Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
In Gujarati, possession is shown by adding 'no', 'ni', 'nu', or 'na' to the owner based on the gender/number of the object.
- Use 'no' for masculine singular objects: 'Maro bhai' (My brother).
- Use 'ni' for feminine singular objects: 'Mari behen' (My sister).
- Use 'nu' for neuter singular objects: 'Maru ghar' (My house).
Meanings
The genitive particle indicates a relationship of possession or association between two nouns.
Direct Possession
Indicating ownership of an object or relationship.
“Mari pen (My pen)”
“Ram nu ghar (Ram's house)”
Possessive Particle Agreement
| Object Gender/Number | Particle | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine Singular | no | Ram no bhai |
| Feminine Singular | ni | Ram ni behen |
| Neuter Singular | nu | Ram nu ghar |
| Plural (All genders) | na | Ram na mitro |
Pronoun Possessives
| Pronoun | Masc | Fem | Neut | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | maro | mari | maru | mara |
| You | taro | tari | taru | tara |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Owner + Particle + Object | Ram no bhai |
| Negative | Owner + Particle + Object + nathi | Ram no bhai nathi |
| Question | Owner + Particle + Object + che? | Ram no bhai che? |
| Plural | Owner + na + Objects | Ram na bhaiyo |
| Pronoun | maro + Object | maro bhai |
| Formal | Tamaro + Object | Tamaro bhai |
طيف الرسمية
Aa maru ghar che. (Home)
Aa maru ghar che. (Home)
Aa maru ghar. (Home)
Aa maru ghar che. (Home)
Possession Logic
Masc
- no masculine
Fem
- ni feminine
Neut
- nu neuter
Plural
- na plural
أمثلة حسب المستوى
Maro bhai
My brother
Mari pen
My pen
Maru ghar
My house
Mara mitro
My friends
Ram ni car
Ram's car
Sita nu pustak
Sita's book
Taro bhai
Your brother
Tari mata
Your mother
Aam ni mithas
The sweetness of the mango
Ghar na badha loko
All the people of the house
School ni chutti
School holiday
Office nu kaam
Office work
Gujarat na logo
The people of Gujarat
Bharat ni sanskruti
India's culture
Temno vichar
Their idea
Amari team na khiladi
The players of our team
Sahitya ni sundarta
The beauty of literature
Jivan na sangharsho
The struggles of life
Vichar ni spashtata
Clarity of thought
Samay nu mahatva
Importance of time
Itihas na panna
Pages of history
Manavta ni seva
Service of humanity
Kala nu pradarshan
Exhibition of art
Anubhav na moti
Pearls of experience
سهل الخلط
Learners mix up 'maro' (my) with adjectives.
Hindi uses 'ka/ki/ke'.
Using 'no' for plural.
أخطاء شائعة
Ram no behen
Ram ni behen
Ram ni ghar
Ram nu ghar
Maro behen
Mari behen
Ram na bhai
Ram no bhai
Mari mitro
Mara mitro
Taro mata
Tari mata
Eno ghar
Enu ghar
Mari bhai na ghar
Mara bhai nu ghar
Ram nu mitro
Ram na mitro
Tari pustak
Taru pustak
Sita no pustak
Sita nu pustak
Ghar ni darwajo
Ghar no darwajo
Ram ni mitra
Ram no mitra
أنماط الجُمل
___ no/ni/nu/na ___ che.
Aa ___ che, ___ ___ che.
___ na ___ bahu sara che.
___ nu ___ mane game che.
Real World Usage
Mara mitro sathe.
Taro bhai kya che?
Mari skill...
Mari ticket.
Maru order.
Mara dada.
Focus on the Object
Plural Trap
Pronoun Shortcuts
Respect
Smart Tips
Identify its gender first.
Always use 'na'.
Use 'nu'.
Use 'ni'.
النطق
Particle Vowels
The 'o', 'i', 'u', 'a' sounds are pure vowels.
Question
Ram no bhai che? ↑
Rising intonation for questions.
احفظها
وسيلة تذكّر
No, Ni, Nu, Na — The Gujarati possessive four-pack.
ربط بصري
Imagine a giant label maker. You stick 'no' on boys, 'ni' on girls, 'nu' on boxes, and 'na' on groups.
Rhyme
No for boy, Ni for girl, Nu for box, Na for the world.
Story
Ram has a brother (bhai - no). He has a sister (behen - ni). He lives in a house (ghar - nu). He has many friends (mitro - na).
Word Web
تحدٍّ
Label 5 items in your room using 'Maro/Mari/Maru' in 5 minutes.
ملاحظات ثقافية
Respect is shown by using plural forms even for singular people.
Derived from Sanskrit genitive markers.
بدايات محادثة
Tamaru ghar kya che?
Taro bhai kya kare che?
Tamari pasand nu pustak kyu che?
Tamara jivan nu lakshya shu che?
مواضيع للكتابة اليومية
Test Yourself
Ram ___ bhai.
Sita ___ behen.
Find and fix the mistake:
Ram ni ghar.
bhai / Ram / no
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Mara ___ mitro.
Tari ___ mata.
Find and fix the mistake:
Maro behen.
Score: /8
تمارين تطبيقية
8 exercisesRam ___ bhai.
Sita ___ behen.
Find and fix the mistake:
Ram ni ghar.
bhai / Ram / no
Masc / Fem / Neut / Plural
Mara ___ mitro.
Tari ___ mata.
Find and fix the mistake:
Maro behen.
Score: /8
الأسئلة الشائعة (8)
It agrees with the object's gender and number.
The particle still agrees with the object.
Yes, for singular masculine objects.
Only if the object is feminine.
Use 'maro/mari/maru/mara'.
Yes, it is standard.
Use 'nu'.
Very few, mostly loanwords.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
de
Gujarati changes for gender/number.
de
Gujarati is a single particle.
Genitive case
Gujarati is simpler.
no
Gujarati 'no' changes.
Idafa
Gujarati uses particles.
de
Gujarati changes for gender.