Tulu phrasebook
Tulu (ತುಳು) is a regional language spoken in coastal districts of Karnataka, i.e. Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and some areas of Kasargod district . It is the 24th most populous Indian language according to the 2001 census of India. It is often mistakenly claimed as a dialect of Kannada, but it is actually an independently derived descendent of the proto-Dravidian language. Tulu does not have a widely used script, though efforts are on to discover or construct one. Most writing in the language is in the Kannada script. A lack of a script, however, has not prevented it from developing a vibrant literature of its own, most notably poems and plays.
One remarkable feature of Tulu is the number of dialects that you will find in the small geographical area. Not only are there regional differences, there are also caste-based dialects. Different sub-castes of Brahmins speak different dialects of Tulu, all of them different from the "standard" dialect described here.
Pronunciation guide
Most of the words that end with 'u', e.g., apundu, undu, andu, attu , maltudu, enku, bayyadu, gothu, and vondu, are pronounced in a different way than similar words that end with 'u' in Kannada.
Only half of the sound of 'u' is pronounced while speaking the words mentioned above that end with 'u'.
There are also many words in which the half sound of 'u' is in the mid part of word, e.g., thikkuga, gottuji, and korule.
Vowels
Consonants
Common diphthongs
Phrase list
Some phrases in this phrasebook still need to be translated. If you know anything about this language, you can help by plunging forward and translating a phrase.
Basics
- Hello.
- NamaskAra. ( )
- Hello. (informal)
- Namaskara. ( )
- How are you?
- Encha ullar? (for elders or showing respect or to a stranger), Encha ulla? (for someone youger or a friend)( ?)
- I am doing great
- HushAr ulle. ( )
- What is your name?
- Eerena pudar daytha/eina/enchina/dada?( ?)
- My name is ______ .
- yenna pudar . ( <name>.)
- Nice to meet you.
- Thikene santosha aandu . ( )
- Come here.
- enchi(here) balle (come)
- Go there.
- anchi (there) polle (go)
- Please.
- daya maltudu. ( )
- Thank you.
- danya vaada . ( )
- You're welcome.
- Malle ijji (never mind) . ( )
- Welcome (as in welcoming someone).
- Swagatha. (" ")
- Yes.
- andu. ( )
- No.
- attu. (or ijji) ( )
- Excuse me. (getting attention)
- . ( )
- Excuse me. (begging pardon)
- . ( )
- I'm sorry.
- thapu aandu . ( )
- Goodbye
- thikkuga . (also means lets meet again )
- Goodbye (informal)
- Barpe . (also means I will be back )
- I can't speak name of language [well].
- Enku TULU patere gottuji [ ]. ( [ ])
- Do you speak English?
- Eereg English pateriyera gottunda? ( ?)
- Is there someone here who speaks English?
- English gottitthinaaglu yeranda ullera? ( ?)
- Help!
- saaya! ( !)
- help me : saaya malpule ( ! )
- Look out!
- jaagrathe! ( !)
- Early morning.
- . (Pulya Kaande )
- Evening.
- . (Baiyyadu )
- Night.
- (Raathre )
- Jeppunu (to sleep)
- I don't understand.
- enk gottu aapujji/ enku artha aapuji. ( )
- Where is the toilet?
- Thandaas or Sandaas or Kakkus Vondu ?/ Thandaas or Sandaas or Kakkus Volundu Ye? ( ?)
- tender coconut
- Bonda ( !)
- tender coconut water
- Bonda da neeru
- coconut
- thaarai ( !)
- I am not feeling well
- yenk soukya ijji.
- I don't want
- yenk boduchi.
- Give Me
- yenk korle.
- God
- Devere
- She is not feeling well (While mentioning to someone younger than You)
- Aleg soukya ijji.
- He is not feeling well (While mentioning to someone younger than You)
- Ayag soukya ijjji.
- He/she is not feeling well (While mentioning to an elderly person both male/ female)
- Areg soukya ijji.
- Look there (as in "look at that thing")
- Thoole/Thoola (for a younger person)
- Looking here(for a he/she)
- Thoope/Thoopal
- I like him/she/it very much
- Yenk muste laikape/laikaple/laikapundu.
- He/She/It is gone
- Pooye/Poyal/Poondu
- Hurts
- bene, for example, "my stomach hurts" would be yanna bungee benapundu
- Very (can also mean "too much")
- muste
- Car
- gaadi
- Foot
- khar
- Confuse
- Kanna K B
- Living Room
- Chavadi
- Guest
- Bin-ner
- Bride
- Madhmalu
- Bridegroom
- Madhmaye
Problem
thondareh
Numbers
- 1
- onji (...)
- 2
- radd (...)
- 3
- mooji (...)
- 4
- naal (...)
- 5
- ain (...)
- 6
- aaji (...)
- 7
- yeL (...)
- 8
- yenma (...)
- 9
- ormba (...)
- 10
- pat-t (...)
- 11
- patt-onji (...)
- 12
- pad-rad (yes in twelve '2 or radd' is pronounced as 'rad') (...)
- 13
- padi-mooji (...)
- 14
- padi-naal (...)
- 15
- padi-nain (...)
- 16
- padi-naaji (...)
- 17
- padi-nel (...)
- 18
- padi-nenma (...)
- 19
- padi-noramba (...)
- 20
- iruva (...)
- 21
- iruvatha onji (...)
- 22
- iruvatha radd (...)
- 23
- iruvatha mooji (...)
- 30
- muppa (...)
- 40
- nalpa (...)
- 50
- aiva (...)
- 60
- ajippa (...)
- 70
- yelpa (...)
- 80
- enpa (...)
- 90
- sonpa (...)
- 100
- noodu (...)
- 200
- irnoodu (...)
- 300
- munnoodu (...)
- 1000
- onji savira (...)
- 2000
- radd savira (...)
- 1,000,000
- patt laksha (...)
- 1,000,000,000
- noodu koti
- 1,000,000,000,000
- patt savira koti
- number _____ (train, bus, etc.)
- number _____ ,though pure word is 'anke'(...)
- full
- eedi (...)
- half
- ardha (...)
- 1/4th
- kaal
- 3/4th
- mukkal
- less
- kammi (...)
- more
- jasthi (...)
Time
porthu
Clock time
What time it is? : gante yeth aand?
Duration
From how long duration - yeth portuddu inchi
Day
What day it is? : ini va dina?
Daily : Dinala
Month
tingolu
Writing time and date
Colors
red-kempu blue-nili green-pacche white-boldu black-kappu yellow-manjal
Transportation
Bus and train
Directions
mithu=up, thirthu=down, dumbu=front, pira=back, inchidu-from here, unchiddu-from there, kaithal -near, doora -far, paddai-west, moodai-east, badakai-north, tenkai-south, balatha kai - right hand, yedatha kai - left hand,
Taxi
Lodging
badai da roomu or badigeda roomu
- House for rent
- badai/badige da ill
Money
duddu/kaas - money chillarey - change
Eating
Thinre- to eat, purrre - to drink, ahtil - cooking, cheepe- sweet, khaara- spicy, uppu (salt) undu (has) - salty