This and that: இந்த, அந்த, இது, அது
'This' and 'that' share one mark in Tamil: i- means nearer me, a- means farther off. It runs through the language — இங்கே 'here' and அங்கே 'there', இப்ப 'now' and அப்ப 'then'. Learn one pair and you guess the rest. For example: “இந்த போன் என்னுடையது” — This phone is mine. A rule from the Tamil course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
'This' and 'that' share one mark in Tamil: i- means nearer me, a- means farther off. It runs through the language — இங்கே (iṅgē) 'here' and அங்கே (aṅgē) 'there', இப்ப (ippa) 'now' and அப்ப (appa) 'then'. Learn one pair and you guess the rest.
What you must tell apart is two forms, not two words. இந்த (inda) and அந்த (anda) live only before a noun: இந்த போன் (inda pōṉ) 'this phone'. இது (idu) and அது (adu) stand in place of a noun: அது எவ்வளவு (adu evvaḷavu)? 'how much is that?'.
About people you say இவர் / அவர் (avar) for one, and இவங்க (ivaṅga) / அவங்க (avaṅga) for several or respectfully for one. Introductions take the near form: இவர் என் அண்ணா — 'this is my elder brother'.
There is a third mark, எ-, for asking: எது? 'which?', எப்ப (eppa)? 'when?'. Question and answer differ by one letter.
Table
| Near (i-) | Far (a-) | Question (e-) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| இந்த | அந்த | எந்த | before a word: this / that / which |
| இது | அது | எது | instead of a word: this / that / which one exactly |
| இவர் | அவர் | யார் | about a person: this / that / who |
| இங்கே | அங்கே | எங்கே | here / there / where |
| இப்ப | அப்ப | எப்ப | now / then / when |
By example
- இந்த போன் என்னுடையதுinda pōṉ eṉṉuḍaiyaduThis phone is mine
- அந்த கடை இப்ப மூடியிருக்குanda kaḍai ippa mūḍiyirukkuThat shop is closed now
- இது என்ன? அது ஒரு சார்ஜ்idu eṉṉa? adu oru sārjWhat is this? That is the charger
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
This and that: how does it work in Tamil?
'This' and 'that' share one mark in Tamil: i- means nearer me, a- means farther off. It runs through the language — இங்கே 'here' and அங்கே 'there', இப்ப 'now' and அப்ப 'then'. Learn one pair and you guess the rest.
What does it look like in an example sentence Tamil?
“இந்த போன் என்னுடையது” (inda pōṉ eṉṉuḍaiyadu) — This phone is mine. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.