Tulu Basic Words

Learn Tulu with these 200+ Tulu Basic Words

Tulu Basic Words

Greetings in Tulu

1. Hello – namaskara

2. How are you? – encha ullar?

3. I am fine – yaan usar ulle

4. What is your name? – erena pudar enchina/dada?

5. My name is Rama – Yenna pudar Rame

6. Nice to meet you – eer thikudu mast santosha aand

7. Please – daya maltud

8. You’re welcome – Ereg swagaata

9. Yes – andu

10. No – attu

11. I’m sorry – yenna thappu aand

12. See you later – Bokka thikkuga

13. Goodbye – barpe

14. I can’t speak Tulu – enku Tulu barpujji

15. Do you speak English? – ereg English pathere barpunda?

16. Help – sahaya or upakara

17. Look out – jaagrate

18. I don’t understand – yenk gottaapujji

19. Where is the bathroom? – kotya volu undu?

20. problem – thondare

21. go – pole

22. come – bale

23. eatable – tiniyere

24. lunch or dinner – vanas

25. Go to sleep – jeppere pole

26. Get up – lukle

27. Go fast – beesa pole

28. Go slow – mella pole

29. Go away – mulpadu pole

30. Keep quite – manipande kullule

Regular Conversations in Tulu

31. Are you married? – Eereg madme aathunda?

32. Beautiful girl – Porlu ponnu

33. Come in, be seated – Bale, kullule

34. Did you have your food? – Vanas aanda?

35. Do you have children? – Eereg jokulu unda?

35. Do you know? – gothunda?

36. Do you speak English? – Eareg English barpunda?

37. No problem – Thondare ijji

38. He is a good man – Aye baari yedde jana

39. His/ her name is Rama – ayena/alena or arena pudar Rame

40. How do you say this in tulu? – Undena tulutu yencha panpuna?

41. How much does this cost? – Nek yeth bele?

42. I am unmarried – Yank madme aathijji

43. I’m fine – Yaan Sowkhya

44. I am married – Yenk madme aathundu

45. I have two children – Yenka raddu jokulu.

46. I know – Yenk Gothundu

47. I know a little tulu – Yank onthe tulu barpundu

48. I know Mangalore well – Yenk Kudla yedde gotthundu

49. I like Mangalore – Yank Kudla yedde aapundu

50. I will come back – Yaan pira barpe

51. I’ll wait – Yaan kapuve

52. Is there a Telephone nearby? -Mulpa kaithaal telephone unda?

53. May I use your telephone? – Yaan phone malpolia?

54. Please come here – Dayamalthu moolu bale

55. Please give the bill – Daya malthdu bill korle

56. Please help yourself to food – Aaramad vanas balasonle

57. Please wait for a moment – Onji nimisha unthule

58. You have been helpful – Mast Upakara aand

59. This/ that is my house – Indu/avu yenna ill

60. What do you need? – Eereg daada bodu?

61. Where are you working? – Eer olu bele maltondullar?

62. All are welcome – Maatergla swaagata

63. Let’s go to Mangalore – Nama Kudlag poyi. – Mangalore is called Kudla in Tulu

64. How were the rains this year? – Evodu da barsa encha ittnd?

65. When did you come? – Eer yepa battini?

66. Will this bus go to Pune? – Ee bus Pune g popunda?

67. Let’s meet again – Bokka tikkaga.

66. I will come – Yaan barpe (also used to say Good bye)

67. Want – bodu

68. Don’t want bodchi

69. What do you want? – Dada bodu?

70. When? – Yepa?

71. Why? – Dayegu?

72. How? – Yencha?

73. Useful – prejana

74. Useless – bodchandina

75. Finished – mugeendu

Clothes in Tulu

76. Blouse – Ravake

77. Skirt – Langa

78. Saree – Sere

79. Lungi – Mundu

80. Turban – Mundas

81. Shawl – Shall

82. Hat/cap – Toppi

83. Dhoti – Kaccha

84. Shorts – Ijaar

85. Dress – Angi

86. Tie – Kanta komana

87. Slippers – Muttu

88. Handkerchief – Tual

89. Buttons – Gubbi

90. Pockets – Kise

91. Trousers – Challana

92. Shirt – Manila

93. Baniyan – Ganji

94. Shoes – Bootu

95. Belt – Sonta patti

96. Underwear – Kacha or Komana

Time, Date and Day in Tulu

97. Time – porthu

98. What is the time? – Ganthe yeth aand?

99. Duration – Yeth portuddu inchi

100. Which day is it today? – Ini va dina

101. Month – tingolu

102. Vaara – week

103. Year – varsha

Rereading the Exact Time in Tulu

104. 12 hrs 45 min – Kaal kammi onji or padrade mukaal gante

105. 2 hrs 15 min – radde kaal gante or radde gante padinenu nimisha

106. 3 hrs 3o min – mooji are gante

107. Half an hour – Ardha gante

108. One Minute – Onji Nimisha

109. One second – Onji Galige

110. 15 minutes – Kaal Gante or Padinenu nimisha

111. 45 minutes – Mukkal gante or nalpatha ain nimisha

112. Sunrise – pulya

113. Morning – Kaande

114. Afternoon – Madhyana

115. Evening – Baiyya

116. Night – Rathre

117. Midnight – Nadirlu

118. Sunset – Porthu kantunaga

119. Yesterday – Kode

120. Tomorrow – Elle

121. Day after tomorrow – Ellanji or Elle tha ellanji

122. Day before yesterday – Muraani

Some More Regular Conversations in Tulu

123. We – Yenkalu or Nama

124. This place – Eevoor

125. This same place – Indhe oor

126. You all – Nikulu

127. He knows Tulu – Imbeg (aayeg) tulu barpundu.

126. She knows Tulu – Moleg (aaleg) tulu barpundu.

129. They know tulu – Aareg (akleg) tulu barpundu
Note: If the answer is in negative use “barpuji” instead of “barpundu”

130. Happens – Aapundu

131. Does not happen – Aapuji

132. What do you want? – Nikk (if the person is elder than you use Eereg) enchina bodu?

133. I want nothing – Enk dhaalaa bodchi

134. Robber – Kalwe

135. Entered – Nooriye

136. He left – Aaye poye
Note: If the person is elder than you use Aar instead of Aaye

137. She left – Aal poyal
Note: If the person is elder than you use Aar instead of Aal

138. He came – Aaye baththe
Note: If the person is elder than you, say Aar bathther

139. She came – Aal baththal
Note: If the person is elder than you, say Aar bathther

140. They came – Akul bathther

141. They have come – Akul baidher (Baththdher)

142. Box – Pettige

143. He took it and ran away – Aaye dhethondh paar poye (balth poye)

144. She took it and ran away – Aal dhethondh paar poyal (balth poyal)

145. Still – Aandalaa

146. Then – Apaga

147. Henceforth – Nana mithth

101. Let us see what to do – Dhaane malpunu thooka

148. Bokka – Later

149. Who? – Yer?

150. You – Eer

151. I /me – Yaan

152. Dikkel – stove

153. Tongue scraping – Aggra deppuni

154. to fold – madipu

155. tipsiness – amalu

156. Agela – breadth

157. Udda – length

158. Depth – Kantu

159. Babble – jakke

160. choose, select – Ajapuni

161. Spooky sound – Ajane

162. Careless – ajagrate

163. Pile – atti

164 . Base – adi

165. Unpleasant – anishta

166. Necessary – anupatya –

167. Distrust – avisvasa

168. Trust – vishvasa

169. To burp – aarige

170. Leaf – ire

171. Plant – dhai

172. Tree – mara

173. Cherished – Ishta

174. To exist – uppuni

175. To sprain – ulkuni

176. To get up – untuni

177. To think – Yennuni

178 Together – Vottige

179. Master – Wodaye

180. To pluck – Wodepuni

181. Eavesdrop – wongeruni

182. To steal – Kandun

183. Rogue – Kannoji

184. To cross – kadapuni

185. The outer corner of the eye – Kadekannu

186. To delay – kadesavuni

187. Compassion – kanikara

188. Bruise – Kanevuni

189. To melt – Karaguni

190. Trouble maker – karapelu

191. Camphor – karpura

192. Fate – karma

193. To mix – kaladavuni

194. Flat pan / Tava – kavalige

195. A pyre – kaata

196. To wait – katonuni

197. Unripe – kai

198. Spark – kidi

Weather in Tulu

1. Wind – gaali
2. Rain – barsa
3. Fog – maindu
4. Lightning – minchu
5. Sun – surye
6. Sky – akash
7. Hot weather – sheke
8. Cold weather – chali
9. Monsoon – barsa
10. Summer – Aregaala
11. Winter – Chaligaala
12. Rainy Season – Mariyalala

Doing things in Tulu

bathing – meepuni
blowing – wooripuni
breaking – thundu manpuni
buying – dethonuni

carrying – thumbuni
catching/ holding – pathuni
climbing – mitharuni
closing – band manpuni
coming – barpuni
cooking – adige manpuni
covering – mucchuni
crying – bulipuni
crawling – parapuni

dancing – nalipuni
dirtying – kure manpuni
drinking – parpuni
dying – saipuni

eating – thinpuni

falling – booruni
fighting – ladai manpuni
filling – dinjawooni
fishing – meenu pathuni
flying – rapuni

giving – korpuni
going – popuni

hiding – dengadu kulluni

jumping – lagyuni

learning – kalpuni
listening – kebi korpuni
lowering – thirtu manpuni
loving – moke manpuni

making – manpuni
mopping – gatyuni

picking – pejjuni
playing – gobbuni
pushing – nookuni
pulling – woipuni

raising – mithu manpuni
reading – voduni
rowing – voda vocchuni
running – balipuni
sewing – polluni

sing – padya panpuni
sitting – kulluni
sleeping – jeppuni
smiling – thelipuni
standing – unthuni
studying – abyasa manpuni
sweeping – adpuni

taking – dethonuni
talking – patheruni
telipuni – laughing
teasing – maskiri manpuni
thinking – nenapuni
throwing – dakkuni
tidying – vothare manpuni

understanding – artha manpuni

waiting – kaapuni
walking – nadapuni
washing – dekkuni
washing clothes – arduni
watching/ seeing – thupuni
working – bele manpuni

Measurements in Tulu

1 mudi = 3 kalasas or 42 seer
1 kalasa = 14 seer or 13 kgs
1 seer = 4 pavu

Days of the Week in Tulu

1. Sunday – Aithara
2. Monday – Somara
3. Tuesday – Angare
4. Wednesday – Budhara
5. Thursday – Guruara
6. Friday – Shukrara
7. Saturday – Shaniara

Directions in Tulu

1. Up – mithu

2. Down – thirthu

3. Front – dumbu

4. Back – pira

5. From here – inchidu

6. From there – anchidu

7. Near – kaithal

8. Far – doora

9. West – padai

10. East – moodai

11. Right hand – balatha kai

12. Left hand – yedatha kai

13. Inside – ulai

14. Outside – pidai

15. Straight – saruta

Tulu Quantity or Words for Quantity

1. Half – ardha

2. Full – idi

3. Quarter – kaal

4. Three fourth – mukaal

5. Less – kammi

6. More – jaasthi /mast

Tulu Quality or Quality Words in Tulu

1. beautiful/pretty – porlu

2. ugly – heshige

3. good – yedde

4. bad – yedde ijji or haal

Status of Tulu People

1. Rich man- maillaye

2. Poor man – papadaye

3. male sevant, female servant – kelasadaye, kelasadalu

4. Neighbour – neerekare dakulu

5. Enemy – vairi

6. Loved ones – moke dakulu

Tulu Relatives or Relationships in Tulu

1. Mother – appe, amma

2. Father – ammer, appa

3. Younger sister – thangadi, megdi

4. Elder sister – paldi or pali

5. Younger brother – meggye

6. Elder brother – palaye

7. Father in law, mother’s brother and father’s sister’s husband – maama

8. Mother in law, fathers sister and mother’s brother’s wife – maami

9. Mother’s elder sister and father’s elder brother’s wife – mallamma , doddamma

10. Father’s elder brother and mother’s elder sister’s husband – periammer, doddappa

11. Mother’s younger sister and father’s younger brother’s wife – chikkamma, chikki

12. Father’s younger brother and mother’s younger sister’s husband – tiddamme, tiddi

13. Grandmother – dodda

14. Grandfather – ajja

15. Wife – bodedi

16. Husband – kandani

17. Son – mage

18. Daughter – magal

19. Son in law, nephew/ brother’s son, husband’s nephew (sister’s in law’s son) – marmaye

20. Daughter in law, neice/ brother’s daughter, husband’s neice (sister’s in law’s daughter) – marmal

21. Sister in law, cousin / mother’s brother’s daughter and fathers sister’s daughter – maitidi

22. Brother in law, cousin/ mother’s brother’s son and father’s sister’s son – maitine

23. Great grandmother – pijji

24. Great grandfather – pijje

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