கொஞ்சம் கொஞ்சமா
“கொஞ்சம் கொஞ்சமா” (koñcam koñcamā) — gradually in Tamil. Adverb, level B1, topic — time, days and hours. A doubling of the familiar 'a little': 'little by little'. The bookish 'step by step' stands in reports. In a live sentence: “கொஞ்சம் கொஞ்சமா எனக்கு தமிழ் புரியுது” — Gradually I am beginning to understand Tamil. You can hear how it sounds right here. Written with the characters க, ொ, ஞ, ், ச, ம, ், க, ொ, ஞ, ், ச.
In short
| Written in Tamil | கொஞ்சம் கொஞ்சமா |
| Read in Latin letters | koñcam koñcamā |
| Translation | gradually |
| Part of speech | adverb |
| Level | B1 |
- கொஞ்சம் கொஞ்சமாkoñcam koñcamāgradually
Why it looks that way
A doubling of the familiar 'a little': 'little by little'. The bookish 'step by step' stands in reports
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.
- கொஞ்சம் கொஞ்சமா எனக்கு தமிழ் புரியுதுkoñcam koñcamā eṉakku tamiḻ puriyuduGradually I am beginning to understand Tamil
Nearby words: time, days and hours
Today, tomorrow, in the morning, at six. You cannot arrange to meet without these — let alone understand the answer.
- இன்னிக்குiṉṉikkutodayThe spoken form of the bookish 'this day'. In Jaffna you will hear another variant too — both are native
- நாளைக்குnāḷaikkutomorrow'Day' plus the direction ending -kku: literally 'onto the day ahead'. The day after tomorrow is built the same way
- நேற்றுnēṟṟuyesterdayA bookish form, but it lives in speech too. The day before yesterday is 'the earlier day'
- காலைkālaimorningDo not confuse with 'leg' or 'weed'. 'In the morning' adds the location tail. There is no separate 'good morning' on the island — one greets with vaṇakkam at any hour
- மாலைmālaieveningAlso 'a garland' — the kind put round a guest's or a bridegroom's neck. Only the sense of the sentence tells them apart
- இரவுiravunightThe bookish word, alive in speech too. The colloquial rival is rāttiri, and midnight is assembled from it: 'the middle rāttiri'
- நேரம்nēramtimeTime as a moment and as a span: 'what time is it?', 'there is no time'. Time as an epoch is another word, kālam
- எப்ப வருவீங்க?eppa varuvīṅga?when will you come?'When' plus the polite 'you' in the future tense
- எத்தனை மணிக்கு?ettaṉai maṇikku?at what time?Maṇi is both 'hour' and 'bell'. 'At five' is 'to the five bells'
- நான் லேட்டா வாறேன்nāṉ lēṭṭā vāṟēṉI am running lateThe English late with the same tail. Literally 'I will come late'
Test yourself
Five questions from the same set — “time, days and hours”. Recalling a spelling from meaning is harder than knowing a familiar word on sight, and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “gradually” in Tamil?
A doubling of the familiar 'a little': 'little by little'. The bookish 'step by step' stands in reports
- How do you say “time” in Tamil?
Time as a moment and as a span: 'what time is it?', 'there is no time'. Time as an epoch is another word, kālam
- How do you say “yesterday” in Tamil?
A bookish form, but it lives in speech too. The day before yesterday is 'the earlier day'
- How do you say “I am running late” in Tamil?
The English late with the same tail. Literally 'I will come late'
- How do you say “night” in Tamil?
The bookish word, alive in speech too. The colloquial rival is rāttiri, and midnight is assembled from it: 'the middle rāttiri'
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 “gradually” in Tamil?
«கொஞ்சம் கொஞ்சமா», read “koñcam koñcamā”. In a live sentence: “கொஞ்சம் கொஞ்சமா எனக்கு தமிழ் புரியுது” — Gradually I am beginning to understand Tamil. You can hear how it sounds right on this page. Adverb, level B1, from the set “time, days and hours”; written with the characters க, ொ, ஞ, ், ச, ம, ், க, ொ, ஞ, ், ச.
How is “கொஞ்சம் கொஞ்சமா” written in Latin letters?
koñcam koñcamā. 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?
A doubling of the familiar 'a little': 'little by little'. The bookish 'step by step' stands in reports. 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.