This, that and all said before: அது as a link back
Wave 3 taught to point with a finger: இந்த 'this', அந்த 'that', இது 'this one', அது 'that one'. At B1 the same words start working differently — they point not at an object but at the previous phrase, and without this 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…
How it works
Wave 3 taught to point with a finger: இந்த (inda) 'this', அந்த (anda) 'that', இது (idu) 'this one', அது (adu) 'that one'. At B1 the same words start working differently — they point not at an object but at the previous phrase, and without this no connected story comes out.
The main rule is simple and rigid: அது looks back, இது looks forward. அது சரி (adu sari) means 'what you said is correct'; இது சரி (idu sari) — 'here is what is correct, listen'. English gets by with one 'this/that' in both directions, and the English speaker says இது where a Tamil speaker waits for அது. The mistake is not rude, but it is heard at once.
Then அது enters ready-made links, and all of them are cases of one word. அதனால (adaṉāla) 'therefore' (instrumental), அதுக்காக 'for that purpose' (dative + -காக), அதுக்குப் பதிலா (adukkup padilā) 'instead of that', அதுக்கு மாறா (adukku māṟā) 'unlike that', அதன் விளைவா (adaṉ viḷaivā) 'as a result of that', அது இது எண்டு (adu idu eṇḍu) 'and so on'. Learn the cases — get all the links at once.
அப்பிடி (appiḍi) — the same, but about the manner of action. அப்பிடி எண்டா (appiḍi eṇḍā) 'in that case', அப்பிடி இருந்திருந்தா (appiḍi irundirundā) 'if it had been so', அப்பிடித்தான் வழக்கம் (appiḍittāṉ vaḻakkam) 'that is exactly the custom', அப்பிடி இல்லை (appiḍi illai) 'not so'. A pair to it — இப்பிடி (ippiḍi) 'here is how', and it too looks forward.
Separately அதாவது (adāvadu) 'that is'. The word is compound: அது + ஆவது, word for word 'that being that'. It introduces an explanation of what has already been said and therefore always stands after what is explained, in the second part of the phrase: அவர் வர மாட்டார் (avar vara māṭṭār), அதாவது கூட்டம் நடக்காது (adāvadu kūṭṭam naḍakkādu).
The practical consequence for the whole unit: a Tamil conclusion is built not by a word at the start of the phrase but by a reference to what has been said. English 'therefore' stands in front and names nothing; the Tamil அதன் விளைவா literally points back — 'as the result of THAT'. That is why there are so many links: each names its own kind of connection with the previous thought.
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?
Wave 3 taught to point with a finger: இந்த 'this', அந்த 'that', இது 'this one', அது 'that one'. At B1 the same words start working differently — they point not at an object but at the previous phrase, and without this 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.