A question: a word or the particle -ஆ
There are two ways to ask, and both are simple. For example: “கடை எங்கே?” — Where is the shop?. A rule from the Tamil course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
There are two ways to ask, and both are simple.
The first is a question word. Five of them cover everyday life: என்ன (what), எங்கே (where), யார் (who), எவ்வளவு (how much), எப்படி (how). All begin with எ — a question is recognizable at first glance by that letter.
The second is the particle -ஆ (-ā) at the end of any word: தமிழா? — 'in Tamil?', தூரமா (tūramā)? — 'is it far?', பால் டீயா (pāl ṭīyā)? — 'tea with milk?'. The word order does not change. English needs 'do/does' and a moved verb for the same work; here one particle does it all.
By example
- கடை எங்கே?kaḍai eṅgē?Where is the shop?
- இது எவ்வளவு?idu evvaḷavu?How much does it cost?
- தூரமா?tūramā?Is it far?
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
A question: how does it work in Tamil?
There are two ways to ask, and both are simple.
What does it look like in an example sentence Tamil?
“கடை எங்கே?” (kaḍai eṅgē?) — Where is the shop?. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.