Tulu phrasebook

Tulu is a regional language spoken in coastal districts of Karnataka i.e. Dakshina Kannada and Udupi. 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. In reality, it is 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. Currently, 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.

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? ( ?)

I am doing great 

Yaan HushAr ulle. ( )

What is your name? 

Eerena pudar daytha/ena/enchina/daade?( ?)

My name is ______ . 

yenna pudar . ( <name>.)

Nice to meet you. 

Thikene santosha aandu . ( )

Come here. 

inchi(here) bale (come)

Go there.  

anchi (there) polle (go)

Please. 

daya maltudu. ( )

Thank you. 

solmelu (Tulu) Nanne/danya vaada (Kannada). ( )

You're welcome. 

Swagaata . ( )

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 gotuji [ ]. ( [ ])

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 Vondu ?/ Thandaas or Sandaas 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 korule.

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 sokya ijji.

Look there (as in "look at that thing") 

Thoole

Look here 

Thoope

I like it very much 

Yane muste laikape

He/She/It is gone 

Poondu

Hurts 

bene, for example, "my stomach hurts" would be yanna bungee benapundu

Very (can also mean "too much") 

muste

Car 

gaadi

Foot 

khare

Confuse 

Gondala

Living Room 

Chavadi

Guest 

Bin-ner

Bride 

Madhmalu

Bridegroom 

Madhmaye

Problems

thondareh

Numbers

1 

onji (...)

2 

raddu (...)

3 

mooji (...)

4 

naalu (...)

5 

ainu (...)

6 

aaji (...)

7 

yeLu (...)

8 

yenma (...)

9 

ormba (...)

10 

pattu (...)

11 

patt-onji (...)

12 

pad-radu (...)

13 

padi-mooji (...)

14 

padi-naalu (...)

15 

padi-nainu (...)

16 

padi-naaji (...)

17 

padi-nelu (...)

18 

padi-nenamma (...)

19 

padi-noramba (...)

20 

iruva (...)

21 

iruvatha onji (...)

22 

iruvatha radu (...)

23 

iruvatha mooji (...)

30 

muppa (...)

40 

nalpa (...)

50 

aiva (...)

60 

ajippa (...)

70 

elpa (...)

80 

enpa (...)

90 

sonpa (...)

100 

noodu (...)

200 

irnoodu (...)

300 

munnoodu (...)

1000 

onji sara (...)

2000 

raddu sara (...)

1,000,000 

pattu laksha (...)

1,000,000,000 

noodu koti

1,000,000,000,000 

pattu sara koti

number _____ (train, bus, etc.) 

number _____ (...)

half 

ardha (...)

1/4th 

kaal

3/4th 

mukkal

less 

kammi (...)

more 

jasthi (...)

Time

porthu

Clock time

ganthe yeth aand?

Duration

yeth portuddu inchi

Days

Summawara = Monday

Manglawara = Tuesday

Buddhawara = Wednesday

Gurwara = Thursday

Sucrawara = Friday

Shaniwara = Saturday

Aittaara = Sunday

ini va dina

inni = today

kodeh = yesterday

elleh = tomorrow

ellenge = day after tomorrow

kandeh = morning

ganteh = hours

minutes = minutes

wara = week

tingola = month

washa = year

Months

tingolu

Colors

red = kempu blue = nili green = pacche white = boldu black = kappu yellow = manjal

Transportation

Directions

mithu=up, thirthu=down, dhumbu=front, pira=back, inchidu-from here, unchiddu-from there, kaithal -near, doora -far, padai-west, moodai-east, balatha kai - right hand, yedatha kai - left hand,

Lodging

badai the illu or badigeda illu

Money

duddu/kaas - money chillarey - change

Eating

Thinre- to eat, purrre -to drink, ahtil -kitchen/cook, cheepe- sweet, khaara- spicy, uppu- salt, vanthe- little, balasle- serve, kajipu- curry, ale- butter milk, puli- sour/tamrind, nuppu- rice, tethi- egg, kori- chicken, meen- fish, masa- meat, boothayi- sardine, maanji- pomfret, bangude- mackerel, thaateh- shark, koyollu- shell fish, yetti- prawns, bareh the parndu- bannana, kukku- mango, kereng- sweet potato, parndh- fruit or banana or ripe, neer- water, badavu- hunger, onas- meal, uppad- pickle, lote- glass, tarkaari- vegetables, narthe- snail

Bars

gangasara(Some slangs: Bajel, Kuppi, Teertha, watis) - alchohol

vanas - meals

jeppu - sleep

perade - hen

pettha - cow

appe - mother

ammer- father

ishta - wish

dever - God

moke, mamathe - love

porlu - beauty

kule - ghost

thindi - Breakfast

baajal - cool drink

bonda - tender coconut

amal - drunkenness

Shopping

santhe (Market) paintae - something like malls but smaller

Driving

For Hire -- Baadige barpara

Authority

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