Suppose you want help and you want to get the attention of a person in front of you. In English, you may say “Hello!”, “Hey”, “Friend” etc. In Hindi, we say “अरे भाई (are bhAI), अरे भैया(are bhaiyA) etc.

These words “Hello!”, “Hey” etc. is what I mean by the title “Calling or Addressing” someone.

The way you call someone who is of your age or you are friendly with will differ from calling an elder.
In Marathi “अरे”/”अगं” (are/agaM) is used for casual or friendly address. “अहो” (aho) is used for calling with respect.
“अरे”(are) is for calling boy. “अगं” (agaM) is for calling girl.

Lets see detailed examples:

A young boy or elder gentleman may call another young/small boy as
अरे दोस्त (are dost )
अरे मित्रा ( are mitrA )

But a boy will not call a girl “अगं मैत्रिणी” (agaM maitriNI ) which be literally translated “अरे सहेली” (are sahelI ). This will be very offensive.

So you may call a girl formally
बहेनजी ( bahenajI)
अहो ताई (aho tAI )

But a boy/girl may call another elder girl whom they know as
बहना (bahanA) / अरे बहन (are bahan)
अगं ताई (agaM tAI )

As we had seen previously Saying tum aap in Marathi तू-तुम-आप तू-तुम्ही in Marathi we do not address someone with respect unless it is very formal. There is no offence meant. So this is due to the difference in Marathi and Hindi culture.

See the difference. Calling someone with “अहो” indicates respect. Where “अरे” or “अगं” will be used casually.

A young boy may call another young boy of his age as
अरे भय्या / अरे बडे भय्या ( are bhayyA / are baDe bhayyA )
अरे दादा (are dAdA )

An elder person (Gent./Lady) may call a young or small child
अरे बेटा !/ बेटे ! ( are beTA !/ beTe !)
अरे मुला / बाळा ( are mulA / bALA )

When calling an unknown elder gentleman, we generally say
चाचा / चाचाजी ( chAchA / chAchAjI )
अहो काका ( aho kAkA )

When calling an unknown elder lady, we generally say
चाची / मौसी ( chAchI / mausI )
अहो काकू / अहो मावशी ( aho kAkU / aho mAvashI )

Sometimes ladies do not like getting called as काकू/मावशी as it makes them feel aged. So nowadays people prefer to call unknown girl or lady as “Madam” as in English.
मॅडम ( madam)
अहो मॅडम (aho Madam )

Similarly supporting staff in an organization calls male employees as “Sir” like in English
सर! / सरजी ! ( sar/ sarajI )
अहो सर !! (aho sar)

Using "अरे"/"अगं"/"अहो" along with other words

From the words “अरे”/”अगं”/”अहो” (are/agaM/ aho) the ending “रे”/”गं”/”हो” (re/gaM/ ho) are added with other words to give them special effects.
This is similar to Hindi.

E.g. adding it to काय(kAy) will be कायरे/कायगं/कायहो (kAyare /kAyagaM /kAyaho)

Many times people start a conversation with a familiar person using these words.
e.g. Asking a boy.
क्यारे ? कैसा है ( kyAre ? kaisA hai ? )
“Hey! How are you” -> कायरे ? कसा आहेस? (kAyare? kasA Ahes ? )

Asking a girl.
क्यारे ? कैसी है ( kyAre ? kaisI hai )
कायगं ? कशी आहेस? (kAyagaM ? kashI Ahes ?)

Asking a gentleman.
क्योंजी ? कैसे हो ( kyoMjI kaise ho )
कायहो ? कसे आहात? (kAyaho ? kase AhAt ?)

Instead of just saying “कसा आहेस ?“ saying “कायरे ? कसा आहेस ?” shows that you have very close relation/contact with that person.

Similarly in questions ending with का(kA), these can be seen.
Asking a boy “Will you be coming” ->
तुम आनेवाले हो क्या ( tum AnevAle ho kyA )
तू येणारेस का ? (tU yeNAres kA ?)

it can also be said as; तू येणारेस कारे ? (tU yeNAres kAre ?)
To a girl, it can be तू येणारेस कागं ? (tU yeNAres kAgaM ? )
It means the same as original questions.

So do not confuse if someone adds “रे”/”गं”/”हो” (re/gaM/ ho) To WH-question words like काय, कधी, केव्हा, कुठे, कसा (kAy, kadhI, kevhA, kuThe, kasA) and make them :-
कायहो, कधीहो, केव्हाहो, कुठेहो, कसाहो (kAyaho, kadhIho, kevhAho, kuTheho, kasAho )
कायरे, कधीरे, केव्हारे, कुठेरे, कसारे (kAyare, kadhIre, kevhAre, kuThere, kasAre)
कायगं, कधीगं, केव्हागं, कुठेगं, कसागं (kAyagaM, kadhIgaM, kevhAgaM, kuThegaM, kasAgaM )
They are same as original words.

Another example:
You tell your friend
साहब आ गये ( sAhab A gaye )
साहेब आले (sAheb Ale).
Suppose you are doing time-pass in office and you see your boss coming then you will alert your friend साहब आ गयेरे (sAhab A gayere). In Marathi, you will say “साहेब आलेरे” (sAheb Alere )
Adding “रे” (re) to the verb “आले” (Ale) gave this special effect of alerting/fetching attention 🙂
Similarly, it can be appended to the verb in an imperative statement
आ(A)
ये (ye)

आरे / आजा ( Are / AjA )
(To boy )-> येरे (yere)
(To Girl) येगं (yegaM)
(To elder man)Come -> या (yA) -> याहो (yAho)
Depending on your tone it will sound urging/commanding/pleading. Thus adding these suffixes do not change the meaning but they just enunciate the fact or feeling.

Only remember that:-
For a boy with the casual address, you can append “रे” (re)
For a girl with the casual address, you can append “गं” (gaM)
For an unknown person or with respect you can append “हो” (ho)

As you listen/read more Marathi you will understand these subtle differences clearly.

suffixing ना(nA)/नं(naM) and हं (haM)

Similar to above adding ना(nA)/नं(naM) to verb in imperative statement indicates that your are pleading the person to take that action who is actually refusing to do it. Same as in Hindi.

Person A:-
कौशिक एक गाना गा(kaushik ek gAnA gA)
कौशिक एक गाणं गा ( kaushik ek gANM gA )

Kaushik :-
नहीं नहीं ( nahIM nahIM )
नाही नाही ( nAhI nAhI )

Person A:-
क्यूं नहीं ? गाओ ना ( kyUM nahIM gAo nA)
का नको ? गाना/गानं ( kA nako gAnA/gAnaM )

Adding हं (haM) which will sound like “Hmm” in English also indicates you are pleading positively to that person. If you are inviting that person to some function or event many times it is used.

मेरे शादी मे आना. जरूर आना ( mere shAdI me AnA. jarUr AnA )
माझ्या लग्नाला ये. येहं ( mAjhyA lagnAlA ye. yehaM )

उसके साथ बात करो. जरूर बोलना ( usake sAth bAt karo. jarUr bolanA)
त्याच्याशी बोला. बोलाहं ( tyAchyAshI bolA. bolAhaM )

Listen examples in this lesson