காய்ச்சல் பாக்கிறேன்
“காய்ச்சல் பாக்கிறேன்” (kāyccal pākkiṟēṉ) — to take a temperature in Tamil. Phrase, level A1. Literally 'I look at the heat': the same verb as 'to check'. There may be no thermometer at all — the forehead is felt with the palm. In a live sentence: “டாக்டர் முதல்ல காய்ச்சல் பாக்கிறார்” — First the doctor takes the temperature. You can hear how it sounds right here. Written with the characters க, ா, ய, ், ச, ், ச, ல, ், ப, ா, க.
In short
| Written in Tamil | காய்ச்சல் பாக்கிறேன் |
| Read in Latin letters | kāyccal pākkiṟēṉ |
| Translation | to take a temperature |
| Part of speech | phrase |
| Level | A1 |
- காய்ச்சல் பாக்கிறேன்kāyccal pākkiṟēṉto take a temperature
Why it looks that way
Literally 'I look at the heat': the same verb as 'to check'. There may be no thermometer at all — the forehead is felt with the palm
A word with a story stays in memory longer than one learned as a “spelling — translation” pair: memory holds on to meaning, not to a string.
In a live sentence
A single word almost never appears alone in conversation. A sentence shows where it fits and what stands next to it.
- டாக்டர் முதல்ல காய்ச்சல் பாக்கிறார்ḍākṭar mudalla kāyccal pākkiṟārFirst the doctor takes the temperature
How not to forget this word
Reading a word and remembering it are different jobs. A day later, little survives of a single reading — and that is not bad memory, that is how memory works.
- This has been tested on foreign words too. The difference shows up most when you test yourself a few days later rather than straight away.checked many timesKim & Webb, 2022, Language Learning 72(2) · 48 experiments, 3,411 participants, 98 comparisons.
- 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.
- An answer you worked out yourself sticks better than one handed to you.checked many timesBertsch et al., 2007, Memory & Cognition 35(2) · 86 studies, 445 comparisons, d = 0.40.
Frequently asked
How do you say “to take a temperature” in Tamil?
«காய்ச்சல் பாக்கிறேன்», read “kāyccal pākkiṟēṉ”. In a live sentence: “டாக்டர் முதல்ல காய்ச்சல் பாக்கிறார்” — First the doctor takes the temperature. You can hear how it sounds right on this page. Phrase, level A1; written with the characters க, ா, ய, ், ச, ், ச, ல, ், ப, ா, க.
How is “காய்ச்சல் பாக்கிறேன்” written in Latin letters?
kāyccal pākkiṟēṉ. This is a practical spelling — you need it to read aloud and be understood, not to meet an academic standard.
Why does this word look the way it does?
Literally 'I look at the heat': the same verb as 'to check'. There may be no thermometer at all — the forehead is felt with the palm. A word with a story stays in memory longer than a “spelling — translation” pair: memory holds on to meaning, not to a string.
Can I hear how it sounds?
Yes, right on this page: click the word and it will play. The sound works on any phone, and nothing needs to be installed.