The Correlative Pronoun 'To'
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
In Marathi, you connect ideas using 'Jo' (who/which) and 'To' (that/he/she) as a pair to define nouns.
- Use 'Jo' (who/which) to start the relative clause.
- Use 'To' (that/he/she) to start the main clause.
- The 'Jo' clause must precede the 'To' clause.
Jo-To Gender/Number Agreement
| Gender | Relative (Jo) | Correlative (To) |
|---|---|---|
|
Masculine Singular
|
Jo
|
To
|
|
Feminine Singular
|
Ji
|
Ti
|
|
Neuter Singular
|
Je
|
Te
|
|
Masculine Plural
|
Je
|
Te
|
|
Feminine Plural
|
Jya
|
Tya
|
|
Neuter Plural
|
Ji
|
Ti
|
Meanings
The 'Jo-To' construction is used to create relative clauses where the subject or object of the first clause is referenced by a pronoun in the second.
Defining Relative Clause
Identifying a specific person or object within a group.
“जो माणूस बोलत आहे, तो शिक्षक आहे.”
“जी मुलगी गात आहे, ती माझी बहीण आहे.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Jo... To...
|
Jo abhyas karto, to pass hoto.
|
|
Negative
|
Jo... To... (neg verb)
|
Jo abhyas karat nahi, to fail hoto.
|
|
Question
|
Jo... To... ka?
|
Jo mulga yeto, to tujha mitra ahe ka?
|
|
Plural
|
Je... Te...
|
Je lok yetat, te amche mitra ahet.
|
|
Oblique
|
Jya... Tya...
|
Jya mulala tu dile, tya mulala ghe.
|
|
Past
|
Jya... Tya...
|
Jya-ne kaam kele, tya-la paise dile.
|
Spectre de formalité
जो व्यक्ती तिथे बसली आहे, ते माझे वरिष्ठ आहेत. (Workplace)
जो माणूस तिथे बसला आहे, तो माझा बॉस आहे. (Workplace)
जो तिथे बसलाय, तो माझा बॉस आहे. (Workplace)
तो जो बसलाय ना, तो माझा बॉस. (Workplace)
The Jo-To Connection
Masculine
- Jo Who (m)
- To That (m)
Feminine
- Ji Who (f)
- Ti That (f)
Exemples par niveau
जो मुलगा आहे, तो माझा मित्र आहे.
The boy who is there, he is my friend.
जी मुलगी गाते, ती माझी बहीण आहे.
The girl who is singing, she is my sister.
जे पुस्तक तू वाचले आहेस, ते खूप छान आहे.
The book that you have read, it is very good.
ज्या माणसाने मला मदत केली, तो आजारी आहे.
The man who helped me, he is sick.
ज्यांनी हे काम पूर्ण केले, त्यांना बक्षीस मिळेल.
Those who completed this work, they will get a prize.
ज्या ज्या वेळी मी तिथे गेलो, त्या त्या वेळी पाऊस पडला.
Whenever I went there, it rained.
Facile à confondre
Both use a two-part structure.
Erreurs courantes
Jo mulga yeto, mulga maza mitra ahe.
Jo mulga yeto, to maza mitra ahe.
Ji mulga yeto...
Jo mulga yeto...
Jya mulala me dile, to mulga...
Jya mulala me dile, tya mulala...
Jo lok yetat...
Je lok yetat...
Structures de phrases
Jo ___ , to ___ .
Real World Usage
ज्यांनी गुन्हा केला, त्यांना पकडले.
Check Gender
Smart Tips
Use Jo-To.
Prononciation
Jo/To
The 'J' is like 'joy', 'T' is a soft dental sound.
Pause at comma
Jo... [pause] ...To...
Separates the relative clause from the main clause.
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
Jo is the 'Who', To is the 'That' — they always dance in a pair, like a hat and a cat.
Association visuelle
Imagine a person pointing (To) at someone else who is doing something (Jo). The pointing finger is the comma.
Rhyme
Jo starts the show, To makes it go.
Story
Jo the boy was running. To the boy was waiting. Jo ran to To. Now they are a pair.
Word Web
Défi
Write 3 sentences describing people in your room using Jo-To.
Notes culturelles
This structure is very common in Marathi literature and formal speeches.
Derived from Sanskrit relative-correlative pronouns (ya-tad).
Amorces de conversation
जो माणूस तिथे उभा आहे, तो कोण आहे?
Sujets d'écriture
Erreurs courantes
Test Yourself
___ मुलगा तिथे आहे, तो माझा भाऊ आहे.
Score: /1
Exercices pratiques
1 exercises___ मुलगा तिथे आहे, तो माझा भाऊ आहे.
Score: /1
FAQ (1)
No, it will sound incomplete.
Scaffolded Practice
1
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
El que...
Marathi requires the pair for almost all relative clauses.
Celui qui...
Marathi's Jo-To is more versatile.
Derjenige, der...
German is more complex with cases.
Relative clause + noun
Marathi uses pronouns, Japanese does not.
Alladhi
Marathi requires the 'To' correlative.
De structure
Marathi uses pronouns, Chinese uses particles.
