Marathi
मराठी
Marathi is the language of Mumbai and Maharashtra — home to Bollywood. The 13th-century poet Dnyaneshwar wrote one of India's greatest spiritual texts in Marathi!
Lin says:
Namaskar! I'm Lin! Marathi is the proud language of Maharashtra — home to Mumbai, one of the world's largest and most cinematic cities! Marathi gave India its greatest warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, whose legend still inspires millions. The Marathi word 'balgandharva' means a supremely gifted performer — and Marathi theatre is legendary. Khup chan! (Very good!)
Quick Facts
Speakers
~95 million
Language Family
Indo-European (Indo-Aryan)
Writing
Devanagari script
Home of
Mumbai — India's film capital
Discover Marathi
Marathi is the language of Mumbai and Maharashtra — home to Bollywood. The 13th-century poet Dnyaneshwar wrote one of India's greatest spiritual texts in Marathi!
Writing System
Devanagari script
Native Speakers
~95 million
Key Countries
For Educators
Language learning builds empathy and global understanding. Use this page to spark classroom discussions about cultural diversity and communication across borders.
Did You Know?
Mumbai (Marathi: मुंबई) is the home of Bollywood — so nearly every Hindi film star speaks Marathi or has deep roots in Maharashtra.
Marathi has one of India's oldest literary traditions — the 13th-century saint poet Dnyaneshwar wrote the Dnyaneshwari, a commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, in Marathi.
Maharashtra produces the highest GDP of any Indian state — and Marathi is the language of this economic powerhouse region.
What Makes Marathi Special?
Shivaji's Language
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj — the great 17th-century warrior king — conducted his entire empire administration in Marathi, elevating it to a language of power and pride.
Marathi Theatre (Natya)
Marathi drama (natya) is among India's most respected theatrical traditions — Bal Gandharva, a legendary Marathi singer-actor, is a national cultural icon.
Ganesha Festival
The Ganesh Chaturthi festival — 10 days of enormous public celebrations — originated in Maharashtra and is the world's largest annual religious gathering by some counts.
Keep Exploring the World!
Languages are windows into the world's cultures. Discover more languages and the countries where they are spoken.