You’ve moved to Mumbai or Pune. You’ve found a flat, survived the broker, and learned that “5 minutes” in an auto means 25. Now it’s time to learn some Marathi. Locals light up when you try, even if you get it wrong. Here are 30 phrases that will get you through a normal day, plus the pro tips nobody tells you.
How to read this: aa sounds like the a in “father”, e like the e in “cafe”, and ch is softer than in English, closer to “ts” in some words.
Greetings and Small Talk
| English | Marathi | Say it like | Pro tip |
| Hello | नमस्कार | Namaskar | Safe with everyone, from the watchman to your boss. |
| How are you? (formal) | कसे आहात? | Kase aahat? | Use with elders. |
| How are you? (to a man / woman) | कसा आहेस? / कशी आहेस? | Kasa aahes? / Kashi aahes? | Friends only. |
| I’m fine | मी बरा / बरी आहे | Mi bara / bari aahe | Bara if you’re a man, bari if you’re a woman. |
| What’s your name? | तुमचं नाव काय? | Tumcha naav kay? | |
| My name is… | माझं नाव … आहे | Majha naav … aahe | |
| Thank you | धन्यवाद | Dhanyavaad | Most people just say “thank you”, but this earns a smile. |
| Sorry | माफ करा | Maaf kara | |
| Okay | बरं | Bara | The most useful word in Marathi. Nod while saying it. |
| Yes / No | हो / नाही | Ho / Nahi | Hindi speakers: ho means yes here! |
Getting Around
| English | Marathi | Say it like | Pro tip |
| Where is…? | … कुठे आहे? | …kuthe aahe? | Add “kaka” (uncle)/ “Kaki” (aunty) at the end to sound polite only if they are elderly |
| Will you go to…? | …ला येणार का? | …la yenaar ka? | The auto question. Brace for “nahi”. |
| Go straight | सरळ जा | Saral ja | |
| Turn left / right | डावीकडे / उजवीकडे वळा | Daavikade / Ujvikade vala | |
| Stop here | इथे थांबा | Ithe thamba | |
| How much? | किती झाले? | Kiti jhale? | Also works at the end of any meal. |
Shopping and Bargaining
| English | Marathi | Say it like | Pro tip |
| It’s too expensive | खूप महाग आहे | Khup mahaag aahe | Say it with a sad face for best results. |
| Reduce it a little | थोडं कमी करा | Thoda kami kara | |
| I don’t want it | नको | Nako | One of the most powerful words in Marathi. |
| Give me this | हे द्या | He dya | |
| Last price? | शेवटची किंमत? | Shevatchi kimmat? | In Tulshibaug, this is an art form. |
Food
| English | Marathi | Say it like | Pro tip |
| I’m hungry | मला भूक लागली आहे | Mala bhook laagli aahe | Say this in a Marathi home and a full thali will appear. |
| Please give water | पाणी द्या | Paani dya | |
| Not spicy, please | तिखट नको | Tikhat nako | In Kolhapur, people may laugh at you. Kindly. |
| It’s delicious | खूप छान झालंय | Khup chhan jhalay | Guaranteed to get you a second helping. |
| Enough! | पुरे! | Pure! | Does not work on Marathi mothers. |
Survival Phrases
| English | Marathi | Say it like | Pro tip |
| I don’t understand Marathi | मला मराठी समजत नाही | Mala Marathi samjat nahi | Say it in Marathi and people will think you do. |
| Please speak slowly | हळू बोला | Haloo bola | |
| I’m learning Marathi | मी मराठी शिकत आहे | Mi Marathi shikat aahe | Instant respect. |
| What happened? | काय झालं? | Kay jhala? | |
| Bye (literally “I’ll come back”) | येतो / येते | Yeto / Yete | See the note below. |
Why Marathi People Say “I’ll Come” When They Leave
When a Marathi person leaves your home, they don’t say “I’m going” (jato). They say yeto (I’ll come), if they’re a man, or yete, if they’re a woman. Saying “I’m going” is traditionally avoided because it sounds final. So “yeto” is a promise to return, which is a lovely thought, unless it’s your talkative neighbour.
Next Steps
Once you’re comfortable, watch out for words that look like Hindi but mean something else. Our guide to Marathi vs Hindi will save you some embarrassment. To sound younger and cooler, pick up a few words from our Marathi slang list.
I hope these phrases make your new city feel a little more like home! Which Marathi word did you learn first? Tell me in the comments below.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say hello in Marathi?
Say namaskar (नमस्कार). It works in every situation.
How do you say thank you in Marathi?
Say dhanyavaad (धन्यवाद), though “thank you” is widely used too.
Is Marathi hard to learn for Hindi speakers?
No. Both use Devanagari script and share many words, so Hindi speakers usually pick up basic Marathi in a few months.
मराठी
नमस्कार, मी गायत्री.
मुंबईत वाढले. आजीच्या गोष्टी ऐकत, आईने शिकवलेल्या म्हणी बोलत, घरच्या सणांच्या गडबडीत. तेव्हा कधी वाटलंच नाही की हे सगळं खास आहे.
माझी मुलगी झाली, आणि एक दिवस मनात आलं: हे सगळं तिच्यापर्यंत कसं पोहोचणार?
त्याच प्रश्नातून आपला मराठी माणूस सुरू झालं. मराठी संस्कृती फक्त आपल्यापुरती राहू नये, ती सर्वांची व्हावी. म्हणून मी मराठीत, रोमन लिपीत आणि इंग्रजीत लिहिते, जेणेकरून कोणीही मागे राहू नये.
इथे जे लिहिते, ते मी जगलेलं, ऐकलेलं आणि मोठ्यांकडून शिकलेलं आहे.
Romanized
Namaskar, mi Gayatri.
Mumbait vaadhle. Aajichya goshti aikat, aaine shikavlelya mhani bolat, gharchya sananchya gadbadit. Tevha kadhi vatlach nahi ki he sagla khaas aahe.
Majhi mulgi zali, ani ek divas manaat aala: he sagla tichyaparyant kasa pohochnar?
Tyach prashnatun Aapla Marathi Manoos suru zala. Marathi sanskruti fakta aaplyapurti rahu naye, ti sarvanchi vhavi. Mhanun mi Marathit, Roman lipit ani Engrajit lihite, jenekarun konihi maage rahu naye.
Ithe je lihite, te mi jagalela, aikalela ani mothyankadun shiklela aahe.
English
Namaskar, I’m Gayatri.
I grew up in Mumbai listening to my grandmother’s stories, repeating the proverbs my mother taught me, and getting lost in the bustle of festivals at home. Back then, I never realised how special it all was.
Then my daughter was born, and one day a thought stayed with me: how will all of this reach her?
Aapla Marathi Manoos began with that question. I don’t want Marathi culture to stay only with us; I want it to belong to everyone. So I write in Marathi, in Romanized Marathi, and in English, so that no one is left out.
Everything here is something I’ve lived, heard, or learned from my elders.