Language/Marathi/Grammar/How-to-Use-Be
Hi Marathi learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn how to use the verb "be" in Marathi. The verb "be" helps us to describe a person, object or event in a sentence. It is one of the most important verbs in the English language and is used in various tenses, such as present, past and future. Similarly, in Marathi too, the verb "be" or "असणे" (asane) is used to describe the subject of a sentence in various tenses. This lesson is intended for intermediate level learners who want to improve their Marathi grammar skills. So, let's get started!
Consider broadening your understanding by checking out these related lessons: Conjunctions & Gender.
Understanding the Verb "Be" in Marathi[edit | edit source]
In Marathi, the verb "be" or "असणे" (asane) is used in many different contexts just like in English, such as to describe a state of being, to form the continuous tenses, to form the passive voice, and more. Therefore, it is important to understand how to use the verb "be" correctly in Marathi.
In Marathi, the verb "be" usually comes after the subject of a sentence, and its form changes depending on the tense of the sentence. Here is a table that shows the various forms of the verb "be" in Marathi:
| Tense | Verb Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Present | आहे (ahe) | तो आहे (To ahe) - He is |
| Past | होते (hote) | तो होते (To hote) - He was |
| Future | होणार (honar) | तो होणार आहे (To honar ahe) - He will be |
Notice that in Marathi, the verb "be" changes forms depending on the tense of the sentence, and it agrees with the subject in gender and number. Let's see some examples of the verb "be" in action.
Examples[edit | edit source]
Here are some examples of the verb "be" in Marathi:
| Marathi | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| तो आहे (To ahe) | To ahe | He is |
| ती आहे (Ti ahe) | Tee ahe | She is |
| ते आहेत (Te ahet) | Te ah-et | They are (masculine) |
| त्या आहेत (Tyaa ahet) | Tya-ah ah-et | They are (feminine) |
Here's an example dialogue to help you understand better:
- Person 1: तू कुठे आहेस? (Tu kuthhe ahes?) - (Where are you?)
- Person 2: मी घरी आहे (Mi gharī ahe) - (I am at home)
As you can see, the verb "be" is used to describe the state of being of the person in question. In this case, Person 2 is describing that they are at home. Let's move on to the next section to learn more about the different tenses of the verb "be" in Marathi.
The Different Tenses of the Verb "Be" in Marathi[edit | edit source]
In Marathi, the verb "be" or "असणे" (asane) has different forms depending on the tense of the sentence. Just like in English, Marathi has various tenses such as the present tense, past tense, future tense, and more.
Let's see how the verb "be" changes forms for each of these tenses:
Present Tense[edit | edit source]
The present tense is used to describe actions that are happening now or are always true. In Marathi, the present tense of the verb "be" is आहे (ahe) for masculine and neuter subjects, and आही (ahee) for feminine subjects.
Here are some examples:
| Marathi | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| मी आहे (Mi ahe) | Mee ahe | I am |
| तू आहेस (Tu ahes) | Too ah-es | You are (masculine) |
| ती आहे (Ti ahe) | Tee ahe | She is |
Here's an example dialogue to help you understand better:
- Person 1: तू काय करतो सध्या? (Tu kāy karato sadhyā?) - (What are you doing now?)
- Person 2: मी सुट्टी घेतो आहे (Mi suttī gheto ahe) - (I am taking a nap)
In this example, Person 2 is using the present tense of the verb "be" to describe what they are doing now, which is taking a nap.
Past Tense[edit | edit source]
The past tense is used to describe actions that have already happened. In Marathi, the past tense of the verb "be" is होते (hote) for masculine and neuter subjects, and होती (hoti) for feminine subjects.
Here are some examples:
| Marathi | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| मी होतो (Mi hoto) | Mee ho-to | I was |
| तू होतास (Tu hotas) | Too ho-tas | You were (masculine) |
| ती होती (Ti hoti) | Tee ho-tee | She was |
Here's an example dialogue to help you understand better:
- Person 1: तुमच्या शाळेत कसे होते? (Tumacyā shāle-t kase hote?) - (How was your school?)
- Person 2: माझ्या शाळेत खूप मस्त होते (Mājhyā shāle-t khūp mast hote) - (My school was very good)
In this example, Person 2 is using the past tense of the verb "be" to describe how their school was in the past, which was very good.
Future Tense[edit | edit source]
The future tense is used to describe actions that will happen in the future. In Marathi, the future tense of the verb "be" is होणार (honar) for all subjects, and असेल (asel) for the feminine singular and all plural subjects.
Here are some examples:
| Marathi | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| मी होणार आहे (Mi honar ahe) | Mee honar ahe | I will be |
| तू होणाऱ्या आहेस (Tu honaryā ahes) | Too honarya ah-es | You will be (masculine) |
| ती होणार आहे (Ti honar ahe) | Tee honar ahe | She will be |
Here's an example dialogue to help you understand better:
- Person 1: आजच्या रात्री चित्रपट पहायला जाऊ का? (Ājcyā rāt-rī chitrapaṭ pāhāy-lā jāu kā?) - (Do you want to go watch a movie tonight?)
- Person 2: होय, मी येणार आहे (Hoy, Mee yenar ahe) - (Yes, I will be coming)
In this example, Person 2 is using the future tense of the verb "be" to indicate that they will be coming to watch a movie tonight.
Past Continuous Tense[edit | edit source]
The past continuous tense is used to describe actions that were happening over a period of time in the past. In Marathi, the past continuous tense of the verb "be" is होत असे (hot ase).
Here's an example:
| Marathi | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| माझ्या बायकोच्या जन्मदिवशी मी काम करत होतो असे (Mājh-yā bāyak-ochyā janmadiv-shī mi kām kart hotō ase) | Mājhyā bāyakocyā janmadiv-shī mee kām karat hoto ase | I was working on my wife's birthday |
In this example, the speaker is using the past continuous tense of the verb "be" to indicate that they were working on their wife's birthday.
Conclusion[edit | edit source]
In this lesson, we learned how to use the verb "be" in Marathi. We saw that the verb "be" is used to describe the subject of a sentence in many different tenses, such as the present, past, future, and past continuous tenses. We also saw that the verb "be" changes forms depending on the tense of the sentence and agrees with the subject in gender and number. To improve your Marathi grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions! Don't forget to check out other articles on the Marathi Grammar page to improve your Marathi skills. Happy learning! 😊
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➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎
Having concluded this lesson, consider checking out these related pages: Causative verbs & 0 to A1 Course.
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Negation nakaar नकार
- Conditional Mood
- Pronouns
- Negation
- Adjectives
- Give your Opinion
- Nouns namo नामो
- Questions
- Nouns