Gujarati grammar, step by step

Gujarati verbs conjugate for person in the present tense. The stem બોલ (bol, speak) takes the ending -ું (-u) for "I," -ે (-e) for "you" and "he/she/they/it." A separate auxiliary છું/છે (chhu/chhe) tracks person and number more precisely.

Gujarati word order is Subject–Object–Verb. The verb always comes at the end: "Hu gujarati bolu chhu" (I Gujarati speak am). This is the standard word order across South Asian languages.

Gujarati has three grammatical genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. Most masculine nouns end in -o (છોકરો chhokro, boy), feminine in -i (છોકરી chhokri, girl), and neuter nouns in -ũ or a consonant (ઘર ghar, house — neuter). Gender is inherent to the noun and not always predictable from meaning.

Gujarati postpositions (relationship words that come after the noun) require the noun to shift into an oblique case form. Masculine nouns change -o to -a, feminine nouns change -i to -i (no change), neuter nouns change -ũ to -ã. "Chhokra-ne" (to the boy), "ghar-mã" (in the house). This is the same pattern as Hindi's oblique system.

Variable adjectives (those ending in -o in masculine) agree with the noun in gender, number, and case: સારો (saro, good.masculine), સારી (sari, good.feminine), સારું (saru, good.neuter). In the oblique case, masculine adjectives shift to -a: સારા (sara). Invariable adjectives (like સુંદર sundar, beautiful) never change form.

Gujarati marks three main tenses. The present habitual uses the verb stem + personal ending + auxiliary છું/છે: "બોલું છું" (I speak). The past uses the past stem + gender ending: "બોલ્યો" (he spoke, masculine). The future uses the stem + -ish suffix: "બોલીશ" (I will speak). The past tense agrees with gender, not person.

Gujarati uses નથી (nathi) to negate the present tense — it replaces the auxiliary entirely: "હું બોલતો નથી" (I do not speak). For general negation or past tense, ન/ના (na) is placed before the verb: "ના બોલો" (don't speak). Nathi is a contraction of "na + chhe" (not + is) and only works in the present.

For yes/no questions, add શું (shu, what/whether) at the beginning or simply use rising intonation: "Shu tame gujarati bolo chho?" (Do you speak Gujarati?). For information questions, question words stay in-situ — in the same position as the answer: "Tame shu bolo chho?" (What do you speak?), "Tame kyã jao chho?" (Where do you go?).

The postposition ને (ne) marks specific, definite, or animate direct objects — a system called differential object marking. "Chhokrā-ne joyo" (I saw the boy — specific). Without ne, the object is indefinite or generic: "chopdi vãchi" (I read a book). This is the same pattern as Hindi's ko.

In past transitive sentences, Gujarati switches to an ergative pattern: the subject takes the postposition -e (ergative marker), and the verb agrees in gender and number with the object instead of the subject. "Chhokrā-e chopdi vãnchi" (The boy read the book — verb agrees with chopdi, feminine). This split ergativity is shared with Hindi and other Indo-Aryan languages.

Gujarati layers aspect on the main verb using auxiliary verbs. The progressive uses the main verb + રહ- (rah-, to stay): "બોલી રહ્યો છે" (he is speaking — right now). The completive uses ચૂક- (chuk-, to finish): "બોલી ચૂક્યો" (he has finished speaking). These combine with the tense system to create nuanced time expressions.

The infinitive ends in -વું (-vu): બોલવું (bolvu, to speak), વાંચવું (vãchvu, to read). Modal meanings are expressed with constructions: "mãre bolvu chhe" (I need/want to speak — lit. "to-me to-speak is"), "hu boli shaku chhu" (I can speak), "mãre bolvu padse" (I will have to speak).

Gujarati compound verbs pair a main verb with a light verb that adds nuance. લેવું (levu, to take) adds self-benefit or internalization: "વાંચી લેવું" (to read for oneself). દેવું (devu, to give) adds other-benefit: "વાંચી દેવું" (to read for someone else). નાખવું (nakhvu, to throw) adds sudden completion: "કરી નાખવું" (to do it/finish it off).

Gujarati has no verb "to have." Instead, possession is expressed as "near X, Y exists": "mārī pāse chopdi chhe" (near-me book is = I have a book). Possessive adjectives agree in gender with the possessed noun: મારો (maro, my — masculine), મારી (mari, my — feminine), મારું (maru, my — neuter).

Gujarati has two levels of address: તું (tu) is intimate, used with close friends, children, and pets. તમે (tame) is formal/respectful, used with elders, strangers, and in professional settings. Tame takes plural verb agreement even when addressing one person. Using tu with someone who expects tame is a social error.

Gujarati grammar is built on three pillars: a three-gender system that ripples through nouns, adjectives, and verbs; postpositions that trigger oblique case; and a split-ergative system where past transitive verbs agree with the object. Compound verbs, the nathi negation, and the "near me ... is" possession pattern complete the picture.