Exclamations or विस्मयादिबोधक are an attractive part of any language. It conveys feeling with added weight. In English, we say “Oh My God!!” , “Oh No!! ” “How beautiful” etc. In Hindi, we say “हे भगवान”(he bhagavAn), कितना सुंदर (kitanA suMdar) etc.
The Marathi language also has many exclamations.

The Marathi language has many dialects and different styles of speaking based on the region in Maharashtra. Each dialect can have its special exclamations.
Below I have listed exclamation which is widely used in all the dialects.

Not all Marathi exclamations can have similar words in Hindi and vice-versa. Try to understand the example to know it better.

To Express surprise आश्चर्य

1) खरंच ! ( kharaMch )
Similar to “सच !” or “सचमें !!” in Hindi
सचमें ! मैने वैसे कहा ( sachameM ! maine vaise kahA )
खरंच !! मी तसं बोललो (kharaMch mI tasaM bolalo )

2) अरे ! (are !) / अरेच्चा (arechchA!) / अरेच्च्या (arechchyA !)
Similar to अरे ! in Hindi, to indicate surprise.
अरे ! तुम कब आयें (are ! tum kab AyeM)
अरे !/ अरेच्चा/ अरेच्च्या तुम्ही कधी आलात ( are !/ arechchA !/ arechchyA ! tumhI kadhI AlAt ? )

To express surprise of size. i.e. आकार के बारेमें आश्चर्य

3) अबब ! ( ababa !)
e.g. कितना बडा (kitanA baDA ) !! -> अबब ! किती मोठा ( ababa !! kitI moThA )

To express pleasant feeling. i.e. सुहावनी भावना

4) अहाहा ! ( ahAhA ! )
e.g. अच्छी खुशबू है !! ( acChA svAd hai ) -> अहाहा ! ( ahAhA ! )
अच्छा स्वाद है (acChA svAd hai ) -> -> अहाहा ! ( ahAhA ! )

To express sorrow i.e. दुःख

5) ओहो ! ( oho ! )
e.g. ओहो !बुरा हुआ ( oho! burA huA) -> ओहो ! वाईट झालं ( oho !! vAIT jhAlaM )

6) अरे देवा ! (are devaa ! )
Same as “हे भगवान”(he bhagavAn) in Hindi e.g.
हे भगवान ! ये किसने किया ( he bhagavAn !ye kisane kiyA)
अरे देवा ! हे कोणी केलं (are devaa ! he koNI kelM )
To express shock i.e. सदमा / धक्का

7) अरे बापरे (are baapare !)
same as in Hindi. e.g.
अरे बापरे ! वह फेल हो गया!! (are baapare ! vah phel ho gayA)
अरे बापरे ! तो नापास झाला ( are baapare ! to nApAs jhAlA )

To express disapproval. नामंजूरी / नापसंदगी

8) छे! (Che!) / छट ! (ChaT !)</strong
Similar to “ना ना !” in Hindi. e.g.
ना ना ! वह ऐसा कभी नही करेगा (nA nA ! vah aisA kabhI nahI karegA)
छे! तो कधीही असं करणार नाही (Che! to kadhIhI asaM karaNAr nAhI )

ना ना ! ना ना !मेरा इसपे विश्वास नहीं (nA nA !merA isape vishvAs nahIM)
छट ! मझा नाही विश्वास (ChaT ! majhA nAhI vishvAs )

To express Approval i.e. मंजूरी / पसंदगी

9) होय ! (hoy !)
e.g. Similar to “हां ! ” in Hindi e.g.
हां ! मै जरूर आऊंगा ( hAM ! mai jarUr AUMgA)-> होय ! मी नक्की येणार (hoy mI nakkI yeNAr )

10) हं ( haM )
Same as हं ( haM ) in Hindi e.g.
हं! समझा मुझे ( haM !samajhA mujhe)
हं ! समजलं मला ते ( haM ! samajalM malA te )

To express appreciation i.e. प्रशंसा

11) शाब्बास ! ( shAbbAs )
Same as शाब्बाश (shAbbAsh ) in Hindi e.g.
शाब्बाश ! तूने मॅच जीत ली ( shAbbAsh ! tUne mach jIt lI )
शाब्बास ! तू सामना जिंकलास (shAbbAs ! tU sAmanA jiMkalAs )

12) अरे वा ! (are vA !) / छान ( ChAn !)
Same as अरे वा ! (are vA !), बढिया (baDhiyA) in Hindi

अरे वा ! / बढिया लिखावट (are vA ! likhAvaT)
अरे वा ! / छान ! हस्ताक्षर ( are vA ! / ChAn ! hastAkShar )

13) खूप छान ( khUp ChAn )
Same as बहुत अच्छे (bahut acChe ) in Hindi

14) मस्त ! ( mast !) / जबरदस्त ( jabaradast !)
Same in Hindi.

To express pain i.e दर्द

15) अगं आई /अगं आईगं ( agaM AI ! / agaM AIgaM! )
Same as “मा!” “हे मा!” in Hindi
हे मा! बहुत दर्द हो रहा है ( he mA! bahut dard ho rahA hai )
अगं आई /अगं आईगं खूप दुखतंय ( agaM AI ! / agaM AIgaM! khUp dukhataMy )

To express disgust i.e. घृणा

16) शी ! शीशी !! ( shI ! / shIshI ! )
same in Hindi. e.g.
शी ! कितना बदसूरत दिख रहा है ये (shI ! kitanA badasUrat dikha rahA hai ye)
शी ! / शीशी !! घाणेरडं दिसतंय ते ( shI ! / shIshI ! ghANeraDM disataMy te )

17) thU ! ( थू !)
Literally, sound of spitting. Same in Hindi. e.g.
थू ! तुम्हारे कायरता पे ( thU tumhAre kAyaratA pe )
थू ! तुमच्या भित्रेपणावर (thU ! tumachyA bhitrepaNAvar )To ask to keep quiet i.e. शांतता
18) शूऽऽऽ /श्श! (shU / shsh !!)
Exactly same in Hindi
शू /श्श! शांत बैठिये ! ( shU / shsh !! shAMt baiThiye !! )
शू /श्श! शांत बसा ! ( shU / shsh !! shAMt basA !! )

To give stress on any adjective we add कितना !! Similarly is in Marathi.

e.g. कितना सुंदर (kitanA suMdar) -> किती सुंदर (kitI suMdar )
कितना आश्चर्यजनक ( kitanA Ashcharyajanak ) -> काय आश्चर्य ! (kAy Ashcharya ! )

कितना अच्छा नाच किया तुमने ( kitanA achChA nAch kiyA tumane )
किती छान नाचलास तू ! (kitI ChAn nAchalAs tU !)

कितना मूर्ख है वो ( kitanA mUrkh hai vo )
काय मूर्ख आहे तो ! ( kAy mUrkha Ahe to !)

Exclamation specially used only by women

1) अय्या ! ( ayyA !)
Generally used to express surprise or shock. Generally followed by a question.
e.g. ओ! फीर क्या हुआ (phIr kyA huA)? -> अय्या ! मग काय झालं ? ( ayyA ! mag kAy jhAlaM )
ओ! मैने कब ऐसा कहा ?(o! maine kab aisA kahA)
अय्या ! मी कधी बोलले असं (ayyA ! mI kadhI bolale asaM )

2) अगं बाई (agaM bAI)
In most of the above-discussed feeling, अगं बाई ( agaM bAI ) can be used but by changing the tone to indicate surprise, appreciation etc.
अरे ! तुम कब आयें (are ! tum kab AyeM)
अगं बाई! तुम्ही कधी आलात (agaM bAI ! tumhI kadhI AlAt ? )

ओफ्फो ! क्या ये गंदगी ( ophpho ! kyA ye gaMdagI )
अगं बाई! काय हा पसारा ( agaM bAI ! kAy hA pasArA )

3) इश्श्य / इश्श (ishshya / ishsh )
To express blush. I do not think there is any synonym to this in Hindi.
For example, if boyfriend holds the hand of his girlfriend in public she may blush and say “Someone may see it !”
In Marathi it will be
कोई देखेगा ना !(koI dekhegA nA !)
“इश्श्य / इश्श कोणीतरी बघेल ना” ( ishshya / ishsh koNItarI baghel nA )

General Note:- In English “My God” can be used to express different feelings by changing tone while saying it. Similarly in Marathi, अरे ! (are ! ), अरे बापरे (are baapare !), अरे देवा ! (are devaa ! ) etc. can also be used to express multiple feelings by changing the tone.

There are many exclamations in slang Marathi, which are frequently used in daily conversation. As you keep reading and listening more and more Marathi you will understand the beauty of them.

Listen examples in this lesson