhe chaṣme āhet kā?) – Are those your glasses?
• त्याचे/तिचे (Tyāche/Tiche) – His/Hers: “ते त्याचे/तिचे कपडे आहेत.” (Te tyāche/tiche kapḍe āhet) – Those are his/hers clothes.
• आमचे (Āmche) – Our: “ही आमची गाडी आहे.” (Hī āmchī gāḍī āhe) – This is our car.
• तुमचे (Tumche) – Your (plural or formal): “हे तुमचे काम आहे.” (He tumche kām āhe) – This is your work.
• त्यांचे (Tyānche) – Their: “ते त्यांचे घर आहे.” (Te tyānche ghar āhe) – That is their house.

Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns in Marathi point to specific nouns and vary based on distance.

• हा/ही/हे/ही (Hā/Hī/He/Hī) – This/These: “हा मुलगा.” / “ही मुलगी.” / “हे फळ.” / “ही वस्तू.” (Hā mulagā. / Hī mulagī. / He phaḷ. / Hī vastū.) – This boy. / This girl. / These fruits. / This thing.
• तो/ती/ते/ती (To/Tī/Te/Tī) – That/Those: “तो बंगला.” / “ती चित्र.” / “ते झाड.” / “ती पुस्तके.” (To baṅgalā. / Tī chitra. / Te zhāḍ. / Tī pustake.) – That bungalow. / That picture. / Those trees. / Those books.

Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns in Marathi are used when the subject performs an action upon itself. Marathi uses “स्वतः” (Svatḥ) for this purpose.

• स्वतः (Svatḥ) – Oneself: “तू स्वतःला सांभाळ.” (Tū svatḥlā sāmbhāḷ) – Take care of yourself.

Interrogative Pronouns

Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions about people, places, or things.

• कोण (Koṇ) – Who: “कोण आला?” (Koṇ ālā?) – Who came?
• काय (Kāy) – What: “तू काय करत आहेस?” (Tū kāy karat āhes?) – What are you doing?
• कुठे (Kuṭhe) – Where: “तू कुठे आहेस?” (Tū kuṭhe āhes?) – Where are you?

Understanding and correctly using Marathi pronouns is vital for navigating both simple and complex conversations. Practice forming sentences with each type of pronoun, and try to engage in conversations or writing exercises to apply these concepts actively. Remember, context and the nuances of Marathi grammar play a significant role in choosing the correct pronoun form.