A0 · Point Zéro Chapitre 1

The Gujarati Script: Swar and Vyanjan

5 Règles totales
50 exemples
1 min
Règles dans ce chapitre Pratique rapide

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Unlock the logic of the Gujarati script by mastering the foundational building blocks of every word.

  • Identify all 11 primary vowels and their unique sounds.
  • Categorize consonants into phonetic groups based on mouth position.
  • Distinguish between soft and breathy sounds to improve native-like pronunciation.
From silent symbols to vibrant sounds.

Ce que tu vas apprendre

Introduction to the beautiful Gujarati script and its phonetic foundation. You will learn to recognize vowels and consonants.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to recognize and write the 11 basic Gujarati vowels (Swar).
  2. 2
    By the end you will be able to categorize consonants by their place of articulation in the mouth.
  3. 3
    By the end you will be able to produce distinct aspirated and unaspirated pairs like 'Ka' and 'Kha'.
  4. 4
    By the end you will be able to correctly position your tongue for retroflex consonants unique to Indian languages.
  5. 5
    By the end you will be able to apply the Anusvar dot to nasalize vowels in written words.

Exemples clés (8)

1

આજે રજા છે.

Today is a holiday.

Voyelles gujaraties : L'âme de l'écriture (Swar)
2

મને કોફી ગમે છે.

I like coffee.

Voyelles gujaraties : L'âme de l'écriture (Swar)
3

ક થી કમળ.

K is for Lotus.

La grille des consonnes gujarati (Vyanjan)
4

મને ખુરશી આપો.

Give me the chair.

La grille des consonnes gujarati (Vyanjan)
5

Tame `kaal` aavsho?

Will you come tomorrow?

Prononciation Gujarati : Sons aspirés vs non aspirés
6

Aa phal ni `khaal` kaadhi naakho.

Remove the skin/peel of this fruit.

Prononciation Gujarati : Sons aspirés vs non aspirés
7

ṭapālī ṭapāl lāvyō.

The postman brought the mail.

Consonnes Rétroflexes du Gujarati : Les sons 'enroulés' (ટ, ડ, ળ)
8

mārī gāḍī kyā̃ chē?

Where is my car?

Consonnes Rétroflexes du Gujarati : Les sons 'enroulés' (ટ, ડ, ળ)

Conseils et astuces (4)

💡

The 'No Line' Rule

If you are coming from Hindi, the biggest tip is: STOP drawing the line on top. Gujarati letters are free spirits!
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Voyelles gujaraties : L'âme de l'écriture (Swar)
🎯

The 'Mirror' Trick

If you struggle with દ (da) and ધ (dha), remember that ધ has a 'head' (the small circle). Wealth (Dhan) needs a head to think about it!
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: La grille des consonnes gujarati (Vyanjan)
🎯

The Tissue Trick

Hold a single ply of tissue in front of your mouth. It should only move when you say aspirated sounds like kh, gh, or bh.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Prononciation Gujarati : Sons aspirés vs non aspirés
🎯

The 'English T' Hack

If you're stuck, remember that the English 'T' is closer to the Gujarati retroflex 'ટ' than the dental 'ત'. Use your English 'T' as a starting point and curl back further.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Consonnes Rétroflexes du Gujarati : Les sons 'enroulés' (ટ, ડ, ળ)

Vocabulaire clé (7)

અજગર Ajagar (Python) કમળ Kamal (Lotus) ઘર Ghar (House) ટપાલી Tapali (Postman) પતંગ Patang (Kite) ફળ Phal (Fruit) નમસ્તે Namaste (Hello)

Real-World Preview

store

Reading a Shop Sign

Review Summary

  • અ, આ, ઇ, ઈ...
  • ક, ખ, ગ, ઘ...
  • Consonant + Breath
  • Tongue to Roof
  • Letter + Dot (ં)

Erreurs courantes

These two letters look very similar to beginners. 'Kha' is more complex with an extra stroke at the beginning.

Wrong: Writing 'બ' (Ba) instead of 'ખ' (Kha)
Correct: ખ (Kha) has a distinct loop and hook.

English speakers often use a dental 'T' (tongue against teeth), but Gujarati requires a tongue-flip for the 'T' group.

Wrong: Pronouncing 'ઠ' (Tha) as a flat 'T' sound.
Correct: ઠ (Tha) is retroflex; curl your tongue back to the roof of your mouth.

Without the dot, 'Patang' would sound like 'Patag', which is not a word.

Wrong: Ignoring the Anusvar dot in 'પતંગ' (Patang).
Correct: Always pronounce the nasal sound when you see the dot.

Next Steps

You've successfully built the foundation! The Gujarati script is a work of art, and you've just learned to read its first strokes. Keep practicing those retroflexes!

Trace the Gujarati alphabet 5 times.

Record yourself saying the aspirated pairs (Ka/Kha, Ga/Gha).

Continue to: Matras and Conjuncts

Pratique rapide (10)

Fix the mistake in the sentence about closing a window.

Find and fix the mistake:

ભારી બંધ કરો (Bhari bandh karo).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: બારી બંધ કરો (Baari bandh karo)
You should use baari (window), not bhari (filled).

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Prononciation Gujarati : Sons aspirés vs non aspirés

Which of these uses the 'e' matra correctly for the word 'Kem' (How)?

How do you write 'Kem'?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: કેમ
The 'e' sound is represented by a single diagonal stroke ે above the consonant.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Voyelles gujaraties : L'âme de l'écriture (Swar)

Which letter represents the aspirated version of 'ક' (ka)?

Select the correct aspirated consonant:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ખ
'ખ' (kha) is the aspirated form of 'ક' (ka) in the Velar row.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: La grille des consonnes gujarati (Vyanjan)

Fill in the blank with the word for 'weight'.

આ પેટીનો ___ (bhaar) વધારે છે.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ભાર
bhaar (aspirated 'bh') means weight. baar (unaspirated) means twelve.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Prononciation Gujarati : Sons aspirés vs non aspirés

Correct the letter for 'Wealth' (Dhan).

Find and fix the mistake:

દન

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ધન
'Dhan' uses the aspirated 'ધ' (dha), not the dental 'દ' (da).

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: La grille des consonnes gujarati (Vyanjan)

Which letter is the retroflex 'T'?

Identify the retroflex 'T' sound:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ટ (ṭa)
ટ (ṭa) is the retroflex sound where the tongue curls back. ત (ta) is the dental version.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Consonnes Rétroflexes du Gujarati : Les sons 'enroulés' (ટ, ડ, ળ)

Identify the missing vowel for 'Today' (Aaj).

___જ (Aaj)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: આ
The word for 'today' starts with the long 'aa' sound, which is represented by the independent vowel આ.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Voyelles gujaraties : L'âme de l'écriture (Swar)

Which word means 'Color'?

Choose the correct spelling:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: રંગ
'રંગ' with the Anusvar (dot) means color. 'રગ' means vein.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Le point nasal : Maîtriser l'Anusvar (ં)

Fill in the blank to say 'I'

___ ગુજરાતી છું.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: હું
'હું' (with the dot) is the correct pronoun for 'I' in Gujarati.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Le point nasal : Maîtriser l'Anusvar (ં)

Complete the word for 'Lotus' (Kamal).

__ મળ

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ક
Kamal starts with 'ક' (ka).

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: La grille des consonnes gujarati (Vyanjan)

Score: /10

Questions fréquentes (6)

A matra is a vowel sign attached to a consonant to change its sound. For example, ક (ka) + ા (aa) = કા (kaa).
There are usually 12-13 main vowels taught, including the nasal sound (Anusvar) and the breathy sound (Visarga).
Gujarati evolved from the same ancestor as Hindi but dropped the 'Shirorekha' (top bar) in the 16th century to make writing faster for merchants and accountants.
There are 34 basic consonants, though some lists include compound letters like ક્ષ and જ્ઞ, bringing the total higher.
It is a burst of air that follows a consonant. Think of it like adding a mini 'h' sound immediately after the main letter.
Yes, most Indo-Aryan languages like Hindi, Marathi, and Bengali share this exact same system of aspirated pairs.
Chapitre suivant
Matras and Conjuncts
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