Learn Maithili: Maithili alphabet chart and letters

Maithili is the language of Mithila, in north Bihar and the neighbouring Terai of Nepal. It is written in Devanagari, the script of Hindi and Marathi, so the letters below will be familiar to Hindi readers; the phrases show how different the spoken language is.

Maithili vowels

Maithili	Written in English	Sounds like
अ	a	'a' as in 'about'
आ	ā (aa)	'a' as in 'father'
इ	i	'i' as in 'sit'
ई	ī (ee)	'ee' as in 'feet'
उ	u	'u' as in 'put'
ऊ	ū (oo)	'oo' as in 'pool'
ए	e	'e' as in 'they'
ऐ	ai	'ai' as in 'aisle'
ओ	o	'o' as in 'go'
औ	au	'ou' as in 'out'
अं	am / an	a nasal sound, as in 'hung' (anusvara)

Maithili consonants

कka
खkha
गga
घgha
ङṅa

चcha
छchha
जja
झjha
ञña

टṭa
ठṭha
डḍa
ढḍha
णṇa

तta
थtha
दda
धdha
नna

पpa
फpha
बba
भbha
मma

यya
रra
लla
वva

शsha
षṣha
सsa
हha

The dotted letters are said with the tongue curled back (ṭa, ḍa, ṇa). Maithili is written in Devanagari today; older books and documents use its own Tirhuta (Mithilakshar) script.

Vowel signs

After a consonant, each vowel is written as a sign joined to it. Here they are with क:

कka
काkā
किki
कीkī
कुku
कूkū
केke
कैkai
कोko
कौkau
कंkam

Everyday Maithili phrases

प्रणामpraṇāmHello (a respectful greeting)
अहाँ केना छी?ahāṁ kenā chhī?How are you?
हम ठीक छी, धन्यवाद।ham ṭhīk chhī, dhanyavād.I am fine, thank you.
अहाँक नाम की अछि?ahāṁk nām kī achhi?What is your name?
रेलवे स्टेशन कतय अछि?relve sṭeshan katay achhi?Where is the railway station?
ई कतेक के अछि?ī katek ke achhi?How much is this?
खाना बड़ नीक अछि।khānā baṛ nīk achhi.The food is very good.
हँ / नहिhaṁ / nahiYes / no

About Maithili