Parts of Speech Explained in Marathi (With Examples)

The eight parts of speech at a glance

Marathi grammar also groups words into eight categories called शब्दजाती (shabdajati). The names are not identical to English, but the idea is the same: each word does a particular job.

What is a noun? (नाम)

A noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, animal or idea.

Examples: Rahul, Pune, book, dog, happiness

Learning tip: Ask “who?” or “what?” about the subject. The answer is usually a noun.

What is a pronoun? (सर्वनाम)

A pronoun takes the place of a noun so that you do not repeat the same name again and again.

Examples: I, you, he, she, it, we, they

Learning tip: Say “Sita is tall. She sings well.” instead of repeating “Sita” twice.

What is a verb? (क्रियापद)

A verb shows an action, a state or an event. Every complete sentence needs a verb.

Examples: play, eat, go, is, have

Learning tip: In Marathi the verb usually comes at the end. In English it normally comes right after the subject.

What is a adjective? (विशेषण)

An adjective describes a noun or pronoun. It tells us what kind, how many or which one.

Examples: red, tall, three, beautiful

Learning tip: The adjective comes before the noun in English: a red saree, not a saree red.

What is a adverb? (क्रियाविशेषण)

An adverb describes a verb, an adjective or another adverb. It often tells how, when or where.

Examples: slowly, quickly, today, here

Learning tip: Many adverbs of manner end in -ly: slow → slowly, quick → quickly.

What is a preposition? (शब्दयोगी अव्यय)

A preposition shows the relationship of a noun or pronoun to another word, such as place, time or direction.

Examples: in, on, at, under, between

Learning tip: Marathi often adds a suffix to the noun (टेबलावर). English uses a separate word (on the table).

What is a conjunction? (उभयान्वयी अव्यय)

A conjunction joins words, phrases or sentences.

Examples: and, but, or, because, although

Learning tip: Use “and” to add, “but” to contrast, “or” to give a choice and “because” to give a reason.

What is a interjection? (केवलप्रयोगी अव्यय)

An interjection expresses a sudden feeling such as surprise, joy or pain. It usually stands apart from the rest of the sentence.

Examples: Wow! Oh! Alas! Hurray!

Learning tip: Write an exclamation mark after the interjection, or a comma if the feeling is mild.

Practice exercise: identify the part of speech

Write the part of speech of the word in bold. Try all eight before checking the answers.

1. Mumbai is a busy city. (Mumbai)
2. They are playing outside. (They)
3. The baby sleeps peacefully. (peacefully)
4. I like tea and coffee. (and)
5. The cat is under the chair. (under)
6. Hurray! We won. (Hurray)
7. He is a kind man. (kind)
8. Sita sings beautifully. (sings)

Answers

1. Mumbai → Noun
2. They → Pronoun
3. peacefully → Adverb
4. and → Conjunction
5. under → Preposition
6. Hurray → Interjection
7. kind → Adjective
8. sings → Verb

Common mistakes Marathi speakers make

• Word order: Marathi often places the verb last. In English, say “I eat rice”, not “I rice eat”.
• Adjective position: say “a red saree”, not “a saree red”.
• Adjective vs adverb: say “She sings beautifully”, not “She sings beautiful”.
• Missing prepositions: English needs a separate word: “in the room”, “on the table”.