Bhojpuri grammar, step by step

In Bhojpuri, हम (ham) is the standard first-person singular pronoun — it means "I," not "we." This is the single most distinctive feature that separates Bhojpuri from Hindi. "We" is expressed with हम सब (ham sab, lit. "we all") or हम लोग (ham log, lit. "we people"). The pronoun system is different throughout: तू (tu) is intimate "you," रउआ (rauā) is formal "you."

Bhojpuri word order is Subject–Object–Verb, like Hindi and other South Asian languages. The verb always comes at the end: "Ham bhojpuri bolilā" (I Bhojpuri spoke). Adverbs and postpositional phrases sit between the subject and the verb.

Like Hindi, Bhojpuri verbs agree with the subject's gender in the habitual/present tense. But the endings are distinctly different from Hindi: बोलेला (bolelā, speaks — masculine) and बोलेली (bolelī, speaks — feminine). Hindi uses बोलता/बोलती. These endings are one of the clearest markers that distinguish Bhojpuri from Hindi.

Bhojpuri uses postpositions — relationship words that come after the noun, not before. "Ghar me" (house in = in the house), "tebal par" (table on = on the table), "gaon se" (village from = from the village). This system is shared with Hindi, though some postposition forms differ.

Basic adjectives in Bhojpuri are consonant-final (बड़, ऊँच, नीच) and do not agree with the noun — they stay the same regardless of gender. However, when the definite suffix -का/-की is added, the adjective agrees: बड़का (baṛkā, big — masculine definite) vs. बड़की (baṛkī, big — feminine definite). This definiteness-triggered agreement is a distinctive Bhojpuri feature not found in Hindi. Adjectives precede the noun.

The Bhojpuri present habitual uses the verb stem + ending + the auxiliary बा (bā, is — for 3rd person) or ला (lā, for habitual). "Ū boleā" (He/she/they speaks). The auxiliary बा is uniquely Bhojpuri — it replaces Hindi's है (hai). First person uses different forms: "Ham bolitā" (I speak, masculine).

The Bhojpuri simple past adds -ल (-l) to the verb stem: बोलल (bolal, spoke). This contrasts with Hindi's बोला (bolā). Person is marked with additional suffixes: बोलिला (bolilā, I spoke), बोलल (bolal, he/she/they spoke), बोलली (bolalī, she spoke — past feminine).

The Bhojpuri future adds -ब (-b) or -ब/-ई to the verb stem: बोलब (bolab, I will speak), बोली (bolī, he/she/they will speak). This -b future is distinctly Bhojpuri — Hindi uses -ूँगा/-ेगा endings instead.

Bhojpuri uses ना (nā) as the general negation particle, placed before the verb: "Ham nā bolilā" (I did not speak). The form नइखे (naikhe) is a negative copula meaning "is not" — it replaces बा (bā) in negative present sentences: "Ū naikhe" (He/she/they is not here). This negative copula is unique to Bhojpuri and does not exist in Hindi.

Bhojpuri uses का (kā) both as a question word meaning "what" and as a yes/no question particle: "Kā tū bhojpuri bolelu?" (Do you speak Bhojpuri?). Other question words include काहे (kāhe, why), कहाँ (kahã, where), and कब (kab, when). Question words stay in-situ — in the same position as their answer.

Bhojpuri marks aspect with distinct forms. The progressive uses the verb stem + -अत (at) or a form of रह- (rah-): "bolat bā" (is speaking). The completive uses -ले (le) or चुक- (chuk-): "bol chukl" (has finished speaking). These differ from Hindi's रहा/चुका forms.

Bhojpuri has three levels of address. तू (tū) is neutral/familiar — used with peers, children, and in casual contexts. तें (te) is a mid-level honorific for mild respect. रउआ (rauā) is the full honorific — used with elders, strangers, and in polite/formal contexts. There is even a super-honorific अपने का (apne kā) for extra deference. Verb endings change for each level, encoding honorificity directly into the verb.

Bhojpuri uses के (ke) to mark specific, definite, or animate direct objects — the same differential object marking found in Hindi with को (ko). "Laikā ke dekhlā" (I saw the boy — specific). Without ke, the object is generic: "kitāb paṛhlā" (I read a book).

Bhojpuri compound verbs pair a main verb with a light verb that adds nuance. लेना (lenā, to take) adds self-benefit: "paṛh lelā" (read for oneself). देना (denā, to give) adds outward direction: "paṛh delā" (read for someone else). This compound verb system works the same way as Hindi's but uses Bhojpuri verb forms.

Bhojpuri grammar is built on the distinctive pronoun हम (ham = I), verb endings that differ markedly from Hindi (-eला/-eली for habitual, -ब for future, -ल for past), the unique copula बा and its negative नइखे, and postpositions with differential object marking using के. Compound verbs, a three-level honorific system (तू/तें/रउआ), definiteness-driven adjective agreement (-का/-की), and progressive/completive aspect markers complete the picture.