Chhattisgarhi Language and Grammar Basics
Chhattisgarhi for CGPSC: Eastern Hindi family, dialects, official-language status (2007), Rajbhasha Aayog, Kavyopadhyay's grammar and core grammar rules.
Prerequisites
- Formation of the State and Administrative Structure: the state symbols and the 2007 official-language amendment are first listed there
- Hindi Language (Class X level): Chhattisgarhi grammar is easiest to learn as a set of differences from standard Hindi
- Tribes of Chhattisgarh: the tribal languages (Gondi, Halbi, Kurukh) that live alongside Chhattisgarhi
The Hook: “Jai Johar” at the Bus Stand
Step off a bus in Raipur, Bilaspur or Durg and you will hear “जय जोहार” as a greeting and “का हाल हे?” (how are you?) answered with “बने-बने” (all well). A few sentences later someone says “मोर घर चल” (come to my house) and “भात खा के जाबे” (eat before you go). It sounds like Hindi, yet it is clearly not Hindi.
So what exactly is Chhattisgarhi: a dialect of Hindi or a language of its own? Where does it come from, what legal status does it have, and how does its grammar differ from Hindi?
Why it matters: Prelims P-I asks about the language’s family, its first grammar, its official status and the Rajbhasha Aayog. Mains Paper I has a Chhattisgarhi section where you must read, write and translate it. GS-IV can ask about language and regional identity.
What Kind of Language Is Chhattisgarhi?
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Name | Chhattisgarhi (छत्तीसगढ़ी). Older names recorded by George Grierson include Laria (लरिया) and Khaltahi (खलताही), used by neighbouring peoples |
| Family | Indo-Aryan |
| Sub-group | Eastern Hindi (पूर्वी हिंदी), with Awadhi (अवधी) and Bagheli (बघेली), in Grierson’s Linguistic Survey of India |
| Ancestry | Traditionally traced to the Ardhamagadhi (अर्धमागधी) Apabhramsha stage, like the rest of Eastern Hindi |
| Script | Devanagari (देवनागरी) |
| Core area | The central plains: Raipur, Bilaspur, Durg and the districts carved out of them |
| Census treatment | Census 2011 counts Chhattisgarhi as a mother tongue grouped under Hindi, not as a separate scheduled language |
Varieties of Chhattisgarhi
Chhattisgarhi changes as you move away from the central plains. State GK books list its dialects (बोलियाँ) in slightly different ways, so learn the pattern rather than one fixed list:
| Region | Typical variety (as usually listed) |
|---|---|
| Central plains (Raipur, Durg, Bilaspur) | Standard or central Chhattisgarhi, the base of written literature |
| North (Surguja) | Sargujiha / Surgujia (सरगुजिया) |
| Eastern border with Odisha | Laria (लरिया) forms, with Odia influence |
| Forest and tribal belts | Varieties spoken by communities such as the Baiga (Baigani, बैगानी) and Binjhwar (Binjhwari, बिंझवारी), and Sadri-Korwa |
Status and Institutions
timeline
title Chhattisgarhi: from grammar to official language
1880s : Hiralal Kavyopadhyay writes the first Chhattisgarhi grammar, in Hindi
1890 : Grierson's English translation appears in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal (vol. 59)
1905 : Sundarlal Sharma's Chhattisgarhi Dan-Lila, a landmark of written Chhattisgarhi
1 Nov 2000 : Chhattisgarh becomes a state
28 Nov 2007 : Assembly passes the Official Language (Amendment) Act - Chhattisgarhi made an official language
2008 : Chhattisgarhi Rajbhasha Aayog set up - first chairman Pt. Shyamlal Chaturvedi
2019 : Arpa Pairi Ke Dhar notified as the state song| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Law | Chhattisgarh Official Language (Amendment) Act, 2007 added Chhattisgarhi as an official language of the state alongside Hindi |
| Chhattisgarhi Rajbhasha Diwas (छत्तीसगढ़ी राजभाषा दिवस) | 28 November, every year, marking the 2007 decision |
| Chhattisgarhi Rajbhasha Aayog (छत्तीसगढ़ी राजभाषा आयोग) | Set up in 2008 to promote the language in administration, education and literature. First chairman: Pt. Shyamlal Chaturvedi (पं. श्यामलाल चतुर्वेदी), journalist and Chhattisgarhi poet |
| Eighth Schedule | Chhattisgarhi is not among the 22 languages of the Eighth Schedule (as of 2026). The state has repeatedly asked the Centre to include it, for example in a 2020 letter from the then Chief Minister |
| First grammar | Hiralal Kavyopadhyay (हीरालाल काव्योपाध्याय), headmaster of the Anglo-Vernacular school at Dhamtari, wrote it in Hindi. George A. Grierson translated and edited it in English (Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, vol. 59, 1890). A revised edition with Lochan Prasad Pandey appeared in 1921 |
Grammar Basics: Chhattisgarhi vs Hindi
Learn Chhattisgarhi as a set of systematic differences from Hindi. The forms below are those of the central plains; spellings vary across districts and writers.
1. Pronouns (सर्वनाम)
| English | Hindi | Chhattisgarhi |
|---|---|---|
| I | मैं | मैं / मँय |
| we | हम | हमन |
| you (informal) | तू | तैं / तँय |
| you (plural, familiar) | तुम लोग | तुमन |
| he, she, that | वह | वो / ओ |
| they | वे | ओमन |
| this / these | यह / ये | ए / एमन |
| my / your / his-her / our | मेरा / तेरा / उसका / हमारा | मोर / तोर / ओकर / हमर |
2. Plural marker -मन
Chhattisgarhi forms plurals mainly by adding -मन (or -मन के in the oblique):
- लइका (child) → लइकामन (children)
- टूरा (boy) → टूरामन; टूरी (girl) → टूरीमन
- हम → हमन, तुम → तुमन, ओ → ओमन
3. Case markers (कारक चिह्न / विभक्ति)
| Hindi marker | Chhattisgarhi | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| को (object) | ला | राम ला बला | Call Ram |
| से (from, with) | ले / से | घर ले आवत हँव | I am coming from home |
| का / के / की (of) | के | राम के घर | Ram’s house |
| में / पर (in, on) | म / मा | खेत म | in the field |
| के लिए (for) | बर / खातिर | तोर बर | for you |
4. Verbs (क्रिया): be, present, past, future
Take जाना (to go). Chhattisgarhi verb forms are largely the same for masculine and feminine subjects, unlike Hindi (जाता / जाती).
| Tense | I | you (informal) | he / she | we |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| “to be” | मैं हँव | तैं हस | ओ हे | हमन हन |
| Simple present | मैं जाथँव | तैं जाथस | ओ जाथे | हमन जाथन |
| Present continuous | मैं जावत हँव | तैं जावत हस | ओ जावत हे | हमन जावत हन |
| Past | मैं गेंव | तैं गेस | ओ गिस | हमन गेन |
| Future | मैं जाहूँ | तैं जाबे | ओ जाही | हमन जाबो |
Notice the markers: -थ- for the habitual present (जाथे, खाथे), -त for continuous (जावत, खावत), रहिस for “was” (ओ घर म रहिस).
5. Negation and command
- नइ = not: मैं नइ जावँव (I will not go / I don’t go).
- झन = don’t (prohibition): झन जा (don’t go), झन रो (don’t cry).
- Commands: जा (go), आ (come), बइठ (sit), खा (eat).
6. Question words
| Hindi | Chhattisgarhi |
|---|---|
| क्या | का |
| कौन | कोन |
| कहाँ | कहाँ |
| क्यों | काबर |
| कैसे | कइसे |
| कितना | कतका |
7. Typical sound changes (तद्भव tendency)
Like other Eastern Hindi forms, Chhattisgarhi tends to simplify Sanskrit sounds:
- श / ष → स: देश → देस, शहर → सहर
- व → ब: वन → बन
- य → ज (at the start of many words): यमुना → जमुना
- Conjuncts split or soften: धर्म → धरम, कर्म → करम
8. Core vocabulary
| Chhattisgarhi | Meaning | Chhattisgarhi | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| दाई | mother | ददा | father |
| बबा | grandfather | डोकरा / डोकरी | old man / old woman |
| टूरा / टूरी | boy / girl | लइका | child |
| भात | cooked rice | बासी | rice soaked overnight in water |
| बने | good, well | सुग्घर | beautiful |
| अब्बड़ / गजब | very, a lot | जम्मो | all |
| डोंगरी | hill | तरिया | village pond |
| बिहनिया | morning | संझा | evening |
| रेंगना | to walk | गोठियाना | to talk, chat |
Sentences to translate (Mains P-I practice)
| Chhattisgarhi | English |
|---|---|
| मोर नाव रमेस हे। | My name is Ramesh. |
| तैं कहाँ जावत हस? | Where are you going? |
| हमन काली रइपुर जाबो। | We will go to Raipur tomorrow. |
| लइकामन तरिया म नहावत हें। | The children are bathing in the pond. |
| बरसात म झन जा, पानी गिरत हे। | Don’t go out in the rain, it is raining. |
Why Chhattisgarhi Matters (Mains GS-IV angle)
- Identity: the language was a pillar of the statehood demand; leaders from Khubchand Baghel to Chandulal Chandrakar used it to mobilise people (see Formation of Chhattisgarh).
- Education: children learn faster in their mother tongue; the National Education Policy 2020 encourages mother-tongue instruction in the early years.
- Administration and justice: citizens understand schemes, notices and court proceedings better in the language they speak at home.
- Culture: Pandavani, Dadaria, Sua and Nacha all live in Chhattisgarhi (see Folk Music, Dance, Theatre and Crafts).
- Challenges: no single standard spelling, limited textbooks and technical vocabulary, the pull of Hindi and English for jobs, and the need to protect tribal languages (Gondi, Halbi, Kurukh) instead of replacing them with Chhattisgarhi.
Memory Tricks
Don’t Confuse
| This | vs | That |
|---|---|---|
| Hiralal Kavyopadhyay: wrote the first Chhattisgarhi grammar (in Hindi) | George Grierson: translated and edited it into English (1890) | |
| Chhattisgarhi: Indo-Aryan, Eastern Hindi | Gondi, Kurukh: Dravidian; Halbi: a separate Indo-Aryan language of Bastar | |
| 28 November: Chhattisgarhi Rajbhasha Diwas | 1 November: Rajyotsava, the state’s foundation day | |
| Official language of the state (state law, 2007) | Eighth Schedule language (Constitution): Chhattisgarhi is not one | |
| नइ: “not” | झन: “don’t” (prohibition) |
Common Mistakes
Practice
These are original practice questions written in CGPSC style. They are not previous-year questions.
Level 1: Foundation
- Chhattisgarhi belongs to the ________ Hindi group, along with Awadhi and Bagheli.
- The first grammar of Chhattisgarhi was written by ________ and translated into English by ________.
- Chhattisgarhi Rajbhasha Diwas is observed on ________.
- Translate into Chhattisgarhi: “Don’t go.”
Answers
- Eastern
- Hiralal Kavyopadhyay; George A. Grierson
- 28 November
- झन जा।
Level 2: Prelims MCQs
Q1. Consider the following statements about Chhattisgarhi:
- It is classified with Awadhi and Bagheli in the Eastern Hindi group.
- It is one of the 22 languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
- It became an official language of Chhattisgarh through a state law of 2007.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 1 and 3 only (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer and explanation
Q2. Who was the first chairman of the Chhattisgarhi Rajbhasha Aayog?
(a) Narendra Dev Verma (b) Lala Jagdalpuri (c) Shyamlal Chaturvedi (d) Vinod Kumar Shukla
Answer and explanation
Q3. Match List-I (Hindi case marker) with List-II (Chhattisgarhi equivalent):
| List-I | List-II |
|---|---|
| A. को | 1. बर |
| B. से | 2. म |
| C. में | 3. ले |
| D. के लिए | 4. ला |
(a) A-4, B-3, C-2, D-1 (b) A-3, B-4, C-2, D-1 (c) A-4, B-3, C-1, D-2 (d) A-1, B-3, C-2, D-4
Answer and explanation
Q4. Which of the following languages spoken in Chhattisgarh belongs to the Dravidian family?
(a) Halbi (b) Sargujiha (c) Kurukh (d) Bhatri
Answer and explanation
Q5. In Chhattisgarhi, the plural of “लइका” (child) is usually formed as:
(a) लइकाएँ (b) लइकामन (c) लइकालोग (d) लइकन
Answer and explanation
Level 3: Mains Answer Writing
Q1. Write a short note on the grammatical features that distinguish Chhattisgarhi from standard Hindi. (100 words)
Intro: Chhattisgarhi is an Eastern Hindi language written in Devanagari; it shares most vocabulary with Hindi but differs in grammar.
Body:
- Plural marker -मन (लइकामन, हमन).
- Case markers: ला (को), ले (से), म (में), बर (के लिए); a single genitive के.
- Verb forms with little gender distinction: जाथे for both he and she; हँव / हस / हे for “be”.
- Prohibition with झन, negation with नइ.
- Sound changes: श → स, व → ब, य → ज.
Conclusion: These regular patterns make Chhattisgarhi a distinct, rule-governed language, not “broken Hindi”.
Q2. “Recognising Chhattisgarhi as an official language was a step towards cultural self-respect, but its real test lies in education and administration.” Discuss. (150–200 words)
Intro: The Chhattisgarh Official Language (Amendment) Act, 2007 made Chhattisgarhi an official language alongside Hindi; 28 November is celebrated as Rajbhasha Diwas.
Body:
- Symbolic value: recognition of the language of the statehood movement and of the people’s folk heritage.
- Institutions: the Chhattisgarhi Rajbhasha Aayog (2008) to promote literature, terminology and use in government.
- Education: mother-tongue learning in early classes (NEP 2020) needs textbooks, trained teachers and standard spelling.
- Administration: notices, scheme information and grievance hearings in Chhattisgarhi improve access for rural citizens.
- Challenges: no Eighth Schedule status, limited technical vocabulary, migration to Hindi and English for jobs, and the risk of overshadowing tribal languages such as Gondi, Halbi and Kurukh.
Conclusion: Official status opened the door; sustained use in classrooms, offices and media, with a place for tribal languages too, will decide whether it becomes a living language of governance.
Quick Revision Table
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Family | Indo-Aryan, Eastern Hindi (with Awadhi, Bagheli) |
| Ancestry | Ardhamagadhi Apabhramsha (traditional view) |
| Script | Devanagari |
| Older names | Laria, Khaltahi (Grierson) |
| Northern variety | Sargujiha (Surguja) |
| First grammar | Hiralal Kavyopadhyay (Dhamtari), in Hindi; English by Grierson, JASB vol. 59 (1890) |
| Official status | Chhattisgarh Official Language (Amendment) Act, 2007 |
| Rajbhasha Diwas | 28 November |
| Rajbhasha Aayog | 2008; first chairman Shyamlal Chaturvedi |
| Eighth Schedule | Not included (as of 2026) |
| Plural marker | -मन |
| Case markers | ला, ले, के, म, बर |
| Negation / prohibition | नइ / झन |
Key Takeaways
- Chhattisgarhi is an Indo-Aryan, Eastern Hindi language written in Devanagari, a sister of Awadhi and Bagheli.
- Its first grammar was written by Hiralal Kavyopadhyay and translated into English by Grierson (1890).
- It became an official language of the state in 2007; 28 November is Rajbhasha Diwas; the Rajbhasha Aayog (2008) was first headed by Shyamlal Chaturvedi.
- It is not in the Eighth Schedule (as of 2026).
- Grammar signatures: -मन plural, ला / ले / म / बर case markers, जाथे / जावत हे / जाही verb forms, झन for “don’t”.
What’s Next
- Writers and Poets of Chhattisgarh: the people who made Chhattisgarhi and Hindi literature in the region
- Idioms and Proverbs (Muhavare and Hana): the language in its most compact form
- Chhattisgarhi Language (Aptitude): vocabulary and translation drills for the language paper
- Social Aspects of Chhattisgarh: language as part of the state’s social fabric