50 Common Marathi Words Every Beginner Should Know
A starter list of everyday Marathi words with English meanings, grouped by theme, to build a working vocabulary fast.
Marathi is spoken by over 80 million people, primarily in the Indian state of Maharashtra, with a literary tradition spanning many centuries and significant modern presence in film, theatre, and literature. Building a working vocabulary starts with small, everyday word groups.
Greetings and courtesy
Namaskar (a respectful greeting), dhanyavad (thank you), krupaya (please), maaf kara (excuse me/sorry) — the everyday courtesy phrases that open most conversations.
Family
Aai (mother), baba (father), dada (older brother), tai (older sister), mitra/maitrin (friend, gendered) — note Marathi distinguishes older siblings with specific terms, similar to several other South Asian languages covered in our related articles.
Numbers
Ek (one), don (two), teen (three) through daha (ten) — Marathi numerals in Devanagari script (shared with Hindi) have their own distinctive appearance worth learning directly.
Everyday life
Paani (water), anna (food), ghar (house), kaam (work), shala (school).
Time
Aaj (today), udya (tomorrow), kaal (yesterday, context-dependent with tomorrow depending on tense), vel (time).
Why script matters here
Marathi uses Devanagari script, the same script used for Hindi — genuinely useful if you already have some Hindi familiarity (see our related Hindi Dictionary app content), though Marathi's own vocabulary and some grammatical features remain distinctly its own, not simply "Hindi with different words."
A simple way to build from this list
- Pick five to eight words a day rather than the whole list at once.
- Look each one up in Devanagari script and read it aloud.
- Use each new word in a short sentence of your own.
- Review yesterday's words before adding today's.
Look up any Marathi word instantly, in proper script, offline, with English Marathi Dictionary →
English Marathi Dictionary
Offline English–Marathi dictionary with meanings in proper Devanagari script
More about English Marathi Dictionary
Maharashtrian Festivals: Gudi Padwa, Ganeshotsav and Diwali
The main festivals celebrated in Maharashtra, their Marathi names and greetings, and the words that go with them.
Read article →Marathi Proverbs (म्हणी) and What They Mean
Popular Marathi proverbs with translations and meanings, showing how the language packs wisdom into short phrases.
Read article →Marathi Theatre, Natyasangeet and Cinema
An introduction to Marathi stage and film traditions, from musical drama to modern cinema, with the vocabulary of each.
Read article →Phones and the Internet in Marathi
Marathi vocabulary for phones, computers and the internet, with everyday phrases for calls, messages and Wi-Fi.
Read article →