Doing things
🎯 Use the present tense, and ask simple questions.
🗣️ Say these out loud
- நான் போறேன் — naan poren 🔊 naan po-RAYN I am going. Written Tamil would be போகிறேன் pogiren; spoken Tamil shortens it. Both are correct in their place.
- நீங்க வர்றீங்களா? — neenga varreengala? 🔊 NEENG-ga var-REENG-ga-la Are you coming? -ஆ -aa on the end makes any sentence a yes/no question. Nothing else moves.
- அவர் சாப்பிடறார் — avar saappidraar 🔊 a-VAR SAAP-pid-raar He/she is eating (respectfully). அவன் he, அவள் she, அவர் he or she with respect, அது it.
- எனக்கு வேணும் — enakku venum 🔊 e-NAK-koo VAY-num I want it. வேண்டாம் vendaam = I don't want. Two words worth knowing before a meal.
- சாப்பிட்டீங்களா? — saappitteengala? 🔊 saap-pit-TEENG-ga-la Have you eaten? The real Tamil greeting between people who know each other.
- இருங்க — irunga 🔊 i-ROONG-ga Please wait / please stay. Heard a hundred times a day.
Read every line aloud twice before moving on. The mouth learns a language, not the eye.
🔍 The question mark is a syllable
Tamil makes a yes/no question by adding -ஆ to the end of the word being asked about. The word order never changes.
- வர்றீங்க = you are coming → வர்றீங்களா? = are you coming?
- இது நல்லா இருக்கு = this is good → இது நல்லா இருக்கா? = is this good?
- Because the -ஆ attaches to a particular word, Tamil can ask very precisely: 'is it THIS one you want?'
🌍 Among the people
சாப்பிட்டீங்களா — 'have you eaten?' — is a greeting, not an enquiry about hunger, and the expected answer is yes. Food is the medium of Tamil affection.
🔁 Practise today
- Turn five statements into questions with -ஆ.
- Learn வேணும் and வேண்டாம் and use them at your next meal.
- Say five things you are doing right now.
