Marathi translation services
मराठीLEXIGO provides NAATI certified Marathi translation across Australia for the Maharashtra-born community and the government, health, financial and technology organisations serving it. We translate Marathi to English and English to Marathi in Devanagari script, and certify Maharashtra birth certificates, SSC and HSC certificates, degrees, marriage certificates and police clearances for Home Affairs, universities and AHPRA.
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by approximately 83 million people, primarily in the Indian state of Maharashtra where it is the official language. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and the third most spoken language in the country. Marathi has a literary tradition dating back to the thirteenth century and is written in the Devanagari script.
In Australia, Marathi speakers number approximately 18,000 according to the 2021 Census, with the community growing rapidly through skilled migration, particularly in IT, engineering, healthcare, and professional services. The community is concentrated in Sydney and Melbourne, with growing populations in Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide. Marathi-speaking Australians are predominantly from Maharashtra's urban centres, particularly Mumbai and Pune.
Marathi shares the Devanagari script with Hindi and Nepali, but is a distinct language with its own grammar, vocabulary, and literary tradition. The language features three grammatical genders (masculine, feminine, neuter — unlike Hindi's two), an elaborate case system, and vocabulary that draws from both Sanskrit and regional Prakrit sources.
The Marathi-Australian community is generally young, well-educated, and professionally engaged, with high English proficiency. Cultural identity centres on Maharashtra's rich traditions including festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi and Gudi Padwa, Marathi literature and theatre, and the community's distinctive culinary traditions.
For organisations, Marathi serves a growing Indian language community. While high English proficiency means translation demand is selective, Marathi-language options demonstrate cultural respect and improve engagement with community organisations and cultural events.
What makes Marathi translation different?
Devanagari Script
Marathi uses the Devanagari script, shared with Hindi but with some Marathi-specific conventions and vocabulary. Unicode font support must be verified for the complete character set including conjuncts. Marathi text is not interchangeable with Hindi despite the shared script.
Text Expansion
Marathi text typically runs 15-20% longer than English. Layout designs should accommodate this alongside the script's vertical space requirements.
NAATI Certification
NAATI certified Marathi translators are available in Australia, with growing supply reflecting the community's expansion through skilled migration from Pune and Mumbai.
Frequently asked questions about Marathi translation
Is a NAATI certified Marathi translation accepted by Home Affairs?
Yes. Home Affairs, state road authorities, universities and AHPRA accept NAATI certified translations of Marathi documents. Birth certificates from Mumbai and Pune municipal corporations, SSC and HSC certificates, degree certificates, marriage certificates and police clearances are the most common, and many carry Marathi stamps on bilingual forms.
Can a Hindi translation be used for Marathi readers?
Both use Devanagari, but they're different languages with different vocabulary and grammar, and a Hindi translation reads as foreign to a Marathi speaker. Content for Marathi readers, particularly older family members, is translated into Marathi by Marathi translators.
Where are Australia's Marathi-speaking communities?
The 2021 Census recorded about 18,000 Marathi speakers at home, most arriving since 2005 through technology and engineering migration from Pune and Mumbai. Sydney's community is centred on Parramatta, Westmead and the north-west, Melbourne's on the west and south-east, with communities in Perth, Brisbane and Canberra.
How much does Marathi translation cost?
NAATI certified translation of personal documents starts from $69 per page. Campaigns, websites and longer documents are quoted on word count, subject matter and turnaround. Upload your file for a free quote.
Do Marathi speakers in Australia need in-language content?
For the professionals themselves, rarely. For their parents on visitor and parent visas, often. Health, aged care and Medicare information reaches that older group in Marathi, and hospitals and councils in western Sydney and Melbourne's west increasingly request it alongside Hindi, Punjabi and Gujarati.