Calling someone in Marathi मराठीमें किसीको बुलाना marAThImeM kisIko bulAnA

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Suppose you want an help and you want to get attention of a person in front of you. In English you may say "Hello!", "Hey", "Friend" etc. In Hindi we say "अरे भाई (are bhAI), अरे भैया(are bhaiyA) etc.

These words "Hello!", "Hey" etc. is what I mean by the title "Calling or Addressing" someone.

The way you call someone who is of your age or you are friendly with will differ from calling an elder.
In Marathi "अरे"/"अगं" (are/agaM) is used for casual or friendly address.  "अहो" (aho) is used for calling with respect.
"अरे"(are) is for calling boy. "अगं" (agaM) is for calling girl.

Lets see detailed examples :-

A young boy or elder gentleman may call another young/small boy as

अरे दोस्त (are dost )
अरे मित्रा ( are mitrA )


But a boy will not call a girl "अगं मैत्रिणी" (agaM maitriNI ) which be literally translated "अरे सहेली" (are sahelI ). This will be very offensive. 

So you may call a girl formally
बहेनजी ( 
bahenajI)
अहो ताई (aho tAI )

But a boy/girl may call another elder girl whom they know as
बहना (
bahanA) / अरे बहन (are bahan)  
अगं ताई (agaM tAI )

As we had seen previously Saying tum aap in Marathi तू-तुम-आप तू-तुम्ही in Marathi we do not address someone with respect unless it is very formal. There is no offence meant. So this is due to difference in Marathi and Hindi culture.

See the difference. Calling someone with "अहो" indicates respect. Where "अरे" or "अगं" will be used casually.

A young boy may call another young boy of his age as
अरे भय्या / अरे बडे भय्या ( 
are bhayyA / are baDe bhayyA )
अरे दादा (are dAdA )

An elder person (Gent./Lady) may call a young or small child

अरे बेटा !/ बेटे ! ( are beTA !/ beTe !)
अरे मुला / बाळा ( are mulA / bALA  )

When calling an unknown elder gentleman, we generally say

चाचा / चाचाजी ( chAchA / chAchAjI )
अहो काका ( aho kAkA )

When calling an unknown elder lady, we generally say

चाची / मौसी ( chAchI / mausI )
अहो काकू / अहो मावशी ( aho kAkU / aho mAvashI  )

Sometimes ladies do not like getting called as काकू/मावशी  as it make them feel aged. So nowadays people prefer to call unknown girl or lady as "Madam" as in English.
मॅडम ( madam)

अहो मॅडम (aho Madam )

Similarly supporting staff in an organization calls male employees as "Sir" like in English
सर ! / सरजी ! ( 
sar/ sarajI  )
अहो सर !! (aho sar)

****** Using "अरे"/"अगं"/"अहो" along with other words **************

From the words  "अरे"/"अगं"/"अहो" (are/agaM/ aho) the ending "रे"/"गं"/"हो" (re/gaM/ ho) are added with other words to give them special effects. 
This is similar to Hindi. 

E.g. adding it to काय(kAy) will be कायरे/कायगं/कायहो (kAyare /kAyagaM /kAyaho)

Many times people start conversation with a familiar person using these words. 
e.g. Asking to a boy. 
क्यारे ? कैसा है ( kyAre ? kaisA hai ? )
“Hey ! How are you” -> कायरे ? कसा आहेस ? ( kAyare ? kasA Ahes ? )

Asking to a girl. 
क्यारे ? कैसी है ( kyAre ? kaisI hai )
कायगं ? कशी आहेस ? (kAyagaM ? kashI Ahes ?) 

Asking to a gentleman. 
क्योंजी ? कैसे हो ( kyoMjI  kaise ho )
कायहो ? कसे आहात ? (kAyaho ? kase AhAt ?)

Instead of just saying “कसा आहेस ?“ saying “कायरे ? कसा आहेस ?” shows that you have very close relation/contact with that person.

Similarly in questions ending with का(kA) these can be seen.
Asking to a boy “Will you be coming” -> 
तुम आनेवाले हो क्या ( tum AnevAle ho kyA )
तू येणारेस का ? (tU yeNAres kA ?) 

it can also be said as; तू येणारेस कारे ? (tU yeNAres kAre ?)
To a girl it can be तू येणारेस कागं ? (tU yeNAres kAgaM ? )
It means same as original questions. 

So do not confuse if someone adds "रे"/"गं"/"हो" (re/gaM/ ho) To WH-question words like  कायकधीकेव्हाकुठेकसा (kAy, kadhI, kevhA, kuThe, kasA) and make them :-
कायहोकधीहोकेव्हाहोकुठेहोकसाहो (kAyaho, kadhIho, kevhAho, kuTheho, kasAho )
कायरेकधीरेकेव्हारेकुठेरेकसारे (kAyare, kadhIre, kevhAre, kuThere, kasAre)
कायगंकधीगंकेव्हागंकुठेगंकसागं (kAyagaM, kadhIgaM, kevhAgaM, kuThegaM, kasAgaM )
They are same as original words.

Another example.
You tell your friend 
साहब आ गये ( sAhab A gaye )
साहेब आले (sAheb Ale).
Suppose you are doing time-pass in office and you see your boss coming then  you will alert your friend साहब आ गयेरे (sAhab A gayere). In Marathi you will say "साहेब आलेरे" (sAheb Alere )
Adding "रे" (re) to verb "आले" (Ale) gave this special effect of alerting/fetching attention :) 
Similarly it can be appended to verb in imperative statement
आ(A) 
ये (ye) 

आरे / आजा ( Are / AjA  )
(To boy )-> येरे (yere)
(To Girl)  येगं (yegaM)
(To elder man)Come ->  या (yA) -> याहो (yAho)
Depending on your tone it will sound urging/commanding/pleading.Thus adding these suffixes do not change meaning but they just enunciate the fact or feeling. 

Only  remember that :- 
For a boy with casual address you can append "रे" (re)
For a girl with casual address you can append  "गं" (gaM)
For unknown person or with respect you can append "हो" (ho)

As you listen/read more Marathi you will understand these subtle differences clearly. 


************* suffixing ना(nA)/नं(naM) and हं (haM) ***************
Similar to above adding ना(nA)/नं(naM) to verb in imperative statement indicates that your are pleading the person to take that action who is actually refusing to do it. Same as in Hindi. 


Person A:- 
कौशिक एक गाना गा(kaushik ek gAnA gA) 
कौशिक एक गाणं गा ( kaushik ek gANM gA )

Kaushik :- 
नहीं नहीं ( nahIM nahIM ) 
नाही नाही ( nAhI nAhI )

Person A:- 
क्यूं नहीं ? गाओ ना ( kyUM nahIM gAo nA)
का नको ? गाना/गानं ( kA nako gAnA/gAnaM )

Adding हं (haM) which will sound like "Hmm" in English also indicates you are pleading positively to that person. If you are inviting that person to some function or event many times it is used.

मेरे शादी मे आना. जरूर आना ( 
mere shAdI me AnA. jarUr AnA )
माझ्या लग्नाला ये. येहं ( mAjhyA lagnAlA ye. yehaM )

उसके साथ बात करो. जरूर बोलना ( usake sAth bAt karo. jarUr bolanA)
त्याच्याशी बोला. बोलाहं ( tyAchyAshI bolA. bolAhaM  )


Listen examples in this lesson at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mk_XHU-o5rw





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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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