Menu in Marathi: how to write a Marathi menu card
Updated October 19, 2026
Marathi is written in Devanagari, the same script as Hindi, but it is a different language with its own spellings. Tea is चहा in Marathi and चाय in Hindi; poha is पोहे, not पोहा; a thali is थाळी, with the letter ळ that Hindi doesn't normally use. Those small differences are how a Marathi reader spots a menu that was really written in Hindi. For a restaurant in Maharashtra, write the Marathi names of your dishes yourself, and let customers switch the rest of the menu into मराठी.
In short
- Same script as Hindi, different words: चहा not चाय, पाणी not पानी, जेवण not खाना.
- The letter ळ appears in many Marathi food words: पोळी, थाळी, भेळ.
- Maharashtrian dishes keep their names: मिसळ पाव, वडा पाव, पुरणपोळी.
- In Menuthere: मराठी is on the language button from Lite. Devanagari second names show on the Marathi menu, and on the Hindi menu too.
Marathi vs Hindi on a menu
| English | Marathi | Hindi |
|---|---|---|
| Tea | चहा | चाय |
| Water | पाणी | पानी |
| Meal, lunch | जेवण | खाना |
| Poha | पोहे | पोहा |
| Thali | थाळी | थाली |
| Bhel | भेळ | भेल |
| Sweet dishes | गोड पदार्थ | मिठाई |
| Spicy | तिखट | तीखा |
The letter ळ. Marathi uses ळ (a retroflex "l") where Hindi uses ल. It's in पोळी (flatbread), थाळी (thali) and भेळ (bhel). If your Marathi menu has थाली, it reads as Hindi.
English spellings in Maharashtra. Mumbai and Pune menus write Misal Pav, Vada Pav, Puran Poli, Thalipeeth, Sabudana Khichdi and Sol Kadhi. Keep those spellings on the English side; customers search for them.
Useful Marathi menu words
| English | Marathi |
|---|---|
| Menu | मेनू |
| Breakfast, snacks | नाश्ता |
| Meals | जेवण |
| Sweet dishes | गोड पदार्थ |
| Drinks | पेये |
| Vegetarian / Non-vegetarian | शाकाहारी / मांसाहारी |
| Today's menu | आजचा मेनू |
Example: a Marathi menu card section
A short sample for a Maharashtrian restaurant in Pune.
| English (dish name) | Marathi (second name) |
|---|---|
| Breakfast and snacks | नाश्ता |
| Pohe | पोहे |
| Misal pav | मिसळ पाव |
| Vada pav | वडा पाव |
| Sabudana khichdi | साबुदाणा खिचडी |
| Meals | जेवण |
| Maharashtrian thali | महाराष्ट्रीय थाळी |
| Puran poli | पुरणपोळी |
| Thalipeeth | थालीपीठ |
| Zunka bhakar | झुणका भाकर |
| Sweet dishes | गोड पदार्थ |
| Ukadiche modak | उकडीचे मोदक |
| Shrikhand | श्रीखंड |
| Drinks | पेये |
| Tea | चहा |
| Kokum sherbet | कोकम सरबत |
Who needs a Marathi menu
| Your restaurant | Languages to offer | Read next |
|---|---|---|
| Pune, Nagpur, Nashik, Kolhapur and smaller towns in Maharashtra | Marathi first, English always on | Online ordering in India |
| Mumbai | Marathi, Hindi and Gujarati: the city reads all three | Menu in Hindi · Menu in Gujarati |
| Konkan coast and hill stations | Marathi for visitors from Mumbai and Pune | Best online ordering systems in India |
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Set up a Marathi menu in Menuthere
- Write the Marathi name on each dish (every plan). In
Menu, edit a dish such as Misal pav, choose Add secondary name and type मिसळ पाव. It appears under the English name and stays with the dish in the cart. - Turn on मराठी for customers (Lite). In
Settings → Store details → Currency & Language, enable Offer other languages and pick मराठी. Marathi readers see your Marathi names first; the rest of the page is translated for them. - Set the opening language to मराठी if most customers read Marathi; otherwise leave English (as written). Each customer's choice is remembered.
- Ask a Marathi reader to go through it on a phone, looking out for Hindi spellings that slipped in.
Marathi on the language button needs Lite (US$17 a month; Indian stores pay the rupee equivalent). The 7-day trial asks for a card up front and charges nothing until it ends.
Good to know: Marathi and Hindi share your second names. Menuthere matches a second name by its script, and both languages use Devanagari. So if you offer both, Hindi readers see your Marathi spellings too (चहा rather than चाय). Most dish names are the same in both languages, so this is usually fine. If your customers are mostly Hindi readers, write the second names in Hindi spelling instead.
Marathi menu card checklist
- Marathi spellings, not Hindi ones (चहा, पोहे, थाळी).
- ळ used where Marathi needs it.
- Familiar English spellings kept (Misal Pav, Puran Poli).
- Fasting dishes (उपवास), such as sabudana khichdi, marked in the description if you serve them.
- A Marathi reader has checked the menu on a phone.
FAQs
Is Marathi written in the same script as Hindi?
Yes. Both use Devanagari, but Marathi has its own words and spellings, and uses the letter ळ, which Hindi doesn't normally use.
How do Marathi menu spellings differ from Hindi?
Common examples are चहा for tea instead of चाय, पोहे instead of पोहा, and थाळी instead of थाली.
Which languages should a Mumbai restaurant offer?
Many Mumbai restaurants offer Marathi, Hindi and Gujarati alongside English. Offer the ones your customers read, and check each on a phone.
Does a Marathi dish name also show to Hindi readers?
Yes. Menuthere matches second names by script, and Marathi and Hindi both use Devanagari, so your Marathi name shows on the Hindi menu too.
Do I need a paid plan for a Marathi menu?
Marathi second names on your dishes are on every plan, including Free. The language button that switches the whole menu to Marathi is on Lite.
Sources (4)
- Menuthere Docs, Menu in several languages for customers: https://menuthere.com/docs/online-store/menu-in-several-languages-for-customers (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
- Menuthere Docs, Dish names in a second language: https://menuthere.com/docs/menu/dish-names-in-a-second-language (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
- Unicode Consortium, Devanagari code chart (includes ळ, U+0933): https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U0900.pdf (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
- Ahrefs Keywords Explorer, global volume (19 Oct 2026); Google autocomplete (19 Oct 2026)