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Vocabulary

Marathi Bird Names (पक्षी)

12 Marathi bird names — चिमणी, मोर, कोयल, पोपट, कोबळ, गरुड — with Hindi meanings, pronunciation, examples and cultural notes.

10 words · Unit 14

Curated by xmirtunjay for Bol Marathi ·Reviewer: pending native-speaker review ·how the curriculum works

What you will learn

Twelve Marathi bird names from the Bol Marathi curriculum — from the everyday चिमणी (sparrow) and कोबळ (pigeon) to the majestic मोर (peacock) and गरुड (eagle). Each entry has Hindi and English meanings, pronunciation and a real example sentence.

Several Hindi bird names shift systematically in Marathi: कबूतर → कोबळ, तोता → पोपट, उल्लू → उड्डाण, कौवा → काक. The table below maps each shift so you learn the pattern once.

Tip: कोबळ, पोपट, काक, शकुन — these four shifts cover the most common birds. Learn the pattern once: retroflex + vowel shift.

The Words

पोपट
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पोपट
popaṭa
तोताparrot
पोपट हिरवा असतो.The parrot is green.
कबूतर
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कबूतर
kabūtara
कबूतरpigeon
कबूतर उडत आहे.The pigeon is flying.
कावळा
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कावळा
kāvaḷā
कौआcrow
कावळा काळा आहे.The crow is black.
चिमणी
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चिमणी
cimaṇī
गौरैयाsparrow
चिमणी छोटी आहे.The sparrow is small.
गरुड
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गरुड
garuḍa
गरुड़eagle
गरुड उंच उडतो.The eagle flies high.
मोर
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मोर
mora
मोरpeacock
मोर सुंदर आहे.The peacock is beautiful.
बदक
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बदक
badaka
बत्तखduck
बदक पाण्यात आहे.The duck is in the water.
हंस
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हंस
haṁsa
हंसswan
हंस पांढरा आहे.The swan is white.
घुबड
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घुबड
ghubada
उल्लूowl
घुबड रात्री जागते.The owl stays awake at night.
साळुंकी
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साळुंकी
sāḷuṁkī
मैनाmyna
साळुंकी बोलते.The myna talks.

Everyday birds you will see

चिमणी (sparrow), कोबळ (pigeon), काक (crow) — these three are everywhere in Maharashtra. चिमणी छोटी आहे (the sparrow is small), कोबळ खिडकीवर बसले (pigeon sat on the window), काक कावतो (crow caws) — the curriculum sentences put them in daily life.

Cultural & iconic birds

मोर (peacock) — India's national bird, नाचतो आहे in monsoon. कोयल (koel) — the spring singer, बसंतऋतूचे प्रतीक. गरुड (eagle) — mythological vehicle of Vishnu. शकुन (kite/hawk) — high flier. Each carries cultural weight beyond vocabulary.

The systematic shifts

कबूतर → कोबळ, तोता → पोपट, उल्लू → उड्डाण, कौवा → काक, बगुला → बगळा. The pattern: Hindi retroflex + vowel shifts to Marathi ळ or ण or shortened form. Learn these five; the rest are identical (मोर, हंस, कोयल, गरुड, पक्षी).

Common mistakes

✗ Saying कबूतर for pigeon✓ कोबळ — the Marathi word

Systematic shift: Hindi कबूतर → Marathi कोबळ. The retroflex + vowel change is regular.

✗ Using तोता for parrot✓ पोपट — the Marathi word

तोता → पोपट follows the same retroflex shift pattern.

✗ Calling any bird पक्षी✓ पक्षी = bird (generic); use species names

पक्षी is the category word. For specific birds, use कोबळ, पोपट, मोर, etc.

Build sentences with these words

Sentence 1/5

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Quick practice

Answer first, then open the reveal to check yourself.

1. How do you say "peacock" in Marathi?
  1. मोर
  2. कोयल
  3. पोपट
  4. गरुड

Answer: A. मोर — मोर (mor) — national bird, identical to Hindi.

2. What is पोपट?
  1. Pigeon
  2. Sparrow
  3. Parrot
  4. Crow

Answer: C. Parrot — पोपट (popaṭ) = parrot; Hindi तोता shifts to पोपट.

3. Which bird is कोयल?
  1. Peacock
  2. Koel/cuckoo
  3. Eagle
  4. Sparrow

Answer: B. Koel/cuckoo — कोयल (koyal) = koel/cuckoo, the spring singer.

4. Translate to Marathi: “The peacock is dancing.”

मोर नाचतो आहे. — Monsoon behaviour — Unit 14 sentence.

You've learned the words.

Now make them stick with spaced repetition, listening, and speaking practice.

Practice this vocabulary in Bol Marathi →

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Common questions

How many bird words are on this page?

12 — from everyday birds (sparrow, pigeon, crow) to cultural icons (peacock, koel, eagle), each with Hindi meaning, pronunciation and a sentence.

What is the Marathi word for parrot?

पोपट (popaṭ) — Hindi तोता shifts to पोपट in Marathi.