30 Must-Know Basic Marathi Words for Living in Maharashtra

If you are moving to a new city (due to business, job shift, higher education, etc.), especially in and around diverse ones like Pune, Mumbai, or Nagpur, then things can feel both interesting and daunting at first. The challenge generally lies in terms of the language. Since it bridges the communication gap and unlocks the cultural nuances of the locals, the regional language can’t be undermined. With its power, you can foster new relationships and make yourself inclusive within the communities. 

Now you can comprehend why you need to learn at least 30 basic Marathi words. 

Why Learn Basic Marathi?

Well, some things are within your capability if Maharashtra is new to you, like securing your dream living space through Stanza Living’s smart platform. But what about conversing with the locals to learn about street food, going to market places, and making memories with new friends?  

Thus, learning simple Marathi words will unlock your doors to a meaningful life in Maharashtra. Consider this as a tool to initiate new beginnings in a new city. Imagine morning greetings being less awkward and you are explaining your grocery list better to the shopkeeper. Sounds better, right? Well, let’s get started.

Make Your Stay Smoother with Basic Marathi Words for All Residents

There is a high chance that you are living in a shared space in Maharashtra or looking forward to it. Well, one thing is settled- at Stanza Living, you will get the best PG/hostel deals in terms of luxury and unmatched amenities, but what about those daily interactions with your neighbours? Or, what about negotiating prices with the nearby stationery shop or grocery shop? 

Therefore, to lead a smooth living experience in your new home, you have to learn the  Marathi daily use words. This will help you gain confidence and make new connections that will stay with you forever. For the rest of the rental living elements, we at Stanza Living will take care. Our team puts empathy and transparency at every step of our work ethic; therefore, you will be making an informed rental decision tailored to your needs. 

Speak Marathi with Confidence and Master Essential Words for Daily Life

To speak Marathi with confidence, you need to start with the basics. So, when you learn Marathi for beginners, you need to refer to an English-to-Marathi word dictionary. That would be the right learning curve for you. 

As you initiate your Marathi language learning, try to learn the pronunciation of the basic Marathi words that you would use in your daily life. It might be the basic greetings, asking a person how they are doing, and some of the navigation or numeric words/numbers that might help you in your daily commute.

How to Greet and Respond in Marathi

Greeting people would be a crucial element to your lifestyle, irrespective of the city in Maharashtra in which you will be living. And to ace in greeting Marathi people, you need to learn the basic words and appropriate responses if someone greets you first. Given below are some of the words that might help you get started-

Marathi Word	English Rendition
Namaskar	Hello
Kasa Ahes?	How are you?
Mi Changla Aahe	I am fine (Masculine)
Mi Changli Aahe	I am fine (Feminine)

Now, these would do just fine in the initial days, but you need to level up your Marathi language with time. This is because relationships are built with conversations and not by greetings only. So, in the future, if someone greets “kasa ahes”, you should have the knowledge to respond with- “me changla aahe, tujhn ayushya kasam chalalny?” which means- I am fine, how’s your life going?

Useful Words for Travel and Directions

Navigating through roads and railways in metro cities can be daunting at first, especially if you are new to them. So, it’s best to master the local language to communicate with people around you. This will help you in knowing the correct directions by just asking around. 

Well, it will take some time to advance in the Marathi language. But to manage your initial days, you can learn some simple Marathi words, which will help you in basic road navigation and ticketing systems. Given below are some of the prominent ones that you can refer to-

Marathi Word	English Rendition
Pudhe Chala	Move Forward
Mage Ja	Go Backwards
Ujave Vaja	Turn left
Dahine Vaja	Turn right
Samor Chala	Go straight
Var	Up
Khali	Down
Mala ek ticket dya	Give me one ticket
Doan ticket dya	Give me two tickets
Thamba	Stop
Pudhil Sthanak	Next Station

That was mostly basic. But to approach someone before asking, you need to be aware of the generic calling relations/tones like- “listen”, “brother,” or “elder sister”, etc. the Marathi versions of which are given later in this section.

Essential Polite Marathi Phrases

There are some of the key Marathi phrases or words that are decent enough to keep a nice image of yourself within your community. Every Marathi learning for beginners’ course or structure has these basic polite phrases, which help to foster new relationships as well. Some of them are given below for your kind reference, with the respective Marathi word meaning in English.

Marathi Word	English Rendition
Dhanyawad	Thank You
Krupa Kara	Please
Maaf Karaa	“Sorry” or “Excuse Me”
Mazya Jivala	My Dear
Tabyet Thik Aahe Ka?	Is Your Health Okay?
Doctor Kade Ja	Go to Doctor
Aaram Kar	Take rest

These are some of the polite terms that you can use apart from the basics such as “namaskar” or “kasa ahes?” to sound it more conversational rather than direct or concise.

Marathi Daily Use Words

Some Marathi daily use words are essential to ease your living in Maharashtra. These get the job done for the initial period. For instance, if you want to draw the boundaries of your relationship with your immediate neighbours, or just want to make a new friend, they come in handy. Let’s go through some of the prominent ones below-

Ho – Yes

The first Marathi words you need to know are Yes and No. And learn them well, so you don’t mix them up. For example, if your colleague asks you if you want some of her homemade lunch, make sure you say “Ho” and not “No”. 

Nahi/Nakko – No

Learn this Marathi keyword well. There might be times when people might not take you seriously, given you’re the newbie in the office. If some mean senior asks you to bring them coffee, just say “Nakko”. Then they’ll know you’re not to be messed with.

Kasa Aahes? – How are you?

A friendly Marathi greeting never hurt anyone. Especially when you need to impress your boss for that assignment you’ve been eyeing. While everyone says their “How are You”s, wish him/her a cheerful “Kasa Aahes”. He/she’ll definitely be impressed by the new, bilingual employee.

Mi thik ahe – I’m good

Okay, so you asked someone “How are you?”, and now they’re asking it back. Duh, no surprises there, it’s basic etiquette. Now you could reply “I’m good” in English and break the whole warm vibe, or say the same in Marathi. “Mi thik ahe”, it’s that simple.

Mitra – Friend

Good, local friends make moving to a new city much easier. You can use this word when you want to tell your “Mitras” you’re feeling grateful for their company. And for showing you around the city.

Maaf Kara – Sorry

You’re travelling in a bus with locals. It’s about to pull up at your stop and you need to make your way through the sea of commuters to get to the gate. Just mutter “Maaf kara” over and over again and make your way through the crowd.

Tai – Elder sister

Need to be in the good books of your seniors? Just add the word “Tai” after their name whenever you’re addressing them. They’ll gladly lend you their old notes and books.

Aaji – Grandmother

Learn this super easy basic Marathi word to impress your friend’s Aaji. And for an endless supply of her Puran Poli’s for lunch.

Kuthe – Where?

You don’t want to be late on your first day at work. While you have everything prepared – google maps, a cab and your best outfit – it doesn’t hurt to learn some basic Marathi. So in case you have difficulty finding the office building, you can ask a shopkeeper “Kuthe” your office is.

Dada – Elder brother

This is a versatile one. You can use it to address your senior Dadas in the hostel. Or your guard bhaiyya. Or your college canteen guy. Actually, any elder brotherly person you meet in the city.

Basa – Sit down

The first time your local Marathi friend comes to visit you, you could ask them to sit on the couch in English to make them feel comfortable. Or could point to the couch and say “Basa”. Then they’ll feel right at home.

Thamba – Stop

If you’re on a diet and your friend takes you to their favourite pav bhaji place. And the dada there keeps putting extra butter on your pav. Ask him to “thamba” before it’s too late!

Kiti Vajle – What’s the time?

Another pair of basic Marathi words that’ll save your life when you’re running late. Especially on days when you forgot to charge your phone. Even left your watch at home. Just ask a kind passerby “Kiti Vajle” and he’ll tell you the time. We just hope there’s some left for you to reach office on time.

Barobar – Exactly/Correct

Agreeing with your stubborn boss can be really irritating sometimes. As well as laughing at his PJs. But you’ve got to do what you got to do. So do it with a fake smile and an even more fake “barobar”.

Jevan – Food

Well, this Marathi word sounds like the Hindi word, Jeevan, meaning life. To be honest, food is life, right? So this one’s for all the foodies. May you find the best Jevan joints in the city.

Tu Ja – You go

Probably the easiest on this Marathi words list, you can use this to tell your roomie to go to the party while you’re stuck with work. And if they feel bad, ask them to bring back some Jevan for you.

Kaka – Uncle

This Marathi keyword is for your friendly neighbourhood uncle. And also for your not-so-friendly landlord. We hope your newly learned Marathi softens him a little.

Kaku – Aunty

Well well, it’s not possible that your building won’t have a nosy Kaku. Our tip is to greet her well every morning (but to take a pass on the colony gossip).

Nav – Name

Don’t confuse this Marathi word with the Hindi one for “boat”. Nav in Marathi means “name”. And will come in really handy when someone asks you yours. Or you have to ask them theirs. You know it.

Barr Ahey – Looking good

Drop a compliment to your hardworking team members. Praise them in their mother tongue. Just say “Barr Ahey” when they show you a finished project, and you’ll become their favourite colleague in no time.

Susvagatam – Welcome

If someone is saying Susvagatam to you, it means they’re welcoming you to the city. The best thing is, you don’t need a Marathi reply for that. Just a smile will do.

Vadani Kawal Gheta – Have a nice meal

Even if you cooked something as simple as Maggi for your friend, wishing her to have a nice meal, that too in Marathi, will take your hospitality game from 10 to 100.

Mala samajate – I understand

When your professor gives you your first assignment, and asks if you have any doubts, feel free to tell her that you’ve understood the task. Just two words, “Mala Samajate”, are all you need to impress her with your confidence. And your Marathi.

Mala samajata nahi – I don’t understand

So this phrase has two benefits. First, when asks something in Marathi and you don’t understand a word, just say “Mala samajata nahi”. Second, if someone is asking for a favour, you do understand it, but don’t want to do it. Say “Mala samajathi nahi” a few times and walk away.

Punha Sanga – Please say that again

Even though you’re doing a great job by learning these English to Marathi words, you’ll still need some time to get used to the local dialect. Don’t be shy to ask someone to repeat what they’re saying. Just say “Punha Sanga”. Who knows you might “Mala samajate” the second time?

Conclusion

Learning the basic Marathi words will definitely make your lifestyle in Maharashtra easier. Because the rest of the factors in the near Maharashtra-based city can be solved very easily. Smart rental solutions like the Stanza Living platform will solve your rental issues. The food delivery platforms might replenish your hunger in odd hours, too, but to live in a Marathi-speaking city, you need to learn the language. Google Translate might help, but at some point, it gets awkward as well. 

So, start from scratch today to make memories in the future that you will cherish for a lifetime.

FAQs

Is Marathi easy to learn?

The Marathi language would be easy for you if you are a Hindi speaker. It is due to shared vocabulary and script i.e. Devnagri. However, for a non-Indian language speaking community, its grammar and pronunciation might seem difficult in the initial days. You should get into a Marathi learning for beginners course for a legitimate solution. 

Are there online resources or apps available for learning basic Marathi vocabulary?

Yes, applications like Tandem, Duolingo, etc, help with the basic Marathi vocabulary just like any standard English-to-Marathi word dictionary. 

How do I improve my Marathi pronunciation?

There are various ways through which you can enhance your Marathi pronunciation-

• Practice pronouncing simple Marathi words with the locals

• Listen to and watch Marathi podcasts, movies, and music 

• Utilize YouTube tutorials and repeat the words

Can learning basic Marathi words enhance my experience while traveling or living in Maharashtra?

Yes, the basic Marathi words will help connect with the culture of the locals seamlessly. These words come in handy when traveling or starting your new life in Maharashtra as you learn to converse with the public transport servicemen as well as the locals/neighbors.