The first words
🎯 Greet, thank, and ask how someone is.
🗣️ Say these out loud
- வணக்கம் — vanakkam 🔊 va-NAK-kam Greetings Hello and goodbye both, morning to night, to anyone. Said with folded hands.
- எப்படி இருக்கீங்க? — eppadi irukkeenga? 🔊 EP-pa-dee i-rook-KEENG-ga How are you? -ங்க -nga on the end of a verb is the whole politeness system of spoken Tamil. Drop it and you are being familiar.
- நல்லா இருக்கேன் — nalla irukken 🔊 NAL-la i-rook-KAYN I am well. நல்ல nalla = good.
- நன்றி — nandri 🔊 NAN-dree Thank you Formal and written; in ordinary speech many people say 'thanks' or show it in the tone.
- உங்க பேர் என்ன? — unga per enna? 🔊 OONG-ga payr EN-na What is your name? என்ன enna = what. உங்க = your (respectful), உன் = your (familiar).
- என் பேர் ரவி — en per Ravi 🔊 en payr RA-vee My name is Ravi. Tamil needs no word for 'is' in this sentence — the two nouns simply stand together.
Read every line aloud twice before moving on. The mouth learns a language, not the eye.
🔍 The -ங்க that carries all the respect
Spoken Tamil shows respect by adding -ங்க to the verb. There is no separate polite pronoun to memorise; the ending does the work, and using it is not optional with strangers or elders.
- வா va = come (to a child or close friend) → வாங்க vaanga = please come
- சொல்லு sollu = tell → சொல்லுங்க sollunga = please tell
- போ po = go → போங்க ponga = please go
- A learner should add -ங்க to everything until told otherwise.
🌍 Among the people
Tamil Nadu has a strong sense of its language's antiquity, and visitors who try even a sentence are met with real warmth. வணக்கம் with folded hands is never wrong.
🔁 Practise today
- Say வணக்கம் aloud with folded hands ten times.
- Practise தமிழ் — the ழ் sound — for two minutes a day. It will take weeks; that is normal.
- Add -ங்க to five commands: வா, போ, சொல்லு, பாரு, உட்காரு.
