ICSE Class 9 Marathi Syllabus 2026-27

Important note about Class 9: The Class IX examination is conducted by the school and is not a board examination. The Class X ICSE Board Examination paper is set on the entire syllabus (Classes IX and X combined). CISCE has not prescribed a fixed bifurcation of the syllabus.

Important note about prescribed textbooks: The list of prescribed textbooks (Appendix I of the official CISCE Second Languages syllabus document) must be confirmed directly from www.cisce.org or from the school, as textbooks may be updated each session.

Aims of the Marathi Syllabus

•        To appreciate Marathi as an effective means of communication and as one of the classical languages of Maharashtra.

•        To acquire knowledge of the elements of the Marathi language: grammar, vocabulary, syntax, and idiom.

•        To develop a genuine interest in the Marathi language and its rich literary heritage.

•        To understand Marathi when spoken at normal conversational speed.

•        To understand the basic structural patterns of Marathi, including sentence construction, vocabulary, and constructions.

•        To develop the ability to read, comprehend, and respond to unseen prose passages in Marathi.

•        To develop the ability to write compositions and letters in correct, idiomatic Marathi.

•        To develop an appreciation of Marathi literature through engagement with the prescribed texts.

Examination Structure and Marking Scheme

Internal Assessment marks (20 marks): Subject Teacher (Internal Examiner): 10 marks + External Examiner nominated by Head of School: 10 marks. Both examiners assess independently.

Section A: Language (40 Marks) -- Compulsory

All four components must be attempted.

1. Composition (Nibandha / Rachana)

•        Candidates write one composition (nibandha) in Marathi from a choice of subjects.

•        Topics may be suggested through language prompts, pictures, photographs, or objects.

•        The composition may include narratives, descriptions, short explanations, or directions.

•        Assessment focuses on: relevance, organisation of ideas, clarity, correct Marathi grammar (vyakaran), spelling (shuddhalekhan), and vocabulary (shabdasampatti).

2. Letter Writing (Patra Lekhan)

•        Candidates write one letter from a choice of two given subjects.

•        Types of letters tested: formal letters (adhikarik patra) to authorities, editors, or organisations; and informal/personal letters (vyaktigata / sakha-patra) to relatives and friends.

•        The layout of the letter (date, address, salutation, body, conclusion, signature) forms part of the assessment.

•        Assessment focuses on: appropriate tone, correct format, relevance, coherence, and accuracy of Marathi.

3. Comprehension (Apathit Gadya / Avabodhan)

•        An unseen prose passage of approximately 250 words in Marathi will be provided.

•        Questions based on the passage will be set to test understanding of the content, meaning, and language of the passage.

•        All questions and answers must be written in Marathi.

•        Questions may include: factual questions, meanings of words and phrases in context, short inference questions, and one-sentence answers.

4. Grammar (Vyakaran)

Tests practical use of Marathi language structures. Knowledge of formal grammatical definitions is NOT required. The following grammar topics are tested:

Shabd Varga (Parts of Speech / Word Classes)

•        Naam (Nouns): Jativaachak (common), Vyaktivaachak (proper), Bhaavavaachak (abstract), Samuuhavaachak (collective), Dravyavaachak (material noun)

•        Sarvanaam (Pronouns): Purushvaachak (personal: mi, tu, to/ti/te, aapan, tumhi, te), Nishchayavaachak (definite: he, te, ye), Anishchayavaachak (indefinite: kaahi, koni), Prashnaarthak (interrogative: kon, kay, konta), Sambandhi (relative: jo, je, jya)

•        Visheshan (Adjectives): Gunaavaachak (qualitative), Sankhyavaachak (numeral), Parimanavaachak (quantitative), Sarvanaamik (pronominal); agreement with noun in gender and number

•        Kriya (Verbs): Sakarmak (transitive), Akarmak (intransitive), Sahetuak/Preranaarthak (causative); verb forms for gender, number, and tense

•        Kriyavisheshan (Adverbs): Kaalavaachak (time: aaj, udya, kabhi), Sthalavaachak (place: ithe, tithe, kuthe), Prakaravaachak (manner: asech, kharekhure), Parimanavaachak (degree: khup, thoda, jaast)

•        Shabdayogi Avyay (Postpositions): words placed after nouns to indicate case (la, ne, shi, saathe, madhun, var, khali, etc.)

•        Udbhavaarthak/Yojak Avyay (Conjunctions): connecting words and clauses (ani, pan, kinva, mhanje, jevha, jar...tar, tari, mhanun)

•        Kevalaavaachak Avyay (Exclamations): words expressing strong emotion (vaa!, arere!, shabbas!, hey!)

Linga (Gender)

•        Pulling (masculine), Striling (feminine), Napaansakling (neuter) in Marathi

•        Rules for gender in Marathi: nouns ending in -a or -ya are often masculine; nouns ending in -i are often feminine; nouns ending in -e are often neuter; exceptions and irregular forms

•        Gender transformation: rules for converting masculine nouns to feminine forms and vice versa (e.g. mulga/mulgi; shikshak/shikshika; raja/rani)

Vachan (Number)

•        Ekvachan (singular) and Bahuvachan (plural): rules for forming the plural of Marathi nouns across the three genders

•        Common plural patterns: masculine (-e or -e suffix), feminine (-ya or retained -i), neuter (-e); irregular plurals

Vibhakti and Vibhakti Pratyay (Case and Case Suffixes)

•        Vibhakti: the grammatical relationship between a noun/pronoun and other words in the sentence, expressed through suffixes (pratyay)

•        Eight Vibhaktis (Ashtavibhakti): Prathamaa (nominative: no suffix), Dvitiyaa (accusative/dative: -la/-te/-s), Tritiyaa (instrumental: -ne/-e), Chaturthi (dative: -la; often merged with Dvitiyaa in Marathi), Panchamii (ablative: -hoon/-paasoon), Shashthi (genitive: -cha/-chi/-che), Saptamii (locative: -t/-var/-la), Sambodhan (vocative: calling/addressing)

•        Correct use of Vibhakti suffixes (pratyay) in Marathi sentences; changes in suffix based on the gender of the noun

Kaal (Tense)

•        Vartaman Kaal (Present Tense): Sadharan Vartaman (simple present), Chaluu Vartaman (present continuous), Poorna Vartaman (present perfect)

•        Bhoot Kaal (Past Tense): Sadharan Bhoot (simple past), Chaluu Bhoot (past continuous), Poorna Bhoot (past perfect), Atiit Bhoot (pluperfect)

•        Bhavishy Kaal (Future Tense): Sadharan Bhavishy (simple future), Sanshayi Bhavishy (conditional future)

•        Correct use of verb forms for gender, number, and person in each tense in Marathi

Vakya Parivartan (Sentence Transformation)

•        Types of sentences by structure: Saral Vakya (simple sentence), Mishrit Vakya (compound sentence joined by coordinating conjunctions), Sanyukt Vakya (complex sentence with a subordinate clause)

•        Types of sentences by meaning: Vidhartak Vakya (declarative/affirmative), Nishedhak Vakya (negative), Prashnarth Vakya (interrogative), Aadnaarth Vakya (imperative), Udgarwachak Vakya (exclamatory)

•        Kartri Prayog (Active Voice): the subject performs the action; standard sentence structure in Marathi

•        Karma Prayog (Passive Voice): the action is received by the subject; transformation from active to passive

•        Bhave Prayog (Impersonal Voice): impersonal construction where neither subject nor object is foregrounded; common in formal and literary Marathi

•        Pratyaksha Ukti to Paroksha Ukti (Direct to Indirect Speech): converting between direct and reported speech

•        Converting between simple, compound, and complex sentences

Sandhi (Phonetic Junction)

•        Definition of Sandhi: the phonological changes that occur when two words or morphemes are joined together in Marathi

•        Svarsandhi (Vowel Sandhi): rules for the combination of adjacent vowels at word boundaries (e.g. dip + aalok = dipalok; vid + arth = vidarth)

•        Vyanjanasandhi (Consonant Sandhi): rules for the combination of consonants at word boundaries, including gemination and mutation

•        Visargasandhi: rules involving the visarga (colon-like sound) at word junctions

•        Sandhi Vigraha: splitting a sandhi form back into its component parts

Samas (Compound Words)

•        Definition of Samas: the process of combining two or more words into a single compound word

•        Dvandva Samas (Copulative Compound): both components have equal importance, joined by 'and' (e.g. aai-baba, doodh-bhaat, ghas-phus)

•        Tatpurush Samas (Determinative Compound): the second element is the head word, modified by the first; the case relationship between the two components (e.g. rajamarg = raja + marg, i.e. the road of the king)

•        Karmadharaya Samas (Attributive Compound): the relationship between the components is attributive (adjective + noun, or noun in apposition, e.g. neelakash = neela + akash, blue sky)

•        Bahuvrihi Samas (Possessive/Exocentric Compound): the compound refers to an entity other than the sum of its components (e.g. chandramukh = one whose face is like the moon)

•        Avyayibhav Samas (Adverbial Compound): the first element is an indeclinable particle (avyay) giving the whole compound an adverbial meaning

•        Samas Vigraha: splitting the compound and explaining the grammatical relationship between its components

Alankar (Figures of Speech)

The following figures of speech are tested in ICSE Marathi:

•        Shabdalankar (Sound-based Figures): figures of speech based on the sound of words

•        Anupras Alankar (Alliteration): the repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of consecutive words in a line of poetry or prose

•        Yamak Alankar (Repetition with different meanings): the same word or syllable repeated in the same or nearby lines but with different meanings

•        Shlesh Alankar (Pun/Paranomasia): a word or phrase used in a sentence that carries two or more meanings simultaneously

•        Arthalankar (Meaning-based Figures): figures of speech based on the meaning of words

•        Upama Alankar (Simile): comparing two unlike things using 'like', 'as', or 'pradmane'/'sarkha'/'ja'

•        Rupak Alankar (Metaphor): direct identification of one thing with another without using 'like' or 'as'; the two are treated as identical

•        Utpreksha Alankar (Poetic Fancy): imagining one thing as another; the comparison is presented as a possibility or supposition (janu/manoo ki)

•        Atishayokti Alankar (Hyperbole): deliberate and obvious exaggeration for emphasis or poetic effect

•        Manvikaran / Chaitan-yaarop (Personification): attributing human qualities, emotions, or actions to non-human objects, animals, or abstract ideas

•        Drushthant Alankar (Illustration): using an example or illustration to support or clarify an assertion

Vrutta / Chhand (Poetic Metre)

•        Definition of Chhand: the rhythmic and metrical structure of a poem in Marathi; the pattern governing the arrangement of syllables or matras in each line

•        Aksharvrutt (Syllabic Metre): metre based on the number of syllables (akshar) in each line; the most prevalent system in classical Marathi poetry

•        Maatravrutta (Moraic Metre): metre based on the count of moras (maatras); short (laghu) syllable = 1 maatra; long (guru) syllable = 2 maatras

•        Common Marathi metres: Ovi (four-line stanzas, lines 1-3 rhyming, used by Sant poets including Dnyaneshwar and Eknath); Abhang (four-line devotional stanzas, used extensively by Sant Tukaram, Namdev, Chokhamela, and other Varkari saints); Paada (metre used in classical compositions); Shloka (Sanskrit-based metre adopted in classical Marathi literature)

•        Identification of the type of Chhand/Vrutta in a given verse; counting syllables or maatras to confirm the metre

Vocabulary (Shabdasampatti)

•        Synonyms (Samanarthi Shabd) and antonyms (Viruddhartha Shabd) of common Marathi words

•        One-word substitutions (Ekaa Shabdat Uttara) for phrases or descriptions in Marathi

•        Idioms and proverbs (Vaakprachaar and Mhani): meanings and use in sentences

•        Word formation: identifying roots (Dhatu), prefixes (Upsarg), and suffixes (Pratyay)

•        Tadbhava, Tatsama, Deshya, and Videshi Shabd: words of Sanskrit origin (tatsama/tadbhava), indigenous Marathi words (deshya), and words borrowed from other languages (Persian, Arabic, English: videshi shabd)

Section B: Prescribed Texts (40 Marks)

Candidates are required to answer four questions from ONLY two of the prescribed textbooks. All questions and answers must be written in Marathi. The questions test understanding of the subject matter, themes, characters, and language of the prescribed texts.

Important: The list of prescribed textbooks is specified in Appendix I of the official CISCE Second Languages syllabus document. Students must confirm the exact prescribed texts with their school or by downloading the syllabus directly from www.cisce.org, as prescribed texts may be updated each session.

Types of Prescribed Texts

•        Prose anthology (Gadya Sankalan): a collection of prose pieces (essays, short stories, biographical sketches, travel writing) by notable Marathi authors

•        Poetry anthology (Padya Sankalan / Kavita Sankalan): a collection of poems by classical and modern Marathi poets representing various literary movements and periods

•        A novel or supplementary reader may be prescribed as an additional text in some sessions

Authors and Literary Traditions in the Prescribed Texts

Prescribed texts typically represent authors and traditions across the rich landscape of Marathi literature, including:

Classical and Medieval Period (Sant Sahitya)

•        Sant Dnyaneshwar (Dnyandeva): 13th-century saint-poet; author of Dnyaneshwari (commentary on the Bhagavad Gita in Ovi metre); credited with establishing Marathi as a literary language; Bhavarthdeepika (Dnyaneshwari) and his Abhangas

•        Sant Namdev: 13th-14th century; weaver-saint; Abhangas expressing devotion and the lives of ordinary people

•        Sant Eknath: 16th century; social reformer and poet; Bhavartha Ramayan; Abhangas on human equality

•        Sant Tukaram: 17th century; considered the greatest of the Varkari poet-saints; thousands of Abhangas expressing deep devotion, social criticism, and universal humanity; Gatha

•        Sant Chokhamela: 14th century; first poet from a marginalised community; Abhangas expressing pain, devotion, and equality before God

Modern Period

•        Keshavsut (Krishnaji Keshav Damle): founder of modern Marathi poetry; broke away from classical forms; themes of social awakening and naturalism

•        Bal Gangadhar Tilak: political leader and writer; Gita Rahasya; essays and editorials

•        V.V. Shirwadkar (Kusumagraj): celebrated modern poet, playwright, and novelist; Jnanpith award winner; themes of nationalism, humanism, love, and social justice

•        Vinda Karandikar: 20th-century poet; Jnanpith award winner; philosophical and literary poetry

•        P.L. Deshpande (Pu La): beloved humourist and writer; essays, short stories, and plays; Batata Vaada, Apurvaai

•        Shivaji Sawant: historical novelist; Mrityunjay (Karna's story)

•        Vijay Tendulkar: playwright; social themes; Ghashiram Kotwal, Sakharam Binder

Nature of Questions in Section B

•        Appreciation and explanation of passages or stanzas: explaining the meaning of a given passage or stanza in the student's own words (artha vivaran)

•        Short answer questions: factual questions based on the content, characters, or events in the prescribed texts

•        Character analysis: describing and evaluating the role, qualities, or significance of a character or persona (vyaktichitre)

•        Thematic questions: identifying and explaining the central theme, moral, or idea of a prose piece or poem (kendra sankalpana)

•        Context questions (Prasang Vichar): identifying the speaker, context, and significance of a given quotation or stanza

•        Language appreciation: identifying and explaining Alankar (figures of speech) and Chhand/Vrutta (poetic metre) in the prescribed poems

Internal Assessment (20 Marks)

The internal assessment is conducted by the school throughout the academic year and includes both language and literature components. Both the Subject Teacher (Internal Examiner) and an External Examiner nominated by the Head of School assess independently.

Required Assignments for Class IX

2 to 3 assignments required. At least two must be written: one from the language component and one from the literature component.

Language Assignments (Class IX)

•        Creative writing (approximately 300 to 400 words) based on: a piece of recorded music; a recorded series of sounds; a picture or photograph; an opening sentence or phrase; a newspaper or magazine clipping

•        One piece of factual writing (informative or argumentative) in Marathi

•        One piece of expressive writing (descriptive or imaginative) in Marathi

•        A film or book review written in Marathi

•        Aural assignment: listening to a conversation, talk, or short reading in Marathi, then summarising the main points or answering given questions

Literature Assignments (Prescribed Texts)

•        Character analysis: essay on the character, role, or significance of a person from the prescribed prose text

•        Thematic analysis: exploring the central theme or message of a prescribed prose piece or poem

•        Socio-cultural or historical background: written essay on the social, economic, cultural, or historical context of a prescribed work

•        Summary or paraphrase (Saar / Artha Vivaran): summarising a prose piece or explaining a poem in the student's own words

Grading Criteria: Creative Writing

Grading Criteria: Literature (Prescribed Texts)

Preparation Tips for Students

For Section A: Language

•        Practise writing Marathi compositions (nibandha) on a variety of topics: nature, festivals, social issues, narratives, and descriptions. Aim for approximately 250 words with clear paragraphing.

•        Practise both types of letters: formal (adhikarik patra) to authorities, editors, and organisations; and informal (vyaktigata patra) to relatives and friends. Memorise the correct Marathi letter format.

•        Read a variety of unseen Marathi prose passages and practise answering comprehension questions concisely and accurately in Marathi.

•        Revise all grammar topics: Vibhakti (all eight cases with their Marathi pratyay), Samas and Samas Vigraha, Sandhi and Sandhi Vigraha, Alankar (Shabdalankar and Arthalankar), Chhand/Vrutta (Ovi, Abhang, Shloka), Vakya Parivartan (active/passive/impersonal, affirmative/negative, direct/indirect), and Kaal (all three tenses in all forms with correct gender/number/person agreement).

•        Maintain a vocabulary notebook: record new Marathi words, synonyms, antonyms, idioms (vaakprachaar), proverbs (mhani), and the Tatsama/Tadbhava/Deshya/Videshi word categories.

For Section B: Prescribed Texts

•        Read all prescribed prose pieces and poems thoroughly and repeatedly. Do not rely on summaries alone.

•        For each prose piece: note the central idea, key events, characters, the author's message, and any social or historical context.

•        For each poem: understand the theme, imagery, Alankar (figures of speech), Vrutta/Chhand (metre), and the poet's message. Be able to explain individual stanzas (padya bhag).

•        Study the authors and their literary context: understand the Sant Sahitya tradition (Dnyaneshwar, Eknath, Namdev, Tukaram, Chokhamela) and the modern period (Keshavsut, Kusumagraj, Pu La Deshpande).

•        Practise context questions (Prasang Vichar): identify who is speaking, to whom, in what context, and the significance of the quotation.

•        Write practice answers in Marathi; focus on accuracy, clarity, and relevant use of examples from the text.

•        Solve ICSE Marathi previous year question papers to understand the style and format of questions in Section B.

Official Source and Further Reference

The complete and authoritative syllabus for ICSE Marathi (Second Language) for Classes IX and X, including the list of prescribed textbooks (Appendix I), is published by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) on their official website. Always download the syllabus PDF directly from CISCE.