Food and drink in Tamil
202 words Tamil words on the topic “food and drink”: தண்ணி — water, டீ — tea, காபி — coffee, பால் — milk. 202 words can be played from recordings.
202 words on the topic
- தண்ணிtaṇṇiwaterThe spoken form. In a book or on a bottle you will see taṇṇīr
- டீṭīteaThe English tea, borrowed whole. The bookish word is tēnīr, but in a shop everyone says ṭī
- காபிkāpicoffeeThe English coffee. In the north of the island it is brewed strong, with milk and sugar already in — 'black, no sugar' has to be spelled out
- பால்pālmilkThe same word also means 'share' and the grammatical 'gender'. Tea with milk is pāl ṭī; without milk, plain ṭī
- சாதம்sādamriceCooked rice, the base of every meal. Raw rice is a different word altogether, arisi
- மீன்mīṉfishThe live fish and the fish on the plate alike. The same word hides inside viṉmīn, 'star' — literally 'the fish of the sky'
- ரொட்டிroṭṭibreadOn the island this is not a loaf but a flatbread: paroṭṭā, pol roṭṭi. The European loaf is called pāṇ, from Portuguese pão
- முட்டைmuṭṭaieggHold the doubled ṭṭ long. The same word names any oval thing; an omelette is muṭṭai poriyal
- காய்கறிkāykaṟivegetablesKāy, 'unripe fruit' + kaṟi, 'curry': a vegetable is defined by what is cooked from it. The word stands in the singular
- தேங்காய்tēṅkāycoconutTeṅkāy is short for 'coconut-palm fruit'. A young coconut full of water is a different word and a different drink: iḷanīr
- வாழைப்பழம்vāḻaippaḻambananaThe ḻ sound appears twice here: vāḻai is the banana tree, paḻam is the fruit
- மாங்காய்māṅkāymangoMā, 'the mango tree' + kāy, 'unripe fruit'. A ripe mango is named differently, māmpaḻam, through paḻam, 'fruit'
- சர்க்கரைsarkkaraisugarThe word travelled half the world from Sanskrit and became English sugar along the way. The island's own palm sugar is karuppaṭṭi
- உப்புuppusaltAlso 'saltiness': hence uppā, 'salty'. Do not confuse it with the verb uppu, 'to swell'
- ருசியா இருக்குrusiyā irukkutastyLiterally 'tasty it is': the verdict is built with irukku. Rusi is 'taste', and the ending -ā turns it into an adverb
- சாப்பிடறேன்sāppiḍaṟēṉto eatFirst person, 'I eat'; the lexicon stem is sāppiṭu-. Nothing to do with 'there is, to have': existence is a different verb
- குடிக்கிறேன்kuḍikkiṟēṉto drinkFirst person, 'I drink'. The same verb smokes: 'I drink a cigarette', literally
- பிரெஷ்preṣfreshThe English fresh — at the market this is how one asks. The bookish word is 'new'; about greens one says 'green'
- பழுத்தpaḻuttaripepa-lut-ta; the lu carries the curled-back sound the language is named by
- சாப்பிட்ட பிறகுsāppiṭṭa piṟaguafter a meal'After' stands after the word, not before it — like all Tamil postpositions
- சமையல்காரர்samaiyalkārarcook'Cooking' plus the same trade tail as in 'vendor'
- காலைச் சாப்பாடுkālaic sāppāḍubreakfast'Morning' plus 'food'. At the guesthouse you have met it whole: 'breakfast is included'. On a signboard they write the bookish variant
- மதியச் சாப்பாடுmadiyac sāppāḍulunch'Noon' plus 'food'. On the island lunch is rice with curry, which is why it is often called simply 'the food'
- இரவுச் சாப்பாடுiravuc sāppāḍudinner'Night' plus 'food'. In fast speech 'night' squeezes to just one syllable
- மெல்லுறேன்melluṟēṉto chewLike every verb of the course, given in the 'I ...' form. Chewing gum is the English loan; the native name is 'chewing glue'
- விழுங்குறேன்viḻuṅguṟēṉto swallowDo not confuse with 'I fall': the whole difference is one syllable in the middle
- பசிpasiappetiteOne word for hunger and appetite alike: 'there is no appetite' is how one says 'I am not hungry'. The adjective 'hungry' you have seen
- துண்டுtuṇḍuchunkA chunk of anything — bread, paper, cloth. The same word hides inside 'napkin', literally 'hand-chunk'
- வாசனைvāsaṉaiscentA pleasant smell: perfume is 'scent liquid'. A bad smell gets a different word
- காலைச் சாப்பாடும் சேரும்kālaic sāppāḍum sērumbreakfast includedLiterally 'and breakfast will join'. The particle means 'and, too', the verb 'will join'
- இலைilaileafThe same leaf one eats from: a banana leaf instead of a plate
- எண்ணெய்eṇṇeycooking oilen-nay; the nn is a long retroflex n
- உருளைக்கிழங்குuruḷaikkiḻaṅgupotatou-ru-lay-ki-lan-gu; the l is retroflex, the zh is the curled-back sound
- மாவுmāvuflourFlour, dough and any ground mass: rice flour is 'rice mavu'
- தேன்tēṉhoneyAlso an endearment, like 'sweetheart'
- கொட்டைகள்koṭṭaigaḷnutsThe word means a kernel, a pit. Cashew and peanut have their own names: people name the kind rather than say 'nuts'
- வெங்காயம்veṅgāyamonionven-gaa-yam; the ng sounds as in 'finger'
- கேரட்kēraṭcarrotA loan from English: no native word — the vegetable arrived late
- மிளகாய்miḷagāychilimi-la-gaay; the l is retroflex, the g between vowels sounds like g
- பயறுpayaṟubeanspa-yaa-ru; the r is rolled
- மசாலாmasālāspices (blend)Both a ready spice mixture and seasoning in general. The bookish compound is not heard in the kitchen
- சமைக்கிறேன்samaikkiṟēṉto cookThe kitchen is built from the same verb
- 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
- வேகவைக்கிறேன்vēgavaikkiṟēṉto boilLiterally 'I make it boil'. The plain verb is 'to boil by itself'
- பொரிக்கிறேன்porikkiṟēṉto fryTo fry in oil. Dry-roasting with stirring is another verb
- சுடுறேன்suḍuṟēṉto bakeTo bake flatbreads on a griddle. About the oven one says the English 'bake'
- வெட்டுறேன்veṭṭuṟēṉto cutTo chop, to cut. To mince finely is another verb
- பானைpāṉaipotA clay pot and a cooking pot in general. The smaller metal vessel is another word
- வாணலிvāṇaliwokvaa-na-li; the n is retroflex, the l a plain l
- அடுப்புaḍuppustoveBoth the gas stove and the wood-fired hearth: one word for all the ages
- தட்டுtaṭṭuplatetat-tu; the tt is a long tt
- கோப்பைkōppaicupA cup and a goblet. Tea on the island is more often drunk from a tumbler, not a cup
- டம்ளர்ṭamḷartumblerFrom the English tumbler. A steel tumbler is the ordinary vessel for water and tea
- கரண்டிkaraṇḍispoonka-ran-di; the nd sounds as 'nd'
- முள்கரண்டிmuḷkaraṇḍiforkLiterally 'a thorny spoon': the first word is a thorn
- போத்தல்bōttalbottleThe island's form of the English bottle. Tamil Nadu says it with a different vowel
- குளிர்சாதனப் பெட்டிkuḷirsādaṉap peṭṭifridgeLiterally 'the cooling box'. In speech everyone says the English 'fridge'
- கைத்துண்டுkaittuṇḍunapkinA cloth handkerchief for the hands. The paper one is called with the English 'tissue'
- கெட்டில்keṭṭilkettleA borrowing. On the island tea is brewed in a pot, so the word is needed more by a visitor
- தாம்பாளம்tāmbāḷamtraytam-baa-lam; the p after m sounds like b, the l is retroflex
- சூடானsūḍāṉahot (food and drink)The form before a noun. About the weather you know the plain 'hot' already
- குளிர்ந்தkuḷirndacold (food and drink)About food and drink. About what has cooled down there is another participle, about the weather the other word again
- பசியாpasiyāhungryMore often said with a verb: 'to me it hungers' is 'I am hungry'
- ருசிrusitasteThe 'it is tasty' you know is built from it
- உப்பாuppāsaltedYou know the salt word. 'Over-salted' is 'much salt', literally
- புளிப்புpuḷippusourpu-lip-pu; the l is retroflex
- கசப்புkasappubitterBitter gourd is an ordinary dish here, and the taste is not considered spoiled
- காரம்kāramfieryBurning from chili. 'Do not make it fiery' is 'no chili, please' in effect
- வயிறு நிறைஞ்சிருக்குvayiṟu niṟaiñcirukkusatedva-yi-ru ni-rain-chi-ruk-ku; the r is rolled, the nj sounds as in 'cinch'
- ருசி பாக்கிறேன்rusi pākkiṟēṉto sampleLiterally 'I look at the taste'. To try in the sense of 'attempt' is another verb
- மெனுmeṉumenuA borrowing. In a small eatery no menu is brought — the dishes are recited aloud
- பரிமாறுபவர்parimāṟubavarwaiterpa-ri-maa-ru-ba-var; the r is rolled, the p between vowels sounds like b
- ஓடர்ōḍarorder (in a cafe)The English order. The bookish word means rather 'a command'
- ஓடர் பண்ணுறேன்ōḍar paṇṇuṟēṉto orderAgain the helper 'do': it makes a verb out of any borrowing
- உணவு வகைuṇavu vagaidish (menu item)u-na-vu va-gay; the n is retroflex, the g between vowels sounds like g
- பங்குpaṅguportionA share, a part. In a cafe a portion is counted in plates: 'one plate'
- ரெண்டு பேருக்கு மேசைreṇḍu pērukku mēsaitable for two'Person' is the counting word for people: 'two persons'. The ending means 'for'
- இனிப்புiṉippudessertLiterally 'the sweet'. A separate course at the end of a meal is not usual here — sweets are eaten whenever
- இறைச்சி இல்லாமiṟaicci illāmawithout meatThe 'without' tail is familiar. Vegetarian food is called by its own word
- டிப்ஸ்ṭipstipThe English tips. The Tamil word for 'reward, gift' is also said, but more rarely
- கேக்kēkcakeThe English 'cake'. The island Christmas kind is very dark and full of spice
- மக்ரோனிmakrōṉipastaThe Italian 'macaroni'. Noodles on the island are a separate word, and a different food
- யோகட்yōgaṭyogurtShop yogurt in a cup. The homemade curd is another word, and it is the one that goes with rice
- கிரீம்kirīmcreamThe English 'cream'. The skin that settles on boiled milk has its own native name
- ஐஸ்கிரீம்aiskirīmice cream'Ice' plus 'cream', both halves English. The bookish name for it survives in textbooks alone
- சொக்லேட்soklēṭchocolateBoth the bar and the sweet: on the island any wrapped sweetie is called chocolate
- பிஸ்கட்bisgaṭbiscuitsThe English 'biscuit'. One piece is 'a biscuit', a pack is 'a packet of biscuits'
- மாட்டிறைச்சிmāṭṭiṟaiccibeefmaat-ti-rai-chi; the r in the meat word is a rolled r
- ஆட்டிறைச்சிāṭṭiṟaiccimuttonThe animal word covers sheep and goat alike, so on the island this meat is more often goat than mutton; at the butcher's they specify 'goat meat'
- இறால்iṟālprawnsOne of the first words at the Jaffna market. The large prawn and the lobster take the 'sea' prefix
- திராட்சைtirāṭcaigrapesFresh grapes and raisins alike — raisins are 'dry grapes'. On the island almost the whole supply is brought in
- வெள்ளரிக்காய்veḷḷarikkāycucumbervel-la-rik-kaai; the double l is a long retroflex l
- முட்டைக்கோஸ்muṭṭaikkōscabbage'Egg' plus 'kos', borrowed with cauliflower and cabbage: 'an egg-shaped head'. Cauliflower is 'flower kos'
- பூண்டுpūṇḍugarlicpuun-du; the nd is a retroflex pair, tongue curled to the palate
- பரங்கிக்காய்paraṅgikkāypumpkinparaangi means 'foreign, Portuguese': the pumpkin was brought to the island, and the language remembered it
- கத்தரிக்காய்kattarikkāyaubergineCareful: the aubergine word and the scissors word are sound-neighbours but nothing more
- எலுமிச்சைelumiccailemonOn the island this is more often a small round lime than a European lemon. The juice takes the juice suffix
- தர்பூசணிtarbūsaṇiwatermelontar-buu-sa-ni; the final n is retroflex
- ஸ்ட்ராபெரிsṭrāberistrawberryst-raa-be-ri; the s and t at the start come in a row with no vowel between
- பேரிக்காய்pērikkāypearThe same -kaay ending as on the vegetables. Do not mix up with the date fruit, which sounds close
- பீச் பழம்pīc paḻampeachPeaches do not grow on the island, so the word is borrowed whole; the fruit word is added so nobody hears 'beach'
- சமையல் குறிப்புsamaiyal kuṟippurecipesamaiyal 'cooking' + kurippu 'a note, a record'. A doctor's recipe is a different word — the prescription slip
- காய்கறியை சீவுறேன்kāygaṟiyai sīvuṟēṉto peel the vegetablesseevu means 'to scrape, to pare off the skin'. The skin itself is the hide word, and one 'scrapes the hide' off
- கொதிக்க வைக்கிறேன்kodikka vaikkiṟēṉto bring to the boilLiterally 'I set it boiling': 'it boils' happens by itself, and this turn makes it happen. Exactly the pair of 'it breaks' against 'I fix'
- கலக்கிறேன்kalakkiṟēṉto stirFrom kalai, 'to mix'. The sociable word of the character unit comes from the same root — opinions get stirred together
- உப்பு போடுறேன்uppu pōḍuṟēṉto add saltLiterally 'I put salt': there is no separate verb 'to salt'. 'The salt does not show' means it is not salty enough
- சூடு பண்ணுறேன்sūḍu paṇṇuṟēṉto heat upsoodu is 'heat'. In the microwave they say exactly this: 'give it heat in the microwave'
- ஆறவிடுறேன்āṟaviḍuṟēṉto cool downaaru, 'to cool', + vidu, 'to let': 'I let it cool'. The same root as in the consolation word
- முட்டையை அடிக்கிறேன்muṭṭaiyai aḍikkiṟēṉto beat the eggsadi, 'to hit', means 'to whisk' in the kitchen. The same verb rings the bell
- தண்ணி சேர்க்கிறேன்taṇṇi sērkkiṟēṉto add waterser, 'to join', serves any addition: add sugar, add spice — all with this verb
- கிரில்ல வாட்டுறேன்girilla vāṭṭuṟēṉto grillvaattu means 'to brown over an open flame'. Frying in oil in a pan takes another verb
- காலாவதி திகதிkālāvadi tigadiexpiry datekaalaavadhi, 'the running out of the term', plus the island word for 'a date'; in Tamil Nadu the pack would carry the other date word
- கெட்டுப் போச்சுkeṭṭup pōccuhas gone offkedu, 'to spoil', plus po, 'to go' — the deed is done. About a person the same stem gives the 'bad' word
- ஜாடிjāḍijarA glass or clay jar with a wide mouth. A bottle is another word, a tin can a third
- மேலதிகப் பரிமாறல்mēladigap parimāṟala second helpingYou know the 'extra' word from the overtime phrase. At the table people simply say 'put a little more on my plate'
- பார்சலா தாங்கpārsalā tāṅgato take awayFrom the English 'parcel': on the island food to go is wrapped as a 'parcel'. Eating in is said separately: 'I will eat right here'
- சர்க்கரை இல்லாமsarkkarai illāmawithout sugarillaama, 'without', follows the thing that is absent: without milk, without salt, without sugar
- நான் சைவம்nāṉ saivamI am a vegetariansaivam is meatless fare — and the Shaiva faith too, which is where the custom came from. A meat eater is the opposite word
- நல்லா சாப்பிடுங்கnallā sāppiḍuṅgaenjoy your mealTamil keeps no ready formula: the host says 'eat well', and that is the closest thing. The guest answers 'it is good'
- கொழுப்பான சாப்பாடுkoḻuppāṉa sāppāḍufatty foodko-zhup-paa-na saap-paa-du; the zh is the curled-back sound
- மிட்டாய்miṭṭāycandyBoth the wrapped sweet and the homemade sugar kind. Sweets in general are inippu
- பாரம்பரிய உணவுpārampariya uṇavutraditional dishLiterally 'traditional food': Tamil does not split 'national' from 'traditional'. On the island that means kottu roti and pittu
- வீதி உணவுvīdi uṇavustreet foodVeedhi is a town street, while the wave-1 'road' is rather the road between towns. At a feast the street fills with carts of vadai and ice cream
- பன்றி இறைச்சிpaṉṟi iṟaicciporkPaṉṟi is 'pig'; the meat of any animal is the animal's name plus iraicci. Not everyone on the island eats pork, and one does not ask for it at a Muslim butcher's
- கோழி இறைச்சிkōḻi iṟaiccichicken (meat)Kōḻi is the bird itself; for the meat you need iraicci. Cafe menus often just write the English 'chicken'
- வாத்து இறைச்சிvāttu iṟaicciduck (meat)You know the bird, vāttu. Duck is rare on the island and has to be ordered in advance — it does not just sit in the shop
- அரைச்ச இறைச்சிaraicca iṟaicciminced meatLiterally 'ground meat': arai is 'to grind', the same word as for flour and spices. At the butcher's people say the shorter English 'mince'
- ஹாம்hāmhamNo native word: ham arrived together with the refrigerator and English signs. The letter h in Tamil serves borrowings only
- சொசேஜ்sosējsausageAnother imported name, and cases are hung straight onto the English stem. In the village it counts as city food from the fridge
- சூரைsūraitunaA living native word: sūrai is sold in chunks from early morning, everyday fish rather than a delicacy. The tin on the shelf is labelled with the English 'tuna'
- சால்மன்sālmaṉsalmonThere is no salmon in the tropics; the word arrived with the frozen fish, in English only. It never got a native name
- கூனி இறால்kūṉi iṟālshrimpYou know iṟāl, shrimps as a whole catch; kūṉi iṟāl is the small kind bought piece by piece at the counter
- கடல் உணவுkaḍal uṇavuseafoodLiterally 'sea food' — a menu word, not a market word: at the market fish is called by its name. Uṇavu is the bookish cousin of the spoken sāppāḍu, and it is uṇavu that sits on signboards
- பிளம் பழம்piḷam paḻamplumPlums do not grow on the island and never got a native name. The English stem needs paḻam attached — without it the word does not read as a fruit
- ராஸ்பெரிrāspberiraspberryAnother imported name. Tamil does not split berries from fruit at all: both are paḻam, and there is no separate word for berry
- முலாம்பழம்mulāmpaḻammelonA native word; in the heat melons are cut open right at the market. The watermelon is a different name, tarpūsaṇi, and the two are not to be mixed up
- மாதுளைmāduḷaipomegranateAn old living word: in temple offerings the pomegranate ranks with the banana and the coconut. Its seeds are called muttu — 'pearls'
- அன்னாசிaṉṉāsipineappleThe island grows its own, and the word has long been native. Street vendors sell pineapple in halves, sprinkled with salt and chili
- கமலாப்பழம்kamalāppaḻammandarinThe island orange is big and sour, while kamalāppaḻam is small and sweet and peels by hand. On the crate you will see the English 'mandarin'
- கிவிப் பழம்kivip paḻamkiwi (fruit)An imported name, and paḻam clings to it firmly: without it kivip sounds like the bird from a textbook, not food
- வெண்ணெய்ப் பழம்veṇṇeyp paḻamavocadoLiterally 'butter fruit' — named for its flesh, and on the island this is the ordinary living name. Price tags still say 'avocado'
- உலர் திராட்சைular tirāṭcairaisinsUlar is 'dried', tirāṭcai is 'grape' from the course: dried grapes are raisins. They go into sweet rice by the handful
- அத்திப்பழம்attippaḻamfigThe atti tree stands by temples and the word is old. Fresh figs are rare at the market; dried ones sit in the shop, sold by weight
- குடைமிளகாய்kuḍaimiḷagāybell pepperLiterally 'umbrella chili', after the shape. You know miḷagāy, the burning pod; this one does not burn at all, and the two must not be confused
- சுரைக்காய்suraikkāyzucchiniThe island's bottle gourd, which fills the kitchen role of a zucchini: cut the same way, stewed the same way. The imported kind is written sukkini
- பீட்ரூட்bīṭrūṭbeetrootNo native name — the British brought the beet along with the word. In Jaffna it becomes a sweetish, bright-red curry
- முள்ளங்கிmuḷḷaṅgiradishA native word, but on the island this is not the little red ball: it is the long white root. If you see a radish, say the same word
- கீரைkīraileafy greensEverything that grows in leaves and goes into food: both the bunch on the table and what gets stewed. There are a dozen kinds, each with a name of its own
- சதகுப்பைsadaguppaidillThe name is native, but it goes into medicine more often than into food: dill is a rare guest on the island's table
- பார்ஸ்லிpārsliparsleyThe island's own herb is kothamalli, coriander — it goes into everything; parsley arrived at restaurants together with its English name
- இஞ்சிiñcigingerAn old Tamil word from which, through Greek, English ginger also descends. It is grated into tea against a cold, not for taste
- சோளம்cōḷamcornThe word is older than the crop: it once named sorghum, and the name moved to the newcomer. Cobs are grilled over coals right by the road
- பசலைக்கீரைpasalaikkīraispinachOne kind of kīrai. The island's own is fleshier than European spinach and is stewed with scraped coconut
- பன்paṉbread rollA bakery word, seen on every corner; you know roṭṭi as bread. The morning pāṉ comes filled or plain and is bought by the piece
- பைpaipieYou already know pai — 'bag'; the pie is written exactly the same, and only the place tells them apart: at the counter it is food, at the till a packet
- பேஸ்ட்ரிpēsṭripastryThe bakery window speaks English. You know kēk, 'cake'; pēsṭri is its single portion with cream
- டோனட்ḍōṉaṭdoughnutThe name is English, though the island knew the fried ring before: vaḍai is the same shape, only salty and made of lentils
- பேக்கரிப் பண்டம்bēkkarip paṇḍambaked goodsPaṇḍam is provisions, ready-to-eat food. The word gathers roll, pie and doughnut into one class — and you need it only after them
- ஜாம்jāmjamA jar with an English label. Homemade preserve on the island is cooked from papaya and pineapple — and called by the same word
- சிரப்sirapsyrupBoth what is poured over ice at the cart and what is given for a cough: the pharmacy and the shop share one word
- பொப்கோர்ன்popkōrṉpopcornThe cinema brought the word whole. The native pori is puffed rice, handed out at temple festivals rather than in the hall
- சிப்ஸ்cipschipsOn the island chips are more often made of jackfruit or banana than of potato — and still called by the same English word
- சூயிங்கம்sūyiṅgamchewing gumThe English chewing gum swallowed whole and declined as native. Chewing it in front of elders is considered rude
- லெமனேட்lemaṉēṭlemonadeOn the island this is a specific bottle of lemon fizz, not a homemade drink. The native 'lemon water' is a different thing altogether
- மினரல் வாட்டர்miṉaral vāṭṭarmineral waterThe bottle is asked for in English. The native kaṉinīr sits on the label and in the newspaper but is never said aloud
- சோடாsōḍāsparkling waterOne word for all unflavoured fizz. If you want plain water, say taṇṇi — or you will be brought the fizzy kind
- காக்டெயில்kākḍeyilcocktailA hotel-bar word. On the island it usually means fruit over ice, with no alcohol involved at all
- கோக்கோkōkkōcocoaBoth the tin of powder and the hot drink: Tamil does not split them. It is mixed with milk, never with water
- இன்ஸ்டன்ட் கோப்பிiṉsṭaṉṭ kōppiinstant coffeeYou know kāppi, coffee in general; the instant kind is specified with the English, because at home it stands in a jar next to the tea
- டீ பேக்ṭī bēktea bagYou know ṭī, 'tea'. On the island the bag counts as city laziness: tea is brewed with milk in a pot and poured from a height
- கொதிக்கிற தண்ணிkodikkiṟa taṇṇiboiling waterKoḍikkira is 'boiling', with the spoken tail -iṟa in place of the bookish -kiṟa. You know sūḍāna taṇṇi — just hot water
- மதுmadualcoholA polite, bookish word — the one on the shop sign. In speech people say sārāyam for the strong stuff, or the English 'drinks'
- பானம்pāṉambeverageA word of menus and labels, from Sanskrit: the order itself is placed by the drink's name, and pāṉam is almost never said aloud
- கஃபேkafēcafeAn English word: the letter f is Tamil's way to write the foreign sound. On the island a cafe is more often a ṭīkkaḍai, 'tea shop', and the sign 'hotel' marks an eatery, not a place to sleep
- ஜூஸ்jūsjuiceNo native word: cāṟu is broth and gravy, not what you drink from a glass. In the shop everyone says jūs, with the fruit in front: māṅkāy jūs
- பழம்paḻamfruitYou know vāḻaippaḻam, 'banana', and māṅkāy, 'mango': the tail -paḻam is the fruit itself. Bare paḻam is fruit as a kind of food, said in the singular: at the market one asks 'is there fruit?', not 'fruits'
- ஆப்பிள்āppiḷappleApple trees do not grow on the island; the fruit is brought from the hills of India, and the word came with it. The final ḷ is retroflex: a foreigner skips it, a Tamil hears it
- தக்காளிtakkāḷitomatoYou know the onion and the cucumber. Takkāḷi goes into curry almost daily; unlike the cucumber, it carries no 'unripe fruit' tail
- சீஸ்sīscheeseJaffna cuisine knows no cheese, and the word is English. The bookish 'milk-skin lump' sits on the packaging, but in the shop one asks for 'cheese'
- இறைச்சிiṟaiccimeatYou know mīn, fish — on the island it is a separate article and does not count as meat. Iraicci is the meat of beast and bird; which one is said in front: 'goat meat', 'chicken meat'
- சூப்sūpsoupYou know rasam, the peppery broth, and kūḻ, the porridge-gruel; neither is a spoon soup. The European dish takes the English word — and it is drunk, not eaten
- சாலட்sālaṭsaladJaffna cooking almost never serves raw vegetables on a plate: they are either cooked into curry or finely chopped into sambal. Hence saalat, borrowed, with a retroflex t at the end
- உணவகம்uṇavagamrestaurantFrom uṇavu, 'food' — this is the word on the sign. In speech a Sri Lankan Tamil will say hōṭṭal, but that word also names an eatery, and the confusion is instant
- இட்லிiḍliidliThe batter is set the night before: the fermentation gives both the sourness and the bubbles
- தோசைtōsaidosaOne batter, two foods: poured thick and steamed it is idli, spread thin it is dosa
- வடைvaḍaivadaiThe hole is not decoration: without it the middle never cooks through
- சாம்பார்sāmbārsambarThe sourness comes from tamarind, not tomato — that is what separates sambar from Indian dal
- ரசம்rasamrasamThe word itself means 'juice, taste': rasam is taste brought to a liquid
- பிட்டுpiṭṭupittuA shared food of Tamils and Sinhalese: in Sinhala the word and the dish are the same
- ஆப்பம்āppamappamThe shape comes from the high-sided pan: the batter is swirled around it in one move
- இடியப்பம்iḍiyappamidiyappam'Iḍi' is 'to press': the name describes how the dough is squeezed through the press
- ஒடியல் கூல்oḍiyal kūlodiyal koolOdiyal is that same palmyra-root flour; it gives the dish its thickness and colour
- யாழ்ப்பாண கறிyāḻppāṇa kaṟiJaffna curryYaazhppaanam is the Tamil name of Jaffna; the cuisine is named after it
- பனங்கட்டிpaṉaṅgaṭṭipanangkattiThe second word is 'a block, a lump': the name is about the shape, not the taste
- நுங்குnuṅgununguThe ripe fruit is quite different — orange and fibrous; this one is taken only young
- இளநீர்iḷanīrilaneerThe first word is 'young', the second 'water'. You know the second one from 'water' already
- முறுக்குmuṟukkumurukkuThe same root as 'to twist': the shape gave the name
- அதிரசம்adirasamathirasamAn ancient word, met in Tamil literature long before our era
- சுண்டல்suṇḍalsundalOn every day of the Navaratri festival it is made from a different pulse — and that is counted separately
- கஞ்சிkañcikanjiIt is drunk from a mug, not eaten with a spoon: closer to a drink than to porridge
- கொத்துkottukottuThe word itself means 'to chop, to mince' — it describes not the food but the action
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.
- நான் தண்ணி குடிக்கிறேன்nāṉ taṇṇi kuḍikkiṟēṉI drink water
- எனக்கு ஒரு டீ தாங்கeṉakku oru ṭī tāṅgaGive me tea
- காலையில நான் காபி குடிக்கிறேன்kālaiyila nāṉ kāpi kuḍikkiṟēṉIn the morning I drink coffee
- எனக்கு பால் வேணும்eṉakku pāl vēṇumI need milk
- மத்தியானம் சாதம் சாப்பிடுவம்mattiyāṉam sādam sāppiḍuvamAt noon we eat rice
- இண்டைக்கு மீன் பிரெஷ்iṇḍaikku mīṉ preṣThe fish is fresh today
What is worth knowing about these words
தண்ணி (taṇṇi) — water. The spoken form. In a book or on a bottle you will see taṇṇīr
டீ (ṭī) — tea. The English tea, borrowed whole. The bookish word is tēnīr, but in a shop everyone says ṭī
காபி (kāpi) — coffee. The English coffee. In the north of the island it is brewed strong, with milk and sugar already in — 'black, no sugar' has to be spelled out
பால் (pāl) — milk. The same word also means 'share' and the grammatical 'gender'. Tea with milk is pāl ṭī; without milk, plain ṭī
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 தண்ணி (taṇṇi) — water.
- What is this word?
It is முட்டை (muṭṭai) — egg.
- What is this word?
It is ருசியா இருக்கு (rusiyā irukku) — tasty.
- What is this word?
It is காலைச் சாப்பாடு (kālaic sāppāḍu) — breakfast.
- What is this word?
It is வாசனை (vāsaṉai) — scent.
Now the other way around: recall the spelling from the meaning. That is harder, and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “water” in Tamil?
The spoken form. In a book or on a bottle you will see taṇṇīr
- How do you say “egg” in Tamil?
Hold the doubled ṭṭ long. The same word names any oval thing; an omelette is muṭṭai poriyal
- How do you say “tasty” in Tamil?
Literally 'tasty it is': the verdict is built with irukku. Rusi is 'taste', and the ending -ā turns it into an adverb
- How do you say “breakfast” in Tamil?
'Morning' plus 'food'. At the guesthouse you have met it whole: 'breakfast is included'. On a signboard they write the bookish variant
- How do you say “scent” in Tamil?
A pleasant smell: perfume is 'scent liquid'. A bad smell gets a different word
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
A menu, a market, a shop sign, the question “what is this?”. Food is the most frequent subject of the first weeks and the safest excuse to start talking.
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 “water” in Tamil?
«தண்ணி», read “taṇṇi”. The spoken form. In a book or on a bottle you will see taṇṇīr. It is one of 202 words in the set “food and drink” — the rest are in the table above.
How many food words do you need to start?
A dozen is enough. The set of 202 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, 202 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.