LingoflyFood and drink in Tamil
202 words in Tamil on the topic “food and drink”: தண்ணி (taṇṇi) — water, டீ — tea, காபி (kāpi) — coffee, பால் (pāl) — 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
- சாப்பிடுறன்sāppiḍuṟaṉto eatFirst person, 'I eat'; the lexicon stem is sāppiṭu-. Nothing to do with 'there is, to have': existence is a different verb
- குடிக்கிறன்kuḍikkiṟaṉto 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 such Tamil words: they come after the noun
- சமையல்காரர்samaiyalkārarcook'Cooking' plus the same trade tail as in 'vendor'
- காலைச் சாப்பாடுkālaic sāppāḍubreakfast'Morning' plus 'food'. At the guesthouse the whole phrase is kaalaic saappaadum serum, '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 speech iravu is often replaced by rā, the same 'night': rāc cāppāḍu
- மெல்லுறன்melluṟaṉto chewLike every Tamil verb, given in the 'I ...' form. Chewing gum is the English loan; the native name is 'chewing glue'
- விழுங்குறன்viḻuṅguṟaṉto 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 same root gives the adjective 'hungry'
- 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
- சமைக்கிறன்samaikkiṟaṉto cookThe kitchen is built from the same verb
- கழுவுறன்kaḻuvuṟaṉto washka-lu-vu-ran; 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
- வேகவைக்கிறன்vēgavaikkiṟaṉto boilLiterally 'I make it boil'. The plain verb is 'to boil by itself'
- பொரிக்கிறன்porikkiṟaṉto fryTo fry in oil. Dry-roasting with stirring is another verb
- சுடுறன்suḍuṟaṉto bakeTo bake flatbreads on a griddle. About the oven one says the English 'bake'
- வெட்டுறன்veṭṭuṟaṉto 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 the plain word is simply 'hot'
- 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'
- ருசிrusitaste'It is tasty' is built from it
- உப்பாuppāsaltedFrom 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 பாக்கிறன்rusi pākkiṟaṉto 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 செய்யிறன்ōḍar seyyiṟaṉto 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 meatIllaama is 'without', as in 'without a prescription'. 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 சீவுறன்kāygaṟiyai sīvuṟaṉto 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 வைக்கிறன்kodikka vaikkiṟaṉto 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'
- கலக்கிறன்kalakkiṟaṉto stirFrom kalai, 'to mix'. The 'sociable' word comes from the same root — opinions get stirred together
- உப்பு போடுறன்uppu pōḍuṟaṉto add saltLiterally 'I put salt': there is no separate verb 'to salt'. 'The salt does not show' means it is not salty enough
- சூடு செய்யிறன்sūḍu seyyiṟaṉto heat upsoodu is 'heat'. In the microwave they say exactly this: 'give it heat in the microwave'
- ஆறவிடுறன்āṟaviḍuṟaṉto cool downaaru, 'to cool', + vidu, 'to let': 'I let it cool'. The same root as in the consolation word
- முட்டையை அடிக்கிறன்muṭṭaiyai aḍikkiṟaṉto beat the eggsadi, 'to hit', means 'to whisk' in the kitchen. The same verb rings the bell
- தண்ணி சேர்க்கிறன்taṇṇi sērkkiṟaṉto add waterser, 'to join', serves any addition: add sugar, add spice — all with this verb
- கிரில்ல வாட்டுறன்girilla vāṭṭuṟaṉto 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 போச்சுதுkeṭṭup pōccuduhas 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 helpingThe word for 'extra', as in overtime. At the table people simply say 'put a little more on my plate'
- பார்சலா தாங்கோpārsalā tāṅgōto 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 சாப்பிடுங்கோnallā sāppiḍuṅgōenjoy 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 saalai 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'
- தாரா இறைச்சிtārā iṟaicciduck (meat)Tārā is the bird itself. 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 iṟālshrimpIṟāl is 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': 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. Miḷagāy is 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; roṭṭi is bread. The morning pāṉ comes filled or plain and is bought by the piece
- பைpaipiePai is '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. Kēk is '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 coffeeKāppi is 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 bagṬī is '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. Sūḍāna taṇṇi is 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
- பழம்paḻamfruitVāḻaippaḻam is 'banana' and māṅkāy is '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
- தக்காளிtakkāḷitomatoVeṅgāyam is the onion, and veḷḷarikkāy is 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'
- இறைச்சிiṟaiccimeatMīn is 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'
- சூப்sūpsoupRasam is the peppery broth and kūḻ is 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 is the plain word for 'water'
- 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
Download the word set (CSV) · Open the printable sheet
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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.
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 the whole phrase is kaalaic saappaadum serum, '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.
- Study spread over days wins 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» (taṇṇi), 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?
The whole set on this page is 202 words, but there is no need to start with all of it: the words you will need in the next few days are enough. Take them a few at a time — five to seven new ones per session.
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.