Gujarati is spoken by Gujaratis in the India state of Gujarat, Mumbai and many other parts of the world. The Gujarati alphabet is composed of 14 vowels and 34 consonants.
Let's start with vowels.
Gujarati Vowels
In Gujarati, vowels are also called Swar (સ્વર). Independent vowels in Gujarati are written as separate letters and can be pronounced independently by themselves. Dependent vowels, on the other hand, can be placed either before, or after, or on top, or below a consonant so that it can be pronounced.
Independent Vowels:
Dependent Vowels:
Gujarati Consonants
In Gujarati, they are called `Vyanjan (વ્યંજન)`. Consonants by themselves cannot be pronounced. Therefore, it is accompanied by an inherent vowel.
Gujarati Numerals
Gujarati numerals are the symbols used to write numbers in the Gujarati script. They are also used to write decimal numbers, instead of the latin numbers.
Features
- Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language and has its influence in Sanskrit.
- Gujarati is written from left toward the right which is the same as English. However, unlike English, Gujarati doesn't have case differences.
- Gujarati has its own numerals system which is used to write numbers.
- The Gujarati script is an Abugida (segmental system) in which every consonant carries the inherent vowel.
Interesting Facts about Gujarati Language
- Gujarati is the 6th most widely spoken language in India, and also the 26th widely spoken language in the world.
- There are huge Gujarati-speaking communities in Southern Africa as well as in North America and the United Kingdom.
- English has borrowed some words from Gujarati that are used frequently. Such as `Bungalow`, `Tank` etc.
- Mahatma Gandhi and Muhammad Li Jinnah were both native Gujarati speakers.
- The Gujarati people believe in keeping their language alive as part of maintaining their culture.
Gujarati at a glance
Gujarati (ગુજરાતી, ɡʊdʒəˈrɑːti), is an official language in the state of Gujarat and it is also spoken in Indian states of Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh. There are 55 million speakers of Gujarati and an additional 5 million as a second language in the rest of the world. Below is the quick summary:
| Pronunciation: | (/ˌɡʊdʒəˈrɑːti/] |
| Native Name: | Gujarati (ગુજરાતી) |
| Number of Speakers: | 55 million |
| Language family: | Indo-European |
| Ethnicity: | Gujaratis, Parsis, Irani |
| Writing System: | Gujarati Script (Brahmic) |
| Spoken in: | Indian state of Gujarat. Fourth most commonly spoken language in London. Also spoken in Kenya, Uganda, Tanznia, Zambia, and South Africa |
| Status: | Official language in the Indian State of Gujarat |
| Two digit language code (ISO 639-1): | gu |
A Complete Gujarati Alphabet Chart
Below is a list of complete Gujarati Alphabets Chart.
Independent Vowels:
Dependent Vowels:
Consonants:
Additional consonants:
Digit:
Special Characters:
Additional vowels for Sanskrit:
