Basic questions and "WH" questions in Marathi

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Basic questions :-

Consider sentences  :-
Do you go ?
Did he go ?
Will she speak ?
Was he dancing ?

These are all basic questions in English. In Marathi basic questions can be formed by adding का (kA).
i.e. by appending का (kA) to an statement it will be converted to question.

He goes -> Does he go
तो जातो (to jAto) -> तो जातो का  ? ( to jAto kA ?)

She went -> did she go ?
ती गेली (tI gelI )  -> ती गेली का ? (tI gelI kA)

They will go -> will they go ?
ते जातील (te jAtIl)  -> ते जातील का ? (te jAtIl kA)

Such questions can also be asked buy using same sentence but just changing tone. In English as well we do it some times.

e.g You are coming -> You coming ??
तू येतो आहेस (tU yeto Ahes )

You told him secret --> You told him secret ??

तू त्याला रहस्य सांगितलेस (tU tyAlA rahasy sAMgitales 

Listen explanation about change in tone here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6op3280lpZg 



WH Questions :- 
Refer table below for words in Marathi for Wh questions


Wh question in English 
Word in Marathi
सामान्यरूप(sAmAnyarUp) of WH-word.
Who
कोण(koN)
कोणा(koNA)
When
कधी/ केव्हा(kadhI / kevhA)
कधी/केव्हा(kadhI/kevhA)
Where
कुठे(kuThe)
कुठ(kuTha)
Why
का(kA)
-
What
काय(kAy)
कशा(kashA)
How many
किती(kitI)
कितीं(kitIM)
How
कसा कशी कसे
कसे कश्या कशी
(kasA kashI kase
kase kashyA kashI)
-
Which
कुठला कुठली कुठले
कुठले कुठल्या कुठली()
(kuThalA kuThalI kuThale
kuThale kuThalyA kuThalI)

कुठल्या(kuThalyA)
Which
कोणता कोणती कोणते
कोणते कोणत्या कोणती
(
koNatA koNatI koNate

koNate koNatyA koNatI)
कोणत्या(koNatyA)

In the above table "Who"; "When"; "Where" ; "Why" ; "What" ; “How many” seems simple as there is only one word in Marathi corresponding to each.
So let us first attack “How” and “which”

As we had seens in last section “My/His/Her” that depending on gender and multiplicity the form changes. Same logic applies here.
Depending on the gender and multiplicity of objective of question the  form is decided.
e.g. “How is he ?”  Here objective is “he” i.e. masculine-singular. So कसा will be used.

“How are they (plural of he)” Here objective is “They (plural of he)” i.e. masculine-plural  So कसे will be used

“How are those girls?”  Here objective is “Those” i.e. feminine-plural  So कश्या will be used

Similarly for “which” depending on the gender and multiplicity objective of question the form is decided. Also for "which" there are two options. Form of कुठला and forms of कोणता . Either of them can be used interchangeably.
e.g.
“Which boy” Here objective is “boy” i.e. masculine-singular. So कुठला/ कोणता will be used.
“which trees” Here objective is “trees” i.e. neuter-plural. So कुठली / कोणती will be used.

Let us take full sentence example.
General structure is :-
Subject/Doer of action       question word          verb


Examples for other WH questions
When will you come ? -->  तू कधी/केव्हा येशील ?  (tU kadhI/kevhA yeshIl ?  )
Where do you live ? --> तू कुठे राहतोस ?  (  tU kuThe rAhatos ? )
Why did you speak ? --> तू का बोललास ? (  tU kA bolalAs ? )
What is your name ?--> तुझे नाव काय ?  (  tujhe nAv kAy ? )
How many girls spoke  ?  -->  किती मुली बोलल्या ?  (kitI mulI bolalyA ? )

Listen examples in this lesson at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqqOECaJx08



Prepositions with WH-questions. 
Prepositions can be used with WH-question words. And like nouns, the preposition is added to the  सामान्यरूप(sAmAnyarUp) of WH-word.
Propositions is not logically used with "How" , "why" related words.
सामान्यरूप(sAmAnyarUp) of  काय(kAy) is quite different.

Examples :- 
Because of whom -> कोणामुळे (koNAmuLe )
From when -> कधीपासून (kadhIpAsUn)
For what -> कशासाठी  (kashAsAThI )
After what -> कशानंतर (kashAnaMtar)
For which boy -> कुठल्या मुलासाठी  (kuThalyA mulAsAThI )

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Note :-  Right hand side of the blog shows "Blog Archive". Expand it fully to see whole list of posts to Learn Marathi. Learn Marathi grammar and many aspects Marathi language online.
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Comments

  1. This is a pretty good blog for getting a working knowledge of Marathi and examples on real life situations really help!

    ReplyDelete
  2. how will i write "when were u admitted to this hospital?" ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The statement "You were admitted to this hospital" is translated as :-
      तू हॉस्पिटलमध्ये अ‍ॅडमिट झालास ( tU hospiTalamadhye aDamiT jhAlAs )

      "when" -> कधी ( kadhI )
      As said above
      General structure for a question is :-
      Subject/Doer of action question word verb
      तू हॉस्पिटलमध्ये कधी अ‍ॅडमिट झालास

      So sentence is "तू हॉस्पिटलमध्ये कधी अ‍ॅडमिट झालास" ?

      Delete
    2. What is declarative sentence of where do yo live

      Delete
    3. What do you mean by "declarative sentence" ? Can you elaborate ?

      Delete
  3. "will u go to parvati multiplex"
    is it translated as "tumhi parvati jaashil ka?" or "tumhi parvati janaar ahe ka?"
    how is "janaar" formed?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are almost correct but you mixed forms of you singular and plural

      "tumhi" is plural of you.
      So simple positive statement will be तुम्ही पर्वतीला जाल ( tumhI parvatIlA jAl )
      So question will be तुम्ही पर्वतीला जाल का ( tumhI parvatIlA jAl kA )

      If you wanted to say about "you" singular;
      positive statement will be -> तू पर्वतीला जाशील ( tU parvatIlA jAshIl )
      question will be -> तू पर्वतीला जाशील का ( tU parvatIlA jAshIl kA )

      The form of जाणार ( jANAr ) is explained in
      http://kaushiklele-learnmarathi.blogspot.in/2012/05/sentence-using-goind-to-phrase.html

      Delete
    2. how is 'you' written with respect?

      Delete
    3. 'is he goin to come?' becomes ' te yenaares ka?
      what does the suffix 'es' after 'yenaar' mean?

      Delete
    4. 'you with respect" is written as "tumhI" which is plural of "you".

      So "Aap" or "Tum" in Hindi is equivalent to saying "tumhI" in Marathi.
      It is needless to say that when using "tumhi", verbs should be formed as per "tumhi"(plural of "you") and NOT as per "tU" ( singular "you" )

      Regarding your second question, please refer lesson on Present Continuous Tense. You will understand about the suffixes.

      Can you mail me on learnmarathifast@gmail.com, so that I can have your email ID, and can update you about new lessons.

      Delete
    5. thnx.....my email id is skt.diaz@gmail.com

      Delete
  4. According to the table what = kAy. Can you explain then why
    For what = कशासाठी (kashAsAThI ) & After what = कशानंतर (kashAnaMtar). Does what also translate to कशा ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No."what" is not translated as कशा(kashA).
      As mentioned in table, कशा(kashA)is सामान्यरूप(sAmAnyarUp) of काय(kAy).

      And as mentioned in lesson, "prepositions can be used with WH-question words. And like nouns, before adding preposition is added to सामान्यरूप(sAmAnyarUp) of WH-word"

      So कशासाठी (kashAsAThI ), कशानंतर (kashAnaMtar) etc.

      Does it clarify ?

      May I know your name please. Are you learning Marathi using my blog ?


      So For what = कशासाठी (kashAsAThI ) & After what = कशानंतर (kashAnaMtar).

      Delete
    2. Thanks.Yes I'm a regular user of your blog. Seems the idea of सामान्यरूप is still not clear to me. Have you discussed the definition of सामान्यरूप in any previous lessons? If yes, please direct me to that.

      Delete
    3. Yes, concept is explained in detail in lessons related to prepositions.
      http://kaushiklele-learnmarathi.blogspot.in/2012/05/prepositions.html

      http://kaushiklele-learnmarathi.blogspot.in/2012/05/working-with-nouns-prepositions.html

      May I know your name please ? I would like to discuss more about your Marathi learning. Can you please mail me at learnmarathifast@gmail.com

      - Kaushik

      Delete
    4. I am also puzzled by the form - सामान्यरूप. Please, correct me if I am wrong, but I think that we use it when we have the preposition and the question word together. For example,
      who is कोण
      but "about who(m)" will be कोणाबद्दल

      Delete
    5. yes. Refer above mentioned lesson for details.

      May I know your name please ? Are you learning Marathi through my blog ?

      - Kaushik

      Delete
    6. I am from Europe. Yes, I am learning Marathi on your blog. I find it very useful. Other websites do not explain the grammatical part.
      I am learning Marathi to surprise my fiance and to be able to communicate with my future in-laws )
      I like your blog. it would be great if you could post some more exercises for practicing the theory.

      Delete
    7. That is great to hear. I would like interact more about your Marathi learning and your experience with my blog. Can you please mail me at learnmarathifast@gmail.com

      Delete
  5. someone send me a text message in this word " kadi yet ahes". So, kindly translate this meaning if somebody know.

    ReplyDelete
  6. "tu tyala rahaya sangitles" In this sentence, is the object "him" or is the object "rahasya"? Is sangitles used by virtue of "person object" (as you have explained in another lesson that comes later) or is it by virtue of "rahasya" being neuter-singular object? Thanks Kaushik for your time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The rule of thumb to identify object in sentence is to ask question "what".

      What was told ?
      "secret"

      So secret is object.
      So सांगितलेस is as per "secret".

      Delete
    2. dhanyavaad saheb! Master! :)

      Delete
  7. RPlease explain
    Which means -जो,जी,जे
    The book which you have sent is not readable

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There is another lesson which explians the concept in detail. Please refer
      http://kaushiklele-learnmarathi.blogspot.in/2012/06/which-that-what-that-sentences.html

      Are you learning Marathi using my blog ?

      Thanks,
      Kaushik

      Delete
    2. I am learning to speak English from your blog.

      Delete
    3. वा छान. बरेच जण असाही वापर करतायत ब्लॉगचा. धन्यवाद.

      Delete

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