This, that and all said before: அது as a link back
இந்த 'this' and அந்த 'that' do not only point with a finger. They point at the phrase just spoken, and without that no connected story comes out. For example: “மழை பெய்யேல்லை, அதன் விளைவா அறுவடை குறைவு” — There were no rains; as a result the harvest is small. A rule from the Tamil course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
இந்த (inda) 'this' and அந்த (anda) 'that' do not only point with a finger. They point at the phrase just spoken, and without that no connected story comes out.
The rule is short and firm: அது (adu) looks back, இது (idu) looks forward. அது சரி (adu sari) means 'what you said is right'. இது சரி (idu sari) means 'here is what is right, listen'. English uses 'this' both ways, so it puts இது where a Tamil speaker waits for அது.
From there அது enters ready links, all one word with different endings. அதனால (adaṉāla) is 'therefore', அதுக்காக 'for that', அதன் விளைவா (adaṉ viḷaivā) 'as a result'.
So the whole Tamil conclusion is built not on a word in front but on a pointer back. English 'consequently' stands first and names nothing. அதன் விளைவா points back at the thing itself.
Table
| Link | What it is assembled from | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| அதனால | அது + -ஆல | therefore |
| அதுக்காக | அது + -க்கு + -ஆக | for that purpose |
| அதுக்குப் பதிலா | அது + பதில் + -ஆ | instead of that |
| அதுக்கு மாறா | அது + மாறு + -ஆ | unlike that |
| அதன் விளைவா | அது + விளைவு + -ஆ | as a result |
| அதாவது | அது + ஆவது | that is |
| அப்பிடி எண்டா | அப்பிடி + condition | in that case |
| அது இது எண்டு | அது + இது + எண்டு | and so on |
By example
- மழை பெய்யேல்லை, அதன் விளைவா அறுவடை குறைவுmaḻai peyyēllai, adaṉ viḷaivā aṟuvaḍai kuṟaivuThere were no rains; as a result the harvest is small
- அப்பிடி எண்டா நாங்க நாளைக்கு ஒரு தீர்மானம் எடுக்கிறம்appiḍi eṇḍā nāṅga nāḷaikku oru tīrmāṉam eḍukkiṟamIn that case tomorrow we make the decision
- அவர் ஊரில இல்லை, அதாவது இண்டைக்கு பாக்க ஏலாதுavar ūrila illai, adāvadu iṇḍaikku pākka ēlāduHe is not in town — that is, we cannot meet today
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, that and all said before: how does it work in Tamil?
இந்த 'this' and அந்த 'that' do not only point with a finger. They point at the phrase just spoken, and without that no connected story comes out.
What does it look like in an example sentence Tamil?
“மழை பெய்யேல்லை, அதன் விளைவா அறுவடை குறைவு” (maḻai peyyēllai, adaṉ viḷaivā aṟuvaḍai kuṟaivu) — There were no rains; as a result the harvest is small. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.