This and that: இந்த, அந்த, இது, அது
In Tamil 'this' and 'that' share one telltale sign: i- means 'nearer to me', a- means 'farther away'. It runs through the whole language — இங்கே 'here' and அங்கே 'there', இப்ப 'now' and அப்ப 'then', இது 'this' and அது 'that'. Learn one pair and you guess all 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
In Tamil 'this' and 'that' share one telltale sign: i- means 'nearer to me', a- means 'farther away'. It runs through the whole language — இங்கே (iṅgē) 'here' and அங்கே (aṅgē) 'there', இப்ப (ippa) 'now' and அப்ப (appa) 'then', இது (idu) 'this' and அது (adu) 'that'. Learn one pair and you guess all the rest.
What must be told apart is two forms, not two words. இந்த (inda) and அந்த (anda) stand only before a noun and cannot live on their own: இந்த போன் (inda pōṉ) 'this phone', அந்த கடை (anda kaḍai) 'that shop'. இது and அது stand instead of a noun: இது என் போன் (idu eṉ pōṉ) 'this is my phone', அது எவ்வளவு (adu evvaḷavu)? 'how much is that?'. Saying 'இந்த எவ்வளவு (inda evvaḷavu)?' is impossible — the modifier dangles without a word.
About people one says இவர் / அவர் (polite, about one person) and இவங்க (ivaṅga) / அவங்க (about several, and respectfully about one) instead of இது/அது. You already know அவர் as 'he': it is the same demonstrative, just about a person farther away. Introductions are made through the near form: இவர் என் அண்ணா — 'this is my elder brother'.
There is a third sign as well — எ-, the interrogative one: எது? 'which?', எங்கே (eṅgē)? 'where?', எப்ப (eppa)? 'when?'. Question and answer in Tamil differ by one letter, and it is worth noticing at once: எது — இது — அது.
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?
In Tamil 'this' and 'that' share one telltale sign: i- means 'nearer to me', a- means 'farther away'. It runs through the whole language — இங்கே 'here' and அங்கே 'there', இப்ப 'now' and அப்ப 'then', இது 'this' and அது 'that'. Learn one pair and you guess all 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.