Tamil is spoken in Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia and by families all over the world. The first word everyone learns is வணக்கம் (vaNakkam). It means hello, and it works at any time of day.
Tap the round button next to any word to hear it. The turtle button says it slowly.
Your first words
Often said with palms pressed together. Fine for hello, and as a polite goodbye too.
The ன்ற in the middle sounds like ndr: nandri.
You will hear this all day long.
How are you?
The written form above is for reading; people say the spoken one.
Arun meets his neighbour Karthik in the morning
Two ways to say you
| Tamil | Say it | Use it with |
|---|---|---|
| நீங்க | niinga | Elders, strangers, anyone you respect. Safe by default. |
| நீ | nii | Close friends of your age, younger family, children. |
When in doubt, use நீங்க (niinga). Nobody minds being treated with respect, but calling an older person நீ (nii) sounds rude.
How do you say thank you in Tamil?
வணக்கம்What does it mean?
Tap a word on the left, then its partner on the right.
எப்படி blank ?
How are you?
I am fine too.
You meet your friend's grandfather. Which word for you do you use?
Type hello in Tamil. Type it in English letters (vanakkam) and it turns into Tamil.
Write நன்றி in English letters.
இல்லைWhat does it mean?