Home and things in Tamil
205 words Tamil words on the topic “home and things”: வீடு — home, கூடை — basket, பை — bag, குடியிருப்பு — dwelling. 205 words can be played from recordings.
205 words on the topic
- வீடுvīḍuhomeHome as your own dwelling, not as a building. Before an ending the consonant doubles: vīṭṭukku, 'to the house'; vīṭṭil, 'at home'
- கூடைkūḍaibasketku-day; ṭ between vowels sounds like d, but like t at the start of a word
- பைpaibagAny sack and any bag. The polythene one is 'plastic bag'
- குடியிருப்புkuḍiyiruppudwelling'To live' plus 'abiding'. The name for a flat and for a residential house alike
- அறைaṟairooma-ray with a rolled r; 'half', arai, sounds softer
- சமையலறைsamaiyalaṟaikitchen'Cooking' plus 'room'
- குளியலறைkuḷiyalaṟaibathroom'Bathing' plus 'room'. The toilet is a separate room and a separate word
- பால்கனிbālkaṉibalconyThe English balcony: in borrowings b at the start of a word is read as b
- மாடிmāḍifloor (storey)Also 'the top of a house': a house of two māḍi is a two-storey house
- லிப்ட்lifṭliftThe English lift. The bookish word for it is never met in speech
- படிக்கட்டுpaḍikkaṭṭustaircasepa-di-kat-tu; a single ṭ between vowels sounds like d, the doubled ṭṭ is voiceless and long
- மேசைmēsaitablePortuguese mesa — a trace the Portuguese left on the island, like the almirah
- நாற்காலிnāṟkālichairnaat-kaa-li; the cluster ṟk sounds as 'tk', not 'rk'
- கட்டில்kaṭṭilbedkat-til; the doubled tt is held longer than a single one
- அலமாரிalamāricupboardPortuguese armário. A bookshelf is called the same
- ஜன்னல்jaṉṉalwindowThe letter j is grantha: with it one writes sounds Tamil has no signs of its own for
- கதவுkadavudoorka-da-vu; t between vowels sounds like d, at the start of a word like t
- சாவிsāvikeyBoth the door key and a winding key. The lock is 'pūṭṭu', and 'it is locked' is its participle
- விளக்குviḷakkulampBoth the electric lamp and the oil light by the household shrine
- சூடான தண்ணிsūḍāṉa taṇṇihot water'Heat' gives the participle 'heated'. Cold water is its opposite
- மின்சாரம்miṉsāramelectricity'Lightning' plus 'stream'. In daily life people say the English 'current'
- குப்பைkuppaigarbageThe garbage bin is 'garbage pot', and 'to take out the garbage' is 'to pour garbage'. Works figuratively too — 'rubbish, nonsense'
- சுத்தம் பண்ணுறதுsuttam paṇṇuṟaducleaning'Cleanliness' plus 'to do'. The ending turns the verb into a noun: 'the doing of cleanliness'
- சலவைsalavailaundryThe laundry shop keeps this word; the action of washing is another verb
- பாத்திரம்pāttiramdishesOne vessel and all the dishes at once. 'To wash the dishes' is 'to scrub the vessels'
- துவாய்tuvāytowelAn island word, from Portuguese. In Tamil Nadu they say 'cloth' instead
- சோப்புsōppusoapThe English soap. The elder Tamil word is remembered by the old folks still
- பக்கத்து வீட்டுக்காரர்pakkattu vīṭṭukkārarneighbourLiterally 'the person of the neighbouring house': 'side' plus 'house' plus the trade suffix
- வீட்டு உரிமையாளர்vīṭṭu urimaiyāḷarlandlord'Right' plus 'holder'. In speech it shortens to 'the house person' — but that same word means 'husband', hence the muddles
- வாடகைvāḍagairentBoth the payment for housing and the renting itself. To rent is to 'take' a house for rent, to let is to 'give' it: the difference is one verb
- ஒப்பந்தம்oppandamcontractFrom 'agreement'. A rental contract is 'rent + agreement'
- முற்பணம்muṟpaṇamdeposit'Before' plus 'money' — money paid ahead. Notices also write the English 'deposit'
- மின்சாரக் கட்டணம்miṉsārak kaṭṭaṇamutility billLiterally 'the payment for electricity'. There is no single utility bill on the island: light and water are paid separately, and in speech people say 'current bill'
- ரிப்பேர்rippērrepairsThe English repair — about machines and about houses alike. The bookish word is 'mending what went bad'
- சத்தமாsattamānoisy'Noise' plus the adverb tail -ā. The same way made 'slowly' and 'tastily'
- வேலை செய்யலைvēlai seyyalaiit doesn't workLiterally 'it does not do work' — about a device, a tap, a lock
- கெட்டுப் போச்சுkeṭṭup pōccuit broke downLiterally 'having gone bad, it went' — about machines and about food alike. About something smashed one says 'it shattered'
- ஒழுகுதுoḻuguduit leakso-lu-gu-du; in the middle hides that same curled zh
- ஒரு ஆளை அனுப்புங்கoru āḷai aṉuppuṅgasend someone overLiterally 'send a person'. There is no general word for 'workman' — one calls by the trade: plumber, electrician
- எப்ப வருவீங்க?eppa varuvīṅga?when will you come?'When' plus the polite 'you' in the future tense
- என்னால திறக்க முடியலைeṉṉāla tiṟakka muḍiyalaiI cannot open itThe Tamil 'I can't' goes through 'by me': 'by me' plus the infinitive plus 'not comes out'
- வெளிச்சம்veḷiccamlightLight as illumination. The lamp you know is a different word, and electricity on the bill is another
- சூடாக்குறேன்sūḍākkuṟēṉto heatFrom 'heat': the insert makes an action out of a property — 'I make it hot'. To reheat food keeps the same verb; what heats by itself takes the plain form
- பெட்டிpeṭṭisuitcasepet-ti; the tt is a long tt with the tongue curled back
- அறைச் சாவிaṟaic sāviroom keyBetween the words an extra c grows — Tamil stitches the pair into one notion
- தோட்டம்tōṭṭamgardenA garden, a vegetable plot and a plantation: the island's tea estates are 'tea gardens'
- தண்ணி ஊத்துறேன்taṇṇi ūttuṟēṉto waterLiterally 'I pour water'. There is no separate verb for watering
- கழுவுறேன்kaḻuvuṟēṉto washka-lu-vu-ren; the l is the curled-back sound, the r is rolled
- கத்திkattiknifeIn the island kitchen people more often cut not with a knife on a board but with a sickle on a standing block
- அடுப்புaḍuppustoveBoth the gas stove and the wood-fired hearth: one word for all the ages
- குளிர்சாதனப் பெட்டிkuḷirsādaṉap peṭṭifridgeLiterally 'the cooling box'. In speech everyone says the English 'fridge'
- கெட்டில்keṭṭilkettleA borrowing. On the island tea is brewed in a pot, so the word is needed more by a visitor
- கூரைkūrairoofA palm-thatch roof is koorai too. Roof tiles are oadu
- சுவர்suvarwallA wall of the house. A fence around the yard is veli or mathil
- படுக்கை அறைpaḍukkai aṟaibedroompa-dukkai a-rai; the r is rolled
- முற்றம்muṟṟamcourtyardmut-tram; the ttr is a long doubled roll
- சீலிங்sīliṅceilingThe English 'ceiling', and that is what people say. The bookish term turns up in house descriptions
- கேட்kēṭgateThe English 'gate': the doors at the entrance to the yard. The native vaayil is known from a set phrase
- வேலிvēlifenceA wattle fence or a hedge. A stone wall around a plot is mathil
- கராஜ்karājgarageThe English 'garage'. A car-repair shop is called the same
- தபால் பெட்டிtabāl peṭṭimailboxtha-baal pet-ti; the p between vowels sounds like b
- நிலவறைnilavaṟaibasementni-la-va-rai; the r is rolled
- பாத்திரம் கழுவுறேன்pāttiram kaḻuvuṟēṉto wash the dishespaat-ti-ram ka-zhu-vu-ren; the zh is the tongue-curled-back sound
- பெருக்குறேன்perukkuṟēṉto sweepSweeping is done with a palm-twig broom, one of which stands in every yard
- துவைக்கிறேன்tuvaikkiṟēṉto do the laundryOnly about clothes. Dishes and hands are 'rinsed' with another verb
- இஸ்திரி பண்ணுறேன்istiri paṇṇuṟēṉto do the ironingistiri came from Portuguese. The man who irons by the road is the istiri-kaarar
- இரவுச் சாப்பாடு சமைக்கிறேன்iravuc sāppāḍu samaikkiṟēṉto cook dinneriravu 'night' + the food word: dinner here is 'night food', not 'evening food'
- குப்பை கொட்டுறேன்kuppai koṭṭuṟēṉto take out the trashkuppai kottu-ren; the tt is a long retroflex tt
- வெக்யூம் கிளீனர்vekyūm kiḷīṉarvacuum cleanerThe English 'vacuum cleaner': no native word, and the machine itself is a rarity in homes
- பிரஷ்piraṣbrushThe English 'brush' — for teeth and shoes alike. The palm-twig broom has its own name
- வாளிvāḷibucketvaa-li; the l is retroflex, tongue curled back
- இஸ்திரிப் பெட்டிistirip peṭṭiclothes ironLiterally 'the ironing box' — old irons were filled with coals
- உதவி பண்ணுறேன்udavi paṇṇuṟēṉto helpThe help word is familiar from the very first unit. The one helped stands in the dative
- கதவை மூடுங்கkadavai mūḍuṅgaclose the doorThe door word takes the object ending and becomes kadhavai. The familiar 'it stays closed' is from the same verb
- ஜன்னலைத் திறங்கjaṉṉalait tiṟaṅgaopen the windowjan-nalait ti-ran-ga; the r is rolled
- அதை எடுத்துக் குடுங்கadai eḍuttuk kuḍuṅgapass it to meLiterally 'having taken, give': Tamil strings the participle onto the verb instead of one word for 'hand'
- கொஞ்சம் மெதுவா பேசுங்கkoñcam meduvā pēsuṅgaquieter, pleaseLiterally 'speak more slowly'. The familiar meduvaa means both 'slowly' and 'quietly'
- வாடகைக்கு வீடு எடுக்கிறேன்vāḍagaikku vīḍu eḍukkiṟēṉto rent a houseLiterally 'I take a house for rent'. Separate flats are rare on the island, and veedu covers house and flat alike
- வாடகைக்கு வீடு குடுக்கிறேன்vāḍagaikku vīḍu kuḍukkiṟēṉto rent out a houseThe pair of the last one: the tenant 'takes' and the owner 'gives'. Nothing else changes
- வாடகை ஒப்பந்தம்vāḍagai oppandamrental agreementThe rent word and the contract word you know separately; together they name the ordinary paper
- மாத வாடகைmāda vāḍagaimonthly rentLiterally 'month's rent'. If the sum is clear from the talk, people just say the rent word
- வாடகைக் காலம்vāḍagaik kālamlease termkaalam, 'a term, a season' — the same word as in the probation period phrase
- வீட்டு தரகர்vīṭṭu taragarreal estate agenttharagar is 'a middleman, a broker' in any trade, from land to weddings. He takes a cut, and the cut has its own name
- வீடு பாக்கப் போறதுvīḍu pākkap pōṟaduhouse viewingLiterally 'going to look at the house': Tamil describes the action instead of giving it a name of its own
- தளபாடங்களுடன் கூடிய வீடுtaḷapāḍaṅgaḷuḍaṉ kūḍiya vīḍufurnished houseThe same 'together with' pattern as in the paid leave phrase: 'accompanied by something'
- குடியேறுறேன்kuḍiyēṟuṟēṉto move inkudi 'a household, dwelling' + eeru 'to climb, to mount'. The same word names emigrating to another country
- வீட்டை காலி பண்ணுறேன்vīṭṭai kāli paṇṇuṟēṉto move outkaali 'empty' — the same word as in the vacant room phrase. Literally 'I make the house empty'
- குடி மாற்றம்kuḍi māṟṟammoving houseku-di maat-ram; the ttr is a long doubled roll
- வீடு மாறுறேன்vīḍu māṟuṟēṉto move houseLiterally 'I change the house'. The same verb as in 'I change to another bus'
- சுமை தூக்குறவர்sumai tūkkuṟavarmoversumai 'a load' + the lifting verb you know from sport. The ending turns the verb into 'the one who does it'
- பொதி கட்டுறேன்podi kaṭṭuṟēṉto pack uppodi 'a bundle' + kattu 'to tie'. Packing a suitcase for a trip is said with another turn
- பொதியை அவிழ்க்கிறேன்podiyai aviḻkkiṟēṉto unpackpo-di-yai a-vil-kki-ren; the zh is curled back and before k sounds almost like l
- புது முகவரிpudu mugavarinew addressThe address word you know; pudhu 'new' goes in front, as any attribute does
- சாமான் கொண்டு போறதுsāmāṉ koṇḍu pōṟadumoving the belongingskondu po, 'carrying, going', is the usual Tamil knot of two verbs instead of one word for 'to transport'
- ஒழுங்கு பண்ணிக்கிறேன்oḻuṅgu paṇṇikkiṟēṉto settle inozhungu means 'order'. The inserted -kk- means 'for oneself': I put things in order for myself, not for another
- புது இடத்துக்கு பழகிடுறேன்pudu iḍattukku paḻagiḍuṟēṉto get used to the new placepazhagu, 'to get used to', the same root as in the old word and in 'a familiar person'
- தளபாடம்taḷapāḍamfurnitureta-la-paa-dam; the l is retroflex
- சோபாsōpāsofaThe English 'sofa'. A long backless bench has its own name
- சாய்வு நாற்காலிsāyvu nāṟkāliarmchairsaay 'to recline' + the chair word you know. Literally 'a chair one reclines in'
- அடுக்குaḍukkushelfGenerally 'a tier, a row' — from 'to stack'. A free-standing bookcase takes another word
- கம்பளம்kambaḷamcarpetkam-ba-lam; the l is retroflex
- கண்ணாடிkaṇṇāḍimirrorkan-naa-di; the nn is a long retroflex n
- திரைச்சீலைtiraiccīlaiwindow curtainYou know tirai as 'a screen'; originally it is 'a curtain', and seelai is 'a length of cloth'
- தலையணைtalaiyaṇaipillowthalai 'head' + anai 'a prop'. A sofa cushion is called differently — the English 'cushion'
- போர்வைpōrvaicoverletFrom 'to cover oneself'. On the hot island it is more often a thin bedcover than a winter quilt
- தொங்கு விளக்குtoṅgu viḷakkuchandelierthongu 'to hang' + the lamp word: 'a hanging lamp'. No separate word for a chandelier exists
- பெயின்ட்peyiṉṭpaintThe English 'paint' — that is what they ask at the shop. The bookish words lean to dye for cloth and colour for the face
- சுவரை பெயின்ட் அடிக்கிறேன்suvarai peyiṉṭ aḍikkiṟēṉto paint the walladi, 'to hit', again serves as the action verb, as in the cheating phrase. Literally 'I hit the wall with paint'
- சுவர்த் தாள்suvart tāḷwallpaperThe wall word + 'a sheet of paper': a straight copy of the English 'wallpaper'. On the island wallpaper is a rarity — walls are painted
- டைல்ஸ்ḍailstilesThe English 'tiles', always in the plural. The bookish word is the same as the roof tiles
- திருப்புளிtiruppuḷiscrewdriverti-rup-pu-li; the pp is long, the l is retroflex
- டிரில்ḍirildrillThe English 'drill'. The bookish 'boring tool' stands in instruction manuals alone
- குழாய்kuḻāypipeku-zhaay; the zh is curled back, the aa is long
- பல்பு அடிச்சுப் போச்சுbalbu aḍiccup pōccuthe light bulb has burned outThe same turn as in 'it has broken for good': the final po 'gone' means 'it went and stayed so'
- வெப்பமூட்டல்veppamūṭṭalheatingIsland houses have no heating, and the word is bookish: it serves talk about cold countries. A heater is a related word
- வீட்டை புதுப்பிக்கிறேன்vīṭṭai puduppikkiṟēṉto renovate the houseFrom pudhu, 'new': literally 'I make the house new'. Fixing one broken thing is still the 'make right' verb
- மீட்டர்mīṭṭarutility meterThe English 'meter' — the water meter and the taxi meter alike. The metre of length is written the same
- மீட்டர் அளவுmīṭṭar aḷavumeter readingYou know alavu as 'a size'; here it is 'a magnitude, a reading'. The inspector comes to write it down
- தண்ணி பில்taṇṇi bilwater billThe same pattern as the phone bill: first what for, then the English 'bill'
- மின்சாரப் பில்miṉsārap bilelectricity billThe everyday name of what the receipt calls the electricity charge
- தண்ணி நிப்பாட்டிட்டாங்கtaṇṇi nippāṭṭiṭṭāṅgathe water has been cut offthan-ni nip-paat-tit-taan-ga; three long consonants in a row here
- குப்பைத் தொட்டிkuppait toṭṭigarbage binThe garbage word you know; thotti is 'a vat, a tub', the same word as about a water tank
- நுழைவாயில்nuḻaivāyilbuilding entrancenu-lai-vaa-yil; the zh is curled back
- இன்டர்காம்iṉṭarkāmintercomThe English 'intercom'. On the gate of a private house there is more often just a doorbell
- பக்கத்து வீட்டு சத்தம்pakkattu vīṭṭu sattamnoise from the neighbourspakkathu veetu is 'the neighbouring house' — hence the familiar neighbour word too. The loudness word you know
- வீட்டு விதிகள்vīṭṭu vidigaḷhouse rulesvithi, 'a rule, a law' — the same word as about traffic rules. The -kal ending makes the plural
- ஓவன்ōvaṉovenThe English 'oven'. Mind the first letter: a long o, not a short a — with the short one it is the word for 'he'
- மைக்ரோவேவ்maikrōvēvmicrowaveThe bookish 'micro-wave stove' is written on the box, but people say the English 'microwave'
- துருவிturuvigraterFrom thuruvu, 'to grate'. The coconut grater is a separate object in every Jaffna home
- அகப்பைagappailadleThe big serving spoon. The ordinary spoon is another word, and in the kitchen the two should not be confused
- மூடிmūḍilidFrom moodu, 'to close', which you know from 'the shop stays closed'
- வெட்டும் பலகைveṭṭum palagaichopping boardLiterally 'the board that cuts': the -um participle stands before the noun, as an attribute should
- ஏப்ரன்ēpraṉapronThe English 'apron'. At home people more often make do with a towel tucked into the waist
- மேசை விரிப்புmēsai viripputableclothThe table word + virippu, 'what is spread out'. The same word names a mat spread on the floor
- பிளெண்டர்piḷeṇḍarblenderBeside it in a Jaffna home stands the grinder for dosa batter — a different machine altogether
- சாப்பாட்டுப் பெட்டிsāppāṭṭup peṭṭilunch boxLiterally 'a box for food'. At work and at school it is simply called the English 'lunch box'
- சீப்புsīppucombBoth the comb and the crest. The verb is of the same root: 'I comb the hair'
- சவரக் கத்திsavarak kattirazorsavaram 'shaving' + kathi 'a knife'. The electric one is simply called the English 'shaver'
- ஷாம்புṣāmbushampooThe English 'shampoo', which itself came from Hindi. On the island the shop sells it in little single-dose sachets
- கத்தரிக்கோல்kattarikkōlscissorsOne pair is 'a scissors': Tamil does not demand the plural here, unlike English
- தையல் ஊசிtaiyal ūsineedleoosi on its own also means the doctor's injection; the sewing word pins down the sense
- நூல்nūlthreadA thread, a yarn and — in the bookish language — 'a tome': the textbook word comes from this same nool
- தூக்கி எறியிறேன்tūkki eṟiyiṟēṉto throw awayLiterally 'having lifted, I hurl'. You know the garbage bin word already
- பத்திரமா வைக்கிறேன்pattiramā vaikkiṟēṉto keep safepathiram means 'safekeeping'. As a farewell, 'keep safe!' means 'take care of yourself'
- சலவை இயந்திரம்salavai iyandiramwashing machinesalavai 'the washing' + iyandiram 'a machine'. At home people more often call it by the English name
- பாத்திரம் கழுவும் இயந்திரம்pāttiram kaḻuvum iyandiramdishwasherLiterally 'the machine that washes the dishes': the -um participle stands as the attribute. A rare thing in a Jaffna home
- ஃபிரீசர்firīsarfreezer compartmentfii-sar; the f is pronounced as an English f, not a p
- மின்விசிறிmiṉvisiṟielectric fanmin-vi-si-ri; the last r is rolled, while the ch sounds as 's'
- வெப்பமூட்டிveppamūṭṭiheaterA rarity in the tropics: in the house you will far more often meet the water heater. Heating as a system is a related bookish word
- தலைமுடி உலர்த்திtalaimuḍi ularttihair dryerularththu, 'to dry', + the head-hair word. At the shop they ask for the English 'hair dryer'
- நீட்டிப்புக் கம்பிnīṭṭippuk kambiextension cordneettippu 'an extension' + kambi, 'a wire', which you know. At the shop it is simpler to say the English 'extension'
- சுவிட்ச்suviṭclight switchsu-vich; the tch is a cluster that in live speech sounds simply as 'ch'
- திருகாணிtirugāṇiwood screwti-ru-gaa-ni; the n is retroflex; the nail word is heard separately inside
- ஸ்பானர்spāṉarspannerThe English 'spanner': that is what every workshop on the island calls it. Nobody says the bookish word
- இடுக்கிiḍukkipliersi-duk-ki; both t letters are retroflex, tongue curled back
- மின்காப்பு நாடாmiṉkāppu nāḍāinsulating tapemin 'electric' + kaappu 'protection' + naadaa 'a tape'. At the shop they ask for the English 'insulation tape'
- பசைpasaiglueThe same root as in the toothpaste word: anything sticky and viscous
- ஒட்டும் நாடாoṭṭum nāḍāsticky tapeLiterally 'the tape that sticks'. At the shop they say the English 'cello tape'
- கயிறுkayiṟuropeka-yi-ru; the final r is a short rolled r
- ஒட்டுறேன்oṭṭuṟēṉto stick onIt stuck by itself — one form; 'I stick it' — another. A stamp on an envelope is 'stuck on' the same way
- திருகுறேன்tiruguṟēṉto screw inThe same root as the wood screw word. To unscrew is 'I twist it out'
- அளக்கிறேன்aḷakkiṟēṉto measurea-lak-ki-ren; the l is retroflex, tongue curled to the palate
- நானே திருத்துறேன்nāṉē tiruttuṟēṉto fix it myselfThe particle -e on 'I' is exactly 'myself, with my own hands': 'I and no one else'
- ஷவர்ṣavarshowerThe English shower. Washing from a bucket is the other verb — and on the island people bathe that way more often
- அலாரம் கடிகாரம்alāram kaḍigāramalarm clockKadigaaram is 'clock'. For the alarm on a phone people simply say 'I set the alaaram'
- தெர்மோமீற்றர்termōmīṟṟarmedical thermometerAt home and at the pharmacy people say it like this. The bookish coinage turns up in the physics textbook
- டோஸ்டர்ḍōsṭartoasterAn appliance English by name and by origin: the Tamil breakfast does without it
- தையல் இயந்திரம்taiyal iyandiramsewing machineThaiyal, 'sewing', plus iyandiram, 'machine'. The tailor from wave 5 shares the root
- அத்திவாரம்attivāramfoundationThe basis of an argument is the unit-54 word; the foundation of a house is this one. Tamil keeps the two apart
- பூச்சு வேலைpūccu vēlaiplasteringLiterally 'coating work': the coating word from unit 50. On the island 'finishing' means plastering and painting first of all
- கீழ இறக்குறேன்kīḻa iṟakkuṟēṉto lower'Down' plus a causative of 'to go down'
- நகர்த்துறேன்nagarttuṟēṉto shiftFrom 'to move by itself'. The tail makes the action transitive
- தவற விடுறேன்tavaṟa viḍuṟēṉto dropLiterally 'to let it miss'. The same phrase means 'to miss a chance'
- தரையில இருந்து எடுக்கிறேன்taraiyila irundu eḍukkiṟēṉto pick up off the floor'Floor' — the same word as 'ground'; 'starting from' marks the starting point
- தொங்க விடுறேன்toṅga viḍuṟēṉto hang upLiterally 'to let it hang'
- அலமாரியில இருந்து எடுக்கிறேன்alamāriyila irundu eḍukkiṟēṉto take down (from a shelf)The almirah is both shelf and cupboard. In speech a Tamil will just say 'take it'
- மடிக்கிறேன்maḍikkiṟēṉto foldTo fold in two, to bend. The root is 'knees', the bend of the body
- விரிக்கிறேன்virikkiṟēṉto spread outTo spread over a surface. With the same verb one lays out a mat
- சுத்துறேன்suttuṟēṉto wrapThe same 'around' as in 'to go around': to wind around in a circle
- பார்சல் அவிழ்க்கிறேன்pārsal aviḻkkiṟēṉto unwrapThe root means 'to unpick, to untie': a parcel is exactly unpicked
- திறக்கிறேன்tiṟakkiṟēṉto open (something)With the same verb one opens a shop in the morning and an account at the bank
- மூடுறேன்mūḍuṟēṉto closeWith the same verb one shuts eyes and puts on lids
- பூட்டுறேன்pūṭṭuṟēṉto lockThe noun 'lock' and the verb 'to lock' are written the same. Closing and locking are kept apart
- பூட்டு திறக்கிறேன்pūṭṭu tiṟakkiṟēṉto unlockNo separate verb: the lock is simply 'opened'
- லைட் போடுறேன்laiṭ pōḍuṟēṉto switch on the lightThe English light with the all-purpose 'to put'. The literary 'lamp' is for writing
- லைட் அணைக்கிறேன்laiṭ aṇaikkiṟēṉto switch off the lightThe verb means 'to extinguish': a lamp or a fire alike
- அமுக்குறேன்amukkuṟēṉto pressTo press a button, a key, to press down from above
- கைப்பிடிய திருப்புறேன்kaippiḍiya tiruppuṟēṉto turn the handle'Hand' plus 'grip': a handle is 'the thing one takes by hand'
- கதவ தட்டுறேன்kadava taṭṭuṟēṉto knockThe verb means 'to knock, to clap'. It also means 'plate'
- பெல் அடிக்கிறேன்bel aḍikkiṟēṉto ring the bellThe verb is 'to hit'. With it one also strikes a bell and a drum
- வாசற்படிvāsaṟpaḍidoorstep'Entrance' plus 'step'. Every morning a flour pattern is drawn in front of it
- கதவுக் கைப்பிடிkadavuk kaippiḍidoor handle'The thing taken by hand': both a door handle and a stair rail
- கதவுப் பூட்டுkadavup pūṭṭudoor lockThe noun 'lock' and the verb 'to lock' are written identically
- கதவு மணிkadavu maṇidoorbellMaṇi is bell, ring and hour at once. In town people say 'calling bell'
- ஜன்னல் பலகைjaṉṉal palagaiwindowsill'Window' is Portuguese in origin; the native word stayed in books
- ஜன்னல் திரைjaṉṉal tiraicurtainThe root means both a curtain and a cinema screen. A thick drape gets a longer word
- இரவு விளக்குiravu viḷakkunight light'Night' plus 'lamp' — the same root as the verb 'to explain, to make clear'
- வாஷ்பேசின்vāṣpēsiṉwashbasinThe English wash basin — at home and in a plumber's notice alike. The bookish word is not in use
- குளியல் தொட்டிkuḷiyal toṭṭibathtub'Pot' names any vessel: a bathtub, a garbage bin, a tub for flowers
- கமோட்kamōḍtoilet (bowl)The English commode — said in the shop and at home. The room itself has another name
- ஹோஸ் குழாய்hōs kuḻāyhoseThe English hose plus the native 'pipe': half the household machinery in Tamil is assembled so
- திறந்தtiṟandaopenYou know 'to open'. A past participle in -ta is the sign itself: opened — therefore open. About a shop doing business one says it with a verb
- மூடினmūḍiṉaclosedThe partner of 'open', from 'to close'. The tail -iṉa is the Jaffna way of making an adjective out of the past. A door locked with a key gets yet another form
- பக்கத்துpakkattuneighbouringYou know the neighbour and 'near'. Pakkam is 'side'; in the form pakkattu the word stands right before a noun and never on its own
- வீட்டுக்குvīṭṭukkuhomewardYou know 'home'. There is no separate word for 'home': the direction is given by the dative, as in 'upstairs'. 'To the house' and 'homeward' are one word in Tamil
How it sounds in a sentence
A word list is a blank. Conversation is made of sentences, and these are the ones the words fit into most often.
- எங்கட வீடு அங்கே இருக்குeṅgaḍa vīḍu aṅgē irukkuOur home is over there
- கூடையில காய்கறி நிறைய இருக்குkūḍaiyila kāykaṟi niṟaiya irukkuThere are many vegetables in the basket
- ஒரு பை தாங்கoru pai tāṅgaGive me a bag
- எங்க குடியிருப்பு கிட்ட இருக்குeṅga kuḍiyiruppu kiṭṭa irukkuOur dwelling is close
- ரெண்டு அறை இருக்குreṇḍu aṟai irukkuThere are two rooms
- அம்மா சமையலறையில இருக்கிறாammā samaiyalaṟaiyila irukkiṟāMom is in the kitchen
What is worth knowing about these words
வீடு (vīḍu) — home. Home as your own dwelling, not as a building. Before an ending the consonant doubles: vīṭṭukku, 'to the house'; vīṭṭil, 'at home'
கூடை (kūḍai) — basket. A woven basket of palm leaf. The plastic bag from the shop is simply 'bag'
பை (pai) — bag. Any sack and any bag. The polythene one is 'plastic bag'
குடியிருப்பு (kuḍiyiruppu) — dwelling. 'To live' plus 'abiding'. The name for a flat and for a residential house alike
Test yourself
First by ear — the way you will meet the word in conversation. Click the speaker and pick the translation.
- What is this word?
It is வீடு (vīḍu) — home.
- What is this word?
It is பால்கனி (bālkaṉi) — balcony.
- What is this word?
It is அலமாரி (alamāri) — cupboard.
- What is this word?
It is குப்பை (kuppai) — garbage.
- What is this word?
It is வீட்டு உரிமையாளர் (vīṭṭu urimaiyāḷar) — landlord.
Now the other way around: recall the spelling from the meaning. That is harder, and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “home” in Tamil?
Home as your own dwelling, not as a building. Before an ending the consonant doubles: vīṭṭukku, 'to the house'; vīṭṭil, 'at home'
- How do you say “balcony” in Tamil?
The English balcony: in borrowings b at the start of a word is read as b
- How do you say “cupboard” in Tamil?
Portuguese armário. A bookshelf is called the same
- How do you say “garbage” in Tamil?
The garbage bin is 'garbage pot', and 'to take out the garbage' is 'to pour garbage'. Works figuratively too — 'rubbish, nonsense'
- How do you say “landlord” in Tamil?
'Right' plus 'holder'. In speech it shortens to 'the house person' — but that same word means 'husband', hence the muddles
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
Room, key, water, electricity. You will need them on your first day in a rented flat.
A list is read in a minute and forgotten in a day. What works: hide the translation, try to recall, get it wrong — and come back to the same words tomorrow.
- Recalling beats re-reading. Covering the translation and trying to remember it does more than reading it ten more times.checked many timesAdesope, Trevisan & Sundararajan, 2017, Review of Educational Research 87(3) · 188 experiments, 272 comparisons. g = 0.61; against plain re-reading 0.51, against passive review 0.93.
- This holds not only in experiments but in ordinary classrooms, with real students.checked many timesMawson & Kang, 2025, Behavioral Sciences 15(6):771 · 22 studies, d = 0.54 (confidence interval 0.31–0.77). The authors warn that individual studies disagree widely.
Frequently asked
How do you say “home” in Tamil?
«வீடு», read “vīḍu”. Home as your own dwelling, not as a building. Before an ending the consonant doubles: vīṭṭukku, 'to the house'; vīṭṭil, 'at home'. It is one of 205 words in the set “home and things” — the rest are in the table above.
How many household words do you need to start?
A dozen is enough. The set of 205 words on this page covers nearly every everyday case on the topic — but it is best taken a few at a time, not all at once.
Is there audio?
Yes, 205 words on this page can be played — click the speaker next to the word. The sound works on any phone, and nothing needs to be installed.