Basic words in Tamil
315 words Tamil words on the topic “basic words”: நல்ல — good, ஆமாம் — yes, இல்லை — no, பெரிய — big. 315 words can be played from recordings.
315 words on the topic
- நல்லnallagoodStands only in front of a noun: nalla aḷ, a good person. To say 'he is good' you need a different form, nallavar
- ஆமாம்āmāmyesIn conversation people often skip it and repeat the verb instead: 'Are you going?' — 'Going'
- இல்லைillainoAlso the all-purpose negator: after a verb it stands last — Tamil says 'I come not' for 'I am not coming'
- பெரியperiyabigOnly before a noun. 'It is big' switches to perisu: itu perisu. The same word names the elder of a family: periyappā, 'father's elder brother'
- சின்னsiṉṉasmallThe partner of periya, with the same rule: before a noun ciṉṉa, on its own ciṉṉatu. Also 'younger': ciṉṉammā, 'mother's younger sister'
- அழகுaḻagubeautifulThe noun 'beauty' working as a verdict: 'this is beauty' means 'this is beautiful'. Before a noun it becomes aḻagāṉa
- அரைaraihalfStands before the word: 'half kilo', 'half hour'
- இன்னொண்ணுiṉṉoṇṇuone more'Still' plus 'one'. The bookish form is 'one more' with a different spine
- போதும்pōdumenoughThis is what stops the pouring or the serving: 'enough, enough'
- மொத்தம்mottamin totalAltogether, as the sum: 'how much in total?'
- அளவுaḷavusizea-la-vu; the ḷ is retroflex, the tongue curled back
- அதிகம்adigammoreMore, a greater amount. The comparison is made not by the form of the word but by the particle 'than': 'more than that'
- குறைவுkuṟaivulessku-ray-vu; the ṟ is a rolled r, a different letter from the plain r
- கனம்kaṉamheavyAlso 'weight': 'this is very heavy' is said through the noun
- இலேசுilēsulight (not heavy)Light in weight. About a light, easy task one says 'easy' instead
- புதுசுpudusunewThe spoken form of the bookish 'new'
- பழசுpaḻasuoldThe partner of 'new' — about a thing. About a person one does not say it: an elderly person is 'aged'
- உடைஞ்சuḍaiñcabrokenA participle of 'to shatter' — about smashed and cracked things. About a device one says otherwise: 'it went bad'
- எல்லாம் சரிellām sariit's all fineSari is 'right, all right'. It is also the short 'fine' in reply to a request
- எல்லாம் நல்லா இருக்குellām nallā irukkueverything is fineThe answer to 'how are you' and to 'is everything in order?' alike
- ஆள்āḷpersonThe spoken word for any human — 'someone, a certain one'. The bookish 'human being' lives in the paper; in the plural one says 'folk'
- பதினொண்டுpadiṉoṇḍuelevenpa-di-NON-du; the ṇ is an n with the tongue curled back, unlike the plain n you hear in paṉṉeṇḍu
- பன்னெண்டுpaṉṉeṇḍutwelveThe spoken form of the bookish paṉṉiraṇḍu. There is no word for a dozen — a dozen simply is paṉṉeṇḍu
- பதிமூண்டுpadimūṇḍuthirteenSpoken form; on paper pathimūnṛu. You can hear mūṇḍu, 'three', whole inside the number
- பதினாலுpadiṉālufourteenSpoken form; on paper pathinānku. Built on the same scheme as nālu, 'four'
- பதினைஞ்சுpadiṉaiñcufifteenSpoken form; on paper pathinaintu. 'Fifteen minutes' is the very same quarter of an hour: kāḷ maṇi
- பதினாறுpadiṉāṟusixteenpa-di-NAA-ru; the ṟ is a rolled r, crisper than the soft r of maram
- பதினேழுpadiṉēḻuseventeenpa-di-NEE-llu; the final sound is the curled-back zh of the word Tamil, not a plain l
- பதினெட்டுpadiṉeṭṭueighteenPattu + eṭṭu. The age of majority on the island goes by the same number
- பத்தொம்பதுpattombadunineteenThe only teen where 'ten' sounds as patto-, not pathi-. In Jaffna you will also hear pattoṇbadu
- இருபதுirubadutwentyA new root: not reṇḍu 'two' but iru-. The following tens keep the pattern — muppadu, nāṟpadu
- முப்பதுmuppaduthirtyInside the ten, mūṇḍu 'three' contracts to mup-. Nāṟpadu, 'forty', behaves the same way
- நாற்பதுnāṟpadufortynaar-pa-du; in fast speech the r is swallowed and you hear naa-pa-du
- ஐம்பதுaimbadufiftyThe stem ai- comes from añcu, 'five'. Half of a hundred is not 'half a hundred' but simply aimbadu
- அறுபதுaṟubadusixtya-ru-ba-du; the r of aṟu is rolled
- எழுபதுeḻubaduseventye-lu-ba-du; the lu carries the curled-back zh, as in the word Tamil
- எண்பதுeṇbadueightyen-ba-du; the n is made with the tongue curled back
- தொண்ணூறுtoṇṇūṟuninetyton-NUU-ru; a long nn with the tongue curled back, then a rolled r
- நூறுnūṟuone hundrednuu-ru; a rolled r, and the uu is held long
- ஆயிரம்āyiramone thousandTwo thousand is reṇḍāyiram, fused into one word. 'Thousands of people' in the sense of 'very many' becomes āyirakkaṇakkāṉa
- மில்லியன்milliyaṉmillionThe English million. Tamil counts big money not in millions but in laṭcam, 'a hundred thousand': a million is pattu laṭcam, and that is how people usually say it
- சுழிsuḻizerosu-li; the li hides the curled-back zh, as in the word Tamil
- முதலாவதுmudalāvadufirstThe same word as 'firstly' in a list — the difference is only whether it leans on a noun: 'the first floor', but 'firstly, ...'
- ரெண்டாவதுreṇḍāvadusecondren-DAA-va-du; the nn is made with the tongue curled back
- மூண்டாவதுmūṇḍāvaduthirdmuun-DAA-va-du; a long nn with the tongue curled back
- கடைசிkaḍaisifinalNot made by the ordinal ending — a separate word. From it come 'the final stop' and 'in the end'
- எத்தனைettaṉaihow many?Asks about COUNTING things one by one: how many people? how many days? For what is not counted piecewise — money, water, time — the question is evvaḷavu
- ஜோடிjōḍipairA pair as two things belonging together: 'a pair of slippers'. A couple of people is also joḍi, but there it already means 'the two of them'
- பீஸ்pīspieceThe English piece as the shop's counting word: 'three pieces, please'. Tamil has no counting word of its own — usually the number stands right before the thing
- வீதம்vīdampercentAn island word: 'five veedham'. Tamil Nadu says sadaveedham, and in banks and shops you also hear 'percent'
- ஒவ்வொருovvorueveryDemands -um at the end of the whole group: 'every day', 'every person'. Without -um the phrase sounds cut off
- யார்yārwhoThe word does not change for number — one asks it about one person and about ten alike. It does take case endings: 'whom', 'to whom', 'with whom'
- ஏன்ēṉwhyStands before the verb, not at the front of the sentence. On the island the answer opens with 'because of what said', in Tamil Nadu with 'because of what'
- எதுக்குedukkuwhat forLiterally 'for what': the dative of 'what'. 'Why' asks about the cause, this one about the purpose — and Tamil holds the difference firmly
- எந்தendawhichAsks about a choice from the known and always stands before the noun: which bus? which house? About a quality ('what is he like?') one asks with 'how'
- யாரின்ரyāriṉrawhoseyaa-rin-ra; the ṉṟ blends into one movement, as in 'nandri'
- ஒருத்தரும் இல்லைoruttarum illaino oneGlued together from 'one person', the particle -um and 'not'. The negation is double, and 'not' stands as the last word
- ஏதோēdōsomethingBoth 'something' and 'anything' — Tamil does not split them. Its neighbour 'whatever it may be' is the one for requests: 'eat something, please'
- ரெண்டும்reṇḍumbothren-dum; the nn is made with the tongue curled back, as in 'taṇṇi'
- தெரியாதுteriyāduI don't knowSaid impersonally — literally 'it is not known', and no 'I' is needed in the answer. The same verb declines a skill: 'swimming is not known to me' means 'I cannot swim'
- பாக்கிறேன்pākkiṟēṉto seepaak-ki-ren; the ṟ is a rolled r, crisper than the soft r of maram
- கேக்கிறேன்kēkkiṟēṉto hearkeek-ki-ren; a rolled r, and the t of the bookish form disappears in speech
- தூங்குறேன்tūṅguṟēṉto sleepThe bookish form loses a syllable in speech. 'I feel sleepy' is said impersonally: literally 'sleep is coming to me'
- கொண்டு போறேன்koṇḍu pōṟēṉto carrykon-du poo-ren; the n is made with the tongue curled back
- வைக்கிறேன்vaikkiṟēṉto placevaik-ki-ren; the ṟ is a rolled r
- உடைக்கிறேன்uḍaikkiṟēṉto breakAbout what flies into pieces: dishes, a branch, a coconut. Machinery in Tamil does not break — it spoils, and that takes a different phrase. What got broken is the participle you know
- கட்டுறேன்kaṭṭuṟēṉto buildkat-tu-ren; the tt is made with the tongue curled back — that is the only difference from 'I shout'
- நிறையniṟaiyaa lot ofni-ray-ya; the ṟ is a rolled r
- கொஞ்சம்koñcamlittle (not much)Both 'little' and 'a bit' without reproach: 'a little salt'. The partner of 'a lot of'. In requests the same word softens: 'speak a little more slowly'
- மென்மையானmeṉmaiyāṉasoftThe ending -āṉa puts the adjective in front of the noun. As a predicate it goes without it. About a person it means 'soft in character', as in English
- கெட்டியானkeṭṭiyāṉahardket-ti-yaa-na; the tt is made with the tongue curled back
- ஈரமானīramāṉawetFrom 'moisture', the same root as the 'humid' said about the air. To get soaked in the rain is another verb
- உலர்ந்தularndadryu-lar-nda; the r is short, the tongue does not curl back
- மெல்லியmelliyathinAbout a layer and a thing alike. A thin person is another word; a thick object yet another
- ஆழமானāḻamāṉadeepaa-la-maa-na; the la hides the curled-back zh of the word Tamil
- வட்டமானvaṭṭamāṉaroundvat-ta-maa-na; the tt is made with the tongue curled back
- எங்கeṅgawhere toThere is no separate word for 'where to': the same 'where' reads as 'where to' with a motion verb and as 'where' with 'to be'. The fuller form is engē, and Jaffna also says engai
- எல்லா இடத்திலயும்ellā iḍattilayumeverywhereLiterally 'in all the places': 'all' plus 'place' in the location case plus -um. Shorter and bookier is another form
- எங்கயும் இல்லைeṅgayum illainowhere at allAssembled like 'no one': the question word plus -um plus 'not' last. The partner of 'everywhere'
- பொருட்கள்poruṭkaḷbelongingspo-rut-kal; the final l is retroflex, the tongue curled back
- நீளம்nīḷamlongnee-lam; the l is retroflex — do not confuse with 'blue', where the l is plain
- குட்டைkuṭṭaishort (in length)About a thing and about a person of small height — in the second case it sounds hurtful
- அகலம்agalamwideAlso 'width'. About loose-cut clothes one says 'loose'
- இடர்iḍarriskTell them apart: aapaththu is the trouble already close, idar only its possibility. In speech people use the English 'risk'
- மாற்றுத் திட்டம்māṟṟut tiṭṭambackup planmaarru, 'a replacement, an alternative', prefixes everything spare: another way, another medicine. The plan word you know as 'project'
- தொல்லைtollaia nuisanceRather 'a bother' than 'a trouble': real suffering is another word, while thollai is what hinders and annoys. Often with 'give': 'stop being a nuisance'
- காரணம்kāraṇamcauseIt walks with the dative: 'what is the cause of this?'. In the instrumental it turns into a link word itself: 'because of'
- விளைவுviḷaivuresultFrom vilai, 'to be born, to sprout' — an agricultural word: the result 'grows' out of the cause. An exam result is a different word
- அதனாலadaṉālathereforeLiterally 'by that very thing': 'that' in the instrumental ending. It opens the second sentence, and it is one of the few links that behaves like English 'therefore'
- ஏனெண்டாēṉeṇḍāasee-nen-daa; the nd is retroflex, tongue at the palate
- இதன் காரணமாidaṉ kāraṇamābecause of thisMore bookish than the plain 'therefore' and stands in the same place — at the head of the consequence. In speech people say it shorter
- அதைப் பொறுத்ததுadaip poṟuttaduto depend onLiterally 'this holds on that'. What it depends on stands in front of the turn with the object ending, and the turn itself closes the sentence
- காரணத்தை விளக்குறேன்kāraṇattai viḷakkuṟēṉto explain the causevilakku, 'to explain', comes from the same root as the lamp: to explain is to light up. The explanation noun you know
- நோக்கம்nōkkamaimFrom nokku, 'to look towards': an aim is where the look goes. But 'in order to' is built not with this word but with an ending on the verb
- அர்த்தம்arttammeaningBoth the meaning of a word and the point of an act: 'what is the arththam of this?' fits a dictionary and a quarrel alike. The Tamil porul means the same and, besides, 'a thing'
- முடிவுரைmuḍivuraiconclusionmudivu 'an end' + urai 'speech' — by the same pattern as the lecture word. In talk a conclusion is called simply 'the end word', but that also means 'end' and 'decision', so texts take mudivurai
- வாய்ப்புvāyppuchanceThis is opportunity as a lucky break: 'a chance came my way'. Ability is not it but the 'I can' verb
- இருக்கலாம்irukkalāmpossiblyIn English the adverb opens the sentence; in Tamil it is the ending -alaam on the verb right at the end: 'rain possibly will come'. The 'maybe' word you know stands well beside it
- முடியாதுmuḍiyāducannot be doneThe negation of 'one can', and it stands at the end: 'this cannot be'. On the island the Jaffna 'it will not do' sounds more often
- தேவைtēvainecessityA noun and a predicate at once: 'to me there is thevai' means 'I need', while 'it is a thevai' means 'it is a necessity'. The one who needs stands in the dative
- கட்டாயம்kaṭṭāyammandatoryThis is obligation from outside — a rule demands it: 'a seat belt is mandatory'. One's own firm certainty is a different word
- நான் செய்யத்தான் வேணும்nāṉ seyyattāṉ vēṇumI will have toThere is no separate 'have to': they take the 'must' word and add the intensifier -thaan, 'precisely, no way around it'. The bare verb stem stands in front of it
- அனுமதி உண்டுaṉumadi uṇḍupermittedLiterally 'permission exists' — on signs it stands exactly so. About a concrete action the -alaam ending is said: 'one may go in'
- தடை செய்யப்பட்டதுtaḍai seyyappaṭṭaduprohibitedA real passive: 'do' plus -appadu. In conversation it almost never turns up, but every prohibition sign carries it. Speech says the same with 'must not': 'one must not smoke'
- தெரிவுterivuchoiceAn island word: in Sri Lanka a choice is therivu, in Tamil Nadu the exam word is used for it, and there it means 'exam'. Tell them apart by the country, not by the sound
- மாற்று வழிmāṟṟu vaḻialternativeLiterally 'a spare way'. There is no separate word 'option': where English counts options, Tamil counts ways — 'there are two ways'
- சந்தேகம்sandēgamdoubtDoubt, suspicion and a pupil's question at once: at a lesson 'I have a sandegam' means 'I have a question'. English splits this into three words; Tamil manages with one
- சந்தேகப்படுறேன்sandēgappaḍuṟēṉto doubtThe doubt word plus padu, 'to undergo' — this is how Tamil makes verbs of feelings: 'I am afraid', 'I am angry'. What one doubts takes the 'in' ending
- உறுதியா இருக்கிறேன்uṟudiyā irukkiṟēṉto be sureThere is no adjective — there is the adverb 'firmly' plus 'to be'. What one is sure of goes in front with the -nnu ending: 'that he will come, I am firm'
- இருக்காது போலirukkādu pōlanot likelyEnglish puts 'not likely' in front; the Tamil turn stands at the very end: 'he will not come, as it were'. The 'as it were' softens the negation into a guess
- இருக்கும்irukkumprobablyHere it is not an adverb but the verb ending -um set at the end: 'the shop is open, probably'. About a person it will be another ending. The row runs: possibly, probably, not likely
- கண்டிப்பாkaṇḍippāfor sureOne's own firmness, not the rule's: a candidate promises 'I will come for sure'. Outer obligation is the mandatory word, and 'of course' in talk is another adverb
- எனக்கு தோணுதுeṉakku tōṇuduit seems to meImpersonal: not 'I think' but 'it appears to me'. The thought is placed in front with the -nnu ending: 'that he is right, it seems to me'
- உண்மையிலuṇmaiyilain factThe truth word with the place ending — 'in the truth'. It opens the sentence, as in English, and often introduces a correction to what was said
- ஊகிக்கிறேன்ūgikkiṟēṉto assumeA bookish word, for calculations and guesses. In conversation an assumption is put with the -alaam ending or with 'it seems to me'
- எனக்கு நிச்சயமா தெரியாதுeṉakku niccayamā teriyāduI am not sureLiterally 'to me it is not known for certain'. Tamil prefers to speak of knowing rather than of a feeling of certainty, and polite disagreement often hides right here
- அனுபவம்aṉubavamexperienceBoth a record of service and what one has lived through: work experience, a bitter experience. Experience as an experiment is a different word
- சந்தர்ப்பம்sandarppamoccasionEnglish 'case' splits into three in Tamil: sandharppam is a favourable occasion and a circumstance, another word is an incident, and 'in case' is just an ending on the verb
- உதாரணம்udāraṇamexampleAn example in an explanation and a model to follow — one word. An example from the textbook, an exercise, is the practice word
- உதாரணமாudāraṇamāfor instanceThe same word plus the familiar -aa that makes an adverb. It opens the piece it introduces: 'for instance, in Jaffna...'
- வித்தியாசம்vittiyāsamdifferenceBetween what and what — both nouns take the dative plus -um: 'what is the difference between this and that?'. A difference in money is 'the remainder', another word
- ஒப்பீடுoppīḍucomparisonThe action noun of 'to compare'. In live speech a comparison is almost always put not as a noun but with the familiar 'than' turn
- வேறுபடுதுvēṟubaḍuduto differThe form is third person about a thing — 'it differs': about oneself it is said rarely. The 'other' word plus padu: 'becomes other'. From what — with 'from' plus the place ending
- ஒரே மாதிரியானorē mādiriyāṉasimilarmaadhiri, 'in the manner of', stands after what is resembled. To get an attribute before a noun, -aana is added
- ஒற்றுமைoṟṟumairesemblanceot-ru-mai; the ttru is the same short double tap as in the tourism word
- மாற்றம்māṟṟamchangeFrom maaru, 'to change'. You saw it in the moving-house word — literally 'a change of dwelling'. Small change is another word entirely
- முதலாவதுmudalāvadufirstlyThe ordinal from 'first'. It opens the item, as in English — a rare case when the link lives as a separate word and does not hang on the verb
- இரண்டாவதுiraṇḍāvadusecondlyThe bookish 'two' plus -aavathu. Counting aloud takes the spoken 'two', but in a list of thoughts the bookish form stands
- எல்லாத்துக்கும் முதல்லellāttukkum mudallafirst of allLiterally 'before everything': the -um particle here is the same as in the superlative turn. It stands at the head of the sentence
- அத்தோட மட்டுமில்லாமattōḍa maṭṭumillāmabesides thatLiterally 'not only with this'. It opens the added piece. Shorter and more common is the plain 'and besides'
- அது சரிadu sariby the wayLiterally 'that is true', but it works as a turn of the talk: 'by the way, and so...'. It stands at the very start of the remark, and a question usually follows
- மொத்தத்திலmottattilaall in allmottam, 'the total, everything together', with the place ending — 'in the sum of it'. It draws the line under what was said and opens the last sentence
- சுருக்கமா சொன்னாsurukkamā soṉṉāto put it brieflyLiterally 'if said briefly' — the very conditional ending -naa. Tamil introduces caveats with a condition, not with a participle
- வேற வார்த்தையில சொன்னாvēṟa vārttaiyila soṉṉāin other wordsAgain the conditional -naa: 'if said in another word'. Note the singular — 'in another word', not 'words'
- முக்கியமானதுmukkiyamāṉaduthe main thingmukkiyam, 'importance', plus -aanathu, which turns an attribute into a noun: 'that which is important'. This is how Tamil generally makes nouns like 'the main thing'
- கடைசியிலkaḍaisiyilaeventuallyThe 'last' word with the place ending. It serves both 'in the end' about a conclusion and 'eventually' about an event; it stands at the front
- எண்டாலும்eṇḍālumalthoughThe Jaffna form of the bookish 'even if'. The main difference from English: the word stands not before the concession but after it, closing the first part — 'the price is high, although, I am buying'
- அதுக்கு ஈடாadukku īḍābut thenTamil has no exact 'but then': eedu means 'an equal weight, a recompense', and the turn comes out 'in recompense for that'. More often the same thought is put through plain 'but' with a pleased intonation
- மாறாகmāṟāgaon the contraryFrom maaru, 'to change': 'having changed'. It opens the second part. The spoken 'the other way round' about a state of things is another word — 'upside down'
- இருந்தபோதிலும்irundabōdilumdespiteLiterally 'even at the time when it was'. English 'despite' demands a noun after itself; the Tamil stands after a whole clause and hangs on the verb
- எனினும்eṉiṉumhoweverA bookish word, like English 'however': it lives in the newspaper and the report. In conversation 'but' stands in its place
- ஒரு பக்கம்oru pakkamon the one handpakkam is 'a side, a flank, a page'. The turn opens the first half of a reasoning and almost always demands its partner on the other side
- மறுபக்கம்maṟubakkamon the other handmaru- 'the other, the repeated' — the same prefix as in the retake and the refusal words. It opens the second half
- அப்பிடி இருந்தும்appiḍi irundumneverthelessLiterally 'and even though it was so'. It opens the second part — unlike the longer word, which closes the first
- அதுக்கு பதிலாadukku padilāinstead of thatpathil means both 'an answer' and 'a replacement': what comes instead. What is replaced stands before the turn with the dative: 'instead of the car'
- எப்பிடியும்eppiḍiyumanywayThis is 'anyway' about one's own stubbornness: 'one way or another I will do it'. The other English 'anyway', about indifference, is quite different in Tamil
- தற்செயலாtaṟceyalāby chancetar-chai-yaa-laa; the rc is read as one cluster, one syllable
- வேணுமெண்டேvēṇumeṇḍēdeliberatelyThe Jaffna form; Tamil Nadu says another one. Inside sit the 'must' word and the quoting particle 'having said': 'having said to oneself that one must', that is, deliberately
- தோல்விtōlvifailureA failure, a lost game and a defeat at the polls. Victory sits next door — the success word
- படிப்படியாpaḍippaḍiyāstep by steppadi is 'a stair step', doubled: from step to step. The same padi sits in the staircase word
- செய்முறைseymuṟaithe order of stepssey, 'to do', + murai, 'an order, a manner'. The same word names a recipe in a cookbook
- விரிவாvirivāin detailFrom viri, 'to unfold, to spread out'. The opposite you know: 'in short'
- சொந்த வார்த்தையிலsonda vārttaiyilain your own wordssondha, 'one's own' — the same word as in 'my home town'. Do not mix it up with the 'to put it another way' turn
- சுலபமா சொன்னாsulabamā soṉṉāsimply putLiterally 'if said simply' — Tamil builds such openers with the conditional ending, like 'in short'
- ஒரு உதாரணம் சொல்லுoru udāraṇam sollugive an exampleThe 'you' form: to one's own, to a younger one. Politely it takes the -unga tail
- எப்படி பண்ணுறதெண்டு காட்டுeppaḍi paṇṇuṟadeṇḍu kāṭṭushow how it is doneendu is the Jaffna form of the bookish quoting particle: it sews the clause 'how it is done' straight into the verb
- புரியுதா?puriyudā?is that clear?Literally 'is it being understood?'. Understanding in Tamil is always impersonal: the subject is the thing itself, and the person stands in the dative
- இப்ப புரியுதுippa puriyudunow it is clearThe answer to the previous one. You know the negation too: 'I do not understand'
- எனக்கு குழப்பம்eṉakku kuḻappamI am confusedLiterally 'I have a tangle': the same impersonal turn as with feelings. Fuller: 'I am in a muddle'
- ஞாபகம் வருதுñābagam varuduto come to mindLiterally 'the memory comes': one does not remember in Tamil, it gets remembered. To recall on purpose is another turn
- மறந்திட்டேன்maṟandiṭṭēṉto have forgottenBut forgetting is done by the person: the -itten tail shows the deed is done and cannot be undone
- எண்ணம்eṇṇamintentionFrom ennu, 'to think, to reckon'. Both an intention and a thought in general: 'my intention is, that...'
- மனசு மாறிட்டுதுmaṉasu māṟiṭṭuduto change one's mindLiterally 'the heart has changed': here too Tamil makes the manasu, not the person, the subject
- எல்லாம் திட்டப்படிellām tiṭṭappaḍieverything is going to plan-padi means 'according to': 'as said', 'by the rules'. Here: everything goes according to the plan
- முடிஞ்சாmuḍiñcāif it works outThe conditional -naa form of the 'can, finish' verb. One word where English takes three
- இன்னும் முடிவு பண்ணலைiṉṉum muḍivu paṇṇalaiI have not decided yetinnum with a negation gives 'not yet'. The -alai at the end of the verb is the negation of the past
- எல்லாம் மாறிட்டுதுellām māṟiṭṭudueverything has changedAgain the intransitive: it changed by itself, no one changed it. Someone changed it all — that takes the other verb
- நல்லதுக்குத்தான்nalladukkuttāṉfor the betterLiterally 'precisely to the good': the good word, the dative and the intensifier. A consolation heard on the island every day
- கெட்டதுக்குத்தான்keṭṭadukkuttāṉfor the worseThe mirror of the last one: the bad word in the dative. Said more rarely — the omen does not allow it
- சொந்தமானதுsondamāṉadubelongLiterally 'it has become one's own'. The owner stands in the dative: 'this is to me own'
- பிறருடையpiṟaruḍaiyasomeone else'sLiterally 'belonging to others'. A stranger in the sense of 'unknown' is a different phrase — this one is about ownership
- பொதுpodushared'Shared' and 'public' in one: a public toilet and common property use the same podhu
- தள்ளுறேன்taḷḷuṟēṉpushThe same root as in the shop trolley — 'the pushing cart'. To shove a person with a shoulder is a different verb
- இழுக்கிறேன்iḻukkiṟēṉpullThe pair to 'push'. Office doors are labeled with exactly these two
- அடிக்கிறேன்aḍikkiṟēṉhitA wide verb: it hits a ball and a person, and 'the wind blows' with it too
- மீற்றர்mīṟṟarmetermeet-tar; the ttr is a long plain tt with a roll, neither rr nor dd
- சென்ரிமீற்றர்seṉrimīṟṟarcentimeterThe English 'ti' is written on the island through ri — as in 'ticket'. The mainland spelling differs
- கிலோமீற்றர்kilōmīṟṟarkilometerKilo alone means 'kilogram' — on the scales and on the road it is one word; the second half decides
- லீற்றர்līṟṟarliterleet-tar; the same long ttr as in 'meter'
- கிராம்kirāmgramOne vowel apart from 'village'. At the market you hear kilo and half a kilo; grams measure spices and gold
- எடைeḍaiweightThe weight of any thing and of a person is one word. 'To gain weight' is said through it too
- நீளம்nīḷamlengthnee-lam; the l is the curled-back kind — do not mix it up with 'blue'
- அகலம்agalamwidthThe same pair as length: agalam also means 'wide', here it is the measure. In front of a noun it grows -aana
- உயரம்uyaramheightThe height of a wall, a person's stature and 'tall' are all this word. People ask 'how much height'
- ஆழம்āḻamdepthaa-zham; the zh is the Tamil curled sound, with the tip of the tongue bent back
- ஏறத்தாளēṟattāḷaroughlye-rat-taa-la; the r is rolled and the la is curled — two different sounds in one word
- கிட்டத்தட்டkiṭṭattaṭṭaalmostLiterally 'close-close'. Fits a number and an action alike: 'almost finished'
- சரியாsariyāexactlyThe same word as 'correct': in front of a number it means 'just so many, no more'. 'Exactly at two' keeps it
- சராசரியாsarāsariyāon averageFrom saraasari, 'the average'. The -aa tail turns a noun into an adverb — the same trick as in 'slowly'
- ரெண்டு மடங்குreṇḍu maḍaṅgutwice as muchMadangu is 'times' in multiplying, not in repeating: repeats are counted with tharam
- இலக்கம்ilakkamdigitA digit, a house number and a phone number in one. A number as quantity is a different word; an amount of money is the 'amount' word
- கால் பங்குkāl paṅguquarterKaal by itself is 'leg', but in counting it is 'a quarter': 'quarter kilo'. Pangu, 'share', is added so nobody confuses it
- எடை பாக்கிறேன்eḍai pākkiṟēṉweighLiterally 'I look at the weight'. There is no verb 'to weigh' of its own; the scales are tharaasu
- கூடுதலானkūḍudalāṉaspareLiterally 'added on'. A person who is not needed is not called this — people say 'not needed'
- காலிkāliemptyAn empty bottle, a free slot and 'it ran out' in one: kaaliyaagittudhu means 'it ran out'
- தவிர்க்கிறேன்tavirkkiṟēṉavoidSame root as 'except', which follows its noun. Avoiding a person is said differently: 'I stay without seeing him'
- நிஜம்nijamfactWhat actually happened. Unmai, 'truth', is about the speaker's honesty; nijam is about the state of things
- கேள்விkēḷviquestionkeel-vi; the l is the curled-back kind
- முக்கியமானmukkiyamāṉaimportantBefore a noun it takes -aana; alone it drops it: 'this is important'
- நேர்மறையானnērmaṟaiyāṉapositiveThe word of answers, analyses and reviews. 'A good person' is not said this way — people say 'a good soul'
- எதிர்மறையானedirmaṟaiyāṉanegativeThe mirror of positive: 'against' in place of 'straight'. A negative test result is the same pair
- ஓட ஒப்பிட்டாōḍa oppiṭṭācompared toIt follows what you compare with: 'compared to last year'. For two things the shorter 'than' is easier
- அதே மாதிரிadē mādirithe same kindAdhe is 'that very one'. Next to it stands 'similar': adhe means 'exactly that one', the other means 'alike to each other'
- சாதகம்sādagamadvantageThe pair to 'drawback': the saadagam is what is for, the paadagam is what is against. They are always named together
- பாதகம்pādagamdrawbackA drawback of a design, not of a character: in a person that is 'a fault'. The pair sounds like 'pros and cons'
- பின்விளைவுகள்piṉviḷaivugaḷconsequencesLiterally 'after-results'. Vilaivu alone is a result in general; the 'after-' makes it what shows up later
- கணக்கில எடுக்கிறேன்kaṇakkila eḍukkiṟēṉtake into accountLiterally 'I take into the count'. Kanakku is a bank account, arithmetic and accounting in one
- பெரும்பாலும்perumbālummost likelyLiterally 'in the biggest part': both 'most likely' and 'mostly'. The word for 'majority' shares the root
- உறுதியாuṟudiyācertainlyThe speaker's certainty. Around it crowd 'of course', 'definitely' and 'obligatorily' — English draws finer lines here than Tamil does
- சாத்தியம்sāttiyamlikelihood'Chance' is for an opportunity that may turn up; this word is about how possible a thing is at all
- ஊகம்ūgamsuppositionA guess without proof. In speech people say it longer: 'that is just what I think'
- போல இருக்குpōla irukkuit looks likeIt stands at the end of the phrase, not the start: 'rain seems to be coming'. A Tamil guess always arrives last
- இருக்க வேணும்irukka vēṇummust beThe same venum that means 'need', but after a participle it is not a debt any more, a conclusion: 'he must have left'
- இருக்கவே ஏலாதுirukkavē ēlāduit cannot beElaadu is the Jaffna 'cannot, no way' in place of the mainland verb. The particle -e adds force: 'no way at all'
- குறைஞ்சதுkuṟaiñcaduat leastLiterally 'the lessened one', that is 'the smallest amount'. It stands before the number: 'at least ten people'
- எப்பிடி இருந்தாலும்eppiḍi irundālumin any caseLiterally 'however it may be'. Next to it stands 'all the same' — the same word, shorter and a touch more careless
- ஒரு வேளைக்குoru vēḷaikkujust in caseNext to it stands 'maybe' — the same word in the dative means 'in reserve, if it should come to it'
- அப்பிடி இருந்திருந்தாappiḍi irundirundāif it had beenA doubled past plus -aa means 'if it had been — and it was not'. The answer then takes 'would have': 'I would have come'
- எண்ட நிபந்தனையிலeṇḍa nibandaṉaiyilaon condition'Condition' alone is a clause of a contract; here the same word with the place ending ties two halves of the phrase
- எண்டாலும் கூடeṇḍālum kūḍaeven if'Although' alone is endaalum; kooda, 'even', pushes it to 'even if'. It follows the clause, it does not open it
- அப்பிடி எண்டாappiḍi eṇḍāin that caseLiterally 'if so'. The turn leans on what the other person said and opens the conclusion from it
- இல்லாட்டிillāṭṭiotherwiseA Jaffna word; across the strait people say the longer one. It means 'if not' and opens the second half
- அப்பappathenap-pa with a short a at the end; appa with the long vowel means dad
- றதுக்காகṟadukkāgaso as tora-duk-kaa-ga; the opening r is rolled — a sound a Tamil word does not begin with by itself
- மாதிரிmādirias ifIt follows what is compared: 'sleeping as if'. In the pair with 'that very one' it means 'the same kind'
- அதுக்குப் பதிலாadukkup padilāinsteadPathil is 'answer' and 'replacement' in one. Before a noun the turn means simply 'instead of': 'instead of money'
- பிரதானமாpradāṉamāmainlyFrom piradhaanam, 'the main thing' — a frequent word on the island. The mainland more often says the other adverb
- வழக்கமாvaḻakkamāas a ruleFrom vazhakkam, 'custom'. Next to it stands 'usually': this one is about an established order, that one about frequency
- கிட்டத்தட்ட எல்லாரும்kiṭṭattaṭṭa ellārumalmost everyoneEllaarum is only about people. About things people say the other 'almost everything'
- விதிவிலக்குvidivilakkuexceptionLiterally 'a lifting out of the rule'. Do not mix up with 'lamp': there a curled l, here a plain one
- அது இது எண்டுadu idu eṇḍuand so onLiterally 'that, this and such'. The bookish phrase stands in written lists; in speech people finish with this turn
- அதுக்கு மாறாadukku māṟāunlikeMaaru is 'to turn against'. What you differ from stands in the dative: 'unlike last year'
- தவிரtaviraexceptIt follows the noun, it does not precede: 'except him'. Next to it stands 'besides' — a different turn, for adding
- முழுக்க இல்லைmuḻukka illainot quitemu-zhuk-ka il-lai; the zh is the curled sound
- ஓரளவுக்குōraḷavukkumore or lessoo-ra-la-vuk-ku; the la is the curled-back kind
- கஷ்டப்பட்டுkaṣṭappaṭṭulaboriouslyLiterally 'having suffered'. There is no adverb of its own: Tamil sets the participle of 'to suffer'
- ஒரு தரம் பாக்கலாம்oru taram pākkalāmworth a tryLiterally 'one may look once'. The -laam tail is the plain 'may', but here it sounds like a gentle piece of advice
- இருக்க வேண்டியதுirukka vēṇḍiyadushould haveRegret over the undone: 'I should have said'. One ending apart from 'must be'
- எல்லாத்திலயும் நல்லதுellāttilayum nalladubest of allLiterally 'in everything, the good'. Tamil has no superlative form: it is assembled from 'everything' plus the trait
- எல்லாத்திலயும் மோசம்ellāttilayum mōsamworst of allThe pair to 'best of all': mosam, 'the bad, the vile'. There is the same through 'than': 'worse than everything' means the same
- முடிஞ்சளவு சீக்கிரம்muḍiñcaḷavu sīkkiramas fast as possibleLiterally 'as fast as it can be done'. The same build gives 'as early as possible'
- வீணாvīṇāin vainvii-naa; the n is made with the tongue curled back
- சமாளிக்கிறேன்samāḷikkiṟēṉcopesa-maa-lik-ki-ren; the la is the curled-back kind
- முயற்சிmuyaṟciattemptAn attempt and an effort in one. The verb is made with pannu: 'make an attempt' — that is 'try'
- அதாவதுadāvaduthat isNext to it stands the long, bookish 'to put it another way' turn; this one is short and heard every day
- எண்டு தெரிஞ்சுதுeṇḍu teriñcuduit turned outLiterally 'it became known that'. There is no subject — the Tamil impersonal, like 'they say'
- அதன் விளைவாadaṉ viḷaivāas a resultLiterally 'as the result of this'. Next to it stand 'result' and 'therefore'; this turn is between them in weight
- ஏற்படுத்துதுēṟpaḍuttudulead toLiterally 'it produces, it causes'. What it leads to stands before the verb with the object ending
- காரணமாkāraṇamāthanks tokaa-ra-na-maa; the n is made with the tongue curled back
- முதல் தரத்திலயேmudal tarattilayēon the first tryTharam is 'a time' in repeating. The particle -e at the end means 'already, from that very one'
- இருநூறுirunūṟutwo hundredIru- 'two' + nūṟu 'hundred'. Before a hundred the numeral takes its short bookish stem, not the spoken reṇḍu
- முந்நூறுmunnūṟuthree hundredmun-NUU-ru; the n before nuu is held long, and the letter n you see disappears in speech
- நானூறுnāṉūṟufour hundredNālu 'four' gives up its stem nā-. The only hundred where almost the whole numeral survives
- ஐந்நூறுainnūṟufive hundredain-NUU-ru; in lively speech closer to ain-nyuu-ru, the n softening before nuu
- அறுநூறுaṟunūṟusix hundredĀṟu 'six' shortens to aṟu- — the same stem as in aṟubadu, 'sixty'
- எழுநூறுeḻunūṟuseven hundrede-lu-NUU-ru; inside the lu hides the curled zh, the sound the language is named by
- எண்ணூறுeṇṇūṟueight hundreden-NUU-ru; a long nn with the tongue curled back
- தொள்ளாயிரம்toḷḷāyiramnine hundredtol-LAA-yi-ram; the ḷ is a dark l made with the tongue curled back, not the plain l
- நாலாவதுnālāvadufourthThe spoken nālu, 'four', plus -āvadu. The same suffix built reṇḍāvadu and mūṇḍāvadu, the second and the third
- அஞ்சாவதுañcāvadufifthAñcu, 'five', drops its -u before -āvadu. The ordinal stands before the noun and never changes for gender or case
- ஆறாவதுāṟāvadusixthĀṟu, 'six', plus -āvadu; the long ā at the start survives. The word for 'river' stands right next to it — only the sense of the sentence tells them apart
- ஏழாவதுēḻāvaduseventhee-laa-va-du; the l hides the curled zh of Tamil, not a plain l
- எட்டாவதுeṭṭāvadueighthEṭṭu, 'eight', plus -āvadu; the doubled ṭṭ stays, unlike in eṇṇūṟu, 'eight hundred'
- ஒம்பதாவதுombadāvaduninthOmbadu, 'nine', plus -āvadu. The spoken ombadu is what sounds in the ordinal, not the bookish oṉbadu
- பத்தாவதுpattāvadutenthPattu, 'ten', plus -āvadu. In set phrases the ordinal takes another form, in -ām: pattām vakuppu, 'the tenth grade'
- நூறாவதுnūṟāvaduhundredthNūṟu, 'hundred', plus -āvadu. A centenary is called nūṟāvadu nāḷ viḻā, 'the feast of the hundredth day'
- அல்லதுalladuorThe bookish one. In speech people more often just list with a pause, or glue -ā onto both words
- கூடkūḍaalsoStands after what it refers to: nānum kūḍa, 'I too'. The tail -um reinforces it
- மட்டும்maṭṭumonlyFollows the word it limits, just like 'also' does — the order is the mirror image of English
- ஏற்கனவேēṟkaṉavēalreadyA long bookish word. In speech people usually manage with the past tense alone and drop it
- இன்னும்iṉṉumstillCovers both 'still' about time and 'one more': innum oru, 'yet one'. The distinction English makes, Tamil does not
- ரொம்ப அதிகம்romba adigamtoo muchRomba is 'very', adhigam is 'much'. Romba alone means simply 'very'
- சேர்ந்துsērndutogetherThe first-action form of sēru, 'to join': literally 'having joined'
- கூடாதுkūḍādunot allowedFollows the verb: pōga kūḍādhu, 'to go is not allowed'. The prohibition comes after the action, the mirror of English
- வேணும்vēṇummustThe same word as 'want': Tamil does not split necessity from desire — what you must do, you 'want'
- வாழ்க்கைvāḻkkailifeFrom vāḻ, 'to live'. It packs both Tamil signatures: the special ḻ and the doubled kk
- வேணும் (விரும்புறேன்)vēṇum (virumbuṟēṉ)to wantVēṇum is the spoken one with a dative subject; virumbuṟēṉ is the bookish one with an ordinary subject
- முடியும்muḍiyumcanThe subject stands in the dative: eṉakku muḍiyum, 'it is possible for me'. The negative is muḍiyādhu
- வார்த்தைvārttaiwordAlso 'a promise, one's word': 'to give one's word' uses the same noun, as in English
- விஷயம்viṣayammatterA Sanskrit loan. 'What is the matter?' asks with it. The native kāriyam is alive too
- வழிvaḻimethodA trap: the same word means 'way, road'. Method and road share one Tamil word
- சுலபமாsulabamāeasilyFrom 'light, easy', with the same tail -ā. That is how all adverbs are made
- கஷ்டமாkaṣṭamāwith difficultyFrom 'hardship'. The partner of 'easily', assembled the same way
- -றதுக்கு-ṟadukkuin order toNo free-standing word exists: purpose rides on the verb's tail. -ṟadu turns the action into a thing, -kku points it at a goal: vāṅgiṟadukku, literally 'for the buying'
- எண்டால்eṇḍālifIn simple sentences 'if' is an ending too — you have met it: muḍiñcā, 'if it works out'. As a separate word it lives in the Jaffna eṇḍāl, 'if so'; Tamil Nadu says eṉṟāl
- -ஏக்க-ēkkawhileThe Jaffna ending of simultaneity, straight on the verb stem: vēlai seyyēkka, 'while I work'. The bookish form is -kiṟa pōtu. Note: vārkkum, which you know, means 'until' — a limit, not simultaneity
- எண்டபடியால்eṇḍapaḍiyālsinceLiterally 'by what was said': eṇḍa, 'that' + paḍiyāl, 'by the measure of'. You know ēṉṉā, 'because' — it stands before the cause, this one follows it, so it lands as 'since that is how it is'
- மட்டும் போதும்maṭṭum pōdumas long asYou know maṭṭum, 'only', and pōdum, 'enough'; together they make 'as long as'. The pair closes the clause rather than opening it: vandā maṭṭum pōdum
- அதாலadālasoLiterally 'by that': adu, 'that' + the cause ending -āl. You know ēṉṉā, 'because', standing before the cause; adāla stands before the consequence
- இடையிலiḍaiyilabetweenYou know naṭuvil, 'in the middle' of one thing. Iḍaiyil is between two named things, and both take the dative plus -um: 'house-dat and shop-dat between'
- பக்கத்திலpakkattilanearIt comes after the noun: what it is near stands before it in the dative — vīṭṭukkup pakkattil. In Jaffna the same idea is said shorter, vīṭṭukku kiṭṭa
- பதிலாpadilāinstead ofYou know adhukkup padilā, 'instead of this'. Padil means both 'answer' and 'replacement' — the thing that takes another's place. The replaced one stands in the dative: eṉakkup padilā
- எதிர்த்துedirttuagainstYou know edirā, 'towards', and edirē, 'opposite': the root edir covers place and opposition alike. Edirttu is only hostility — the side you play, argue or vote against
- இல்லாமillāmawithoutNot a preposition but a tail: it comes after the missing thing. You know iraicci illāma, 'without meat', and paṉikkaṭṭi illāma, 'without ice'. The bookish form is illāmal
- -க்காக-kkāgaforNo separate word: 'for' glues onto the dative. Uṉakku plus -āga gives uṉakkāga, 'for you'; piḷḷaikkāga, 'for the child'. The books write the same thing, only longer and in two pieces
- பற்றிpaṟṟiaboutIt comes after the noun: what it is about stands before it with the object ending — avaraippaṟṟi. In fast speech it wears down to -ppatti
- பிறகுpiṟaguafterYou know adhukkupiṟagu, 'after that'. Before it stands either a dative or a past participle: sāppiṭṭa piṟagu, 'after having eaten'
- நேரத்திலnērattiladuringYou know nēram, 'time'. In live speech the same job is done by the ending -ēkka: sāppiṭēkka, 'while eating'. Nērattil is for when a noun, not a verb, follows
- -ஆல-ālabecause ofYou know kāraṇamā, 'thanks to'. The hindrance is marked by an ending instead of a word: maḻaiyāla, 'because of the rain'. Tamil keeps no separate preposition here
- சுத்திsuttiaroundYou know sutti vāṟēṉ, 'to go around'. Standing after the noun, sutti follows the object ending: vīṭṭaic cutti, 'around the house'. The bookish twin is suṟṟi
- வழியாvaḻiyāthroughYou know vaḻi, 'way', and ūḍā, 'across'. Vaḻiyā is for passing along a street, a town, a go-between. About time one says it differently: 'in an hour', not 'through an hour'
- உள்ளுக்க இருந்துuḷḷukka irundufrom insideYou know uḷḷukka, 'inwards', and tūrattil irundu, 'from afar': irundu always marks the starting point. No single word for 'from inside' exists — place plus this tail assemble it
- கிட்டடியிலkiṭṭaḍiyilanearbyA Jaffna word from kiṭṭa, 'close', which you know: kiṭṭaḍi is the neighbourhood around you. The bookish arukil sits in announcements; in the street one asks 'is there a shop nearby?'
- நல்லாnallāwellYou know nalla, 'good', the adjective before a noun. The long ā at the end turns it into an adverb for verbs — the same move as in sattamā, kavaṉamā
- கனக்கkaṉakkaveryA Jaffna word, common in island speech. Tamil Nadu says romba in its place, and you know the pattern romba adhigam, 'too much'. Kaṉakka comes from kaṉam, 'weight': strongly means heavily
- பிரச்சினைpiracciṉaiproblemThe first word that sounds when something has gone wrong: about a breakdown, a quarrel or money alike. Next to it, 'hardship' is the kind one endures, while a problem is the kind one solves
- பார்க்கிறேன்pārkkiṟēṉto watchYou know the Jaffna shortened 'to see' — what falls into the eyes on its own. One root, but the full form stands where one looks on purpose: a film, a book, out of the window
- பாவிக்கிறேன்pāvikkiṟēṉto useThe Lankan word: Tamil Nadu says two other verbs, but on the island, in the shop and at home alike, it is this one. It fits things and languages alike: 'I use Tamil'
- வரும்varumto know howSpelled exactly like 'it will come', and not by chance: a skill in Tamil arrives to a person rather than belonging to them. The owner of the skill stands in the dative, the deed before the verb in the infinitive. You know 'can' and 'to know'; this is the skill one has built up
- தொடுறேன்toḍuṟēṉto touchA brief touch with the hand: to check whether it is hot, or to tap a shoulder. In a temple and before elders the word carries weight — the elder's feet are touched as a sign of respect, with the same verb. The prohibition is 'do not touch'
- வாழுறேன்vāḻuṟēṉto liveYou know 'life', from the same root. This is to live a life somewhere or somehow; about merely residing at an address one says 'to be'
- இருக்குirukkuthere isYou know 'to be' in the 'I' form. This is the form for things, and with it Tamil says 'there is, there exists': the place in the location case, the thing simply beside it. The negation is the 'not' you know
- மோசம்mōsambadlyThe partner of nallā, 'well'. About how one feels people more often say the longer 'nallā illa', 'not well'
- -உம்-umandSpoken Tamil has no free-standing 'and': the tail goes onto BOTH joined words — ṭīyum kōppiyum, tea and coffee. The bookish maṟṟum never sounds in speech
- ஆனாāṉābutThe spoken form; on paper the same is ānāl. It opens the second clause rather than sitting between words
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.
- அவர் ஒரு நல்ல ஆள்avar oru nalla āḷHe is a good person
- ஆமாம், எனக்கு தெரியும்āmām, eṉakku teriyumYes, I know
- இல்லை, எனக்கு வேண்டாம்illai, eṉakku vēṇḍāmNo, I don't need it
- இது ஒரு பெரிய வீடுidu oru periya vīḍuThat is a big house
- எனக்கு சின்ன கோப்பை போதும்eṉakku siṉṉa kōppai pōdumA small cup is enough for me
- இந்த இடம் ரொம்ப அழகுinda iḍam romba aḻaguThis place is very beautiful
What is worth knowing about these words
நல்ல (nalla) — good. Stands only in front of a noun: nalla aḷ, a good person. To say 'he is good' you need a different form, nallavar
ஆமாம் (āmām) — yes. In conversation people often skip it and repeat the verb instead: 'Are you going?' — 'Going'
இல்லை (illai) — no. Also the all-purpose negator: after a verb it stands last — Tamil says 'I come not' for 'I am not coming'
பெரிய (periya) — big. Only before a noun. 'It is big' switches to perisu: itu perisu. The same word names the elder of a family: periyappā, 'father's elder brother'
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 நல்ல (nalla) — good.
- What is this word?
It is இல்லை (illai) — no.
- What is this word?
It is சின்ன (siṉṉa) — small.
- What is this word?
It is அரை (arai) — half.
- What is this word?
It is போதும் (pōdum) — enough.
Now the other way around: recall the spelling from the meaning. That is harder, and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “good” in Tamil?
Stands only in front of a noun: nalla aḷ, a good person. To say 'he is good' you need a different form, nallavar
- How do you say “no” in Tamil?
Also the all-purpose negator: after a verb it stands last — Tamil says 'I come not' for 'I am not coming'
- How do you say “small” in Tamil?
The partner of periya, with the same rule: before a noun ciṉṉa, on its own ciṉṉatu. Also 'younger': ciṉṉammā, 'mother's younger sister'
- How do you say “half” in Tamil?
Stands before the word: 'half kilo', 'half hour'
- How do you say “enough” in Tamil?
This is what stops the pouring or the serving: 'enough, enough'
How to learn the set instead of just reading it
Yes, no, good, bad, very. The small change of a language — and no sentence assembles without it.
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 “good” in Tamil?
«நல்ல», read “nalla”. Stands only in front of a noun: nalla aḷ, a good person. To say 'he is good' you need a different form, nallavar. It is one of 315 words in the set “basic words” — the rest are in the table above.
How many basic words do you need to start?
A dozen is enough. The set of 315 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, 315 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.