Tulu phrasebook
Tulu is a regional language spoken in coastal districts of Karnataka i.e. Dakshina Kannada and Udupi and also 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. 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.
Pronounciation guide[edit]
Consonants[edit]
Common diphthongs[edit]
Phrase list[edit]
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.
- Hello.
- NamaskAra. ( Sol-menulu)
- Hello. (informal)
- Namaskara . (Sol menulu )
- 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)
- Inchi gamana korle. ( )
- 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? ( ?)
- English(in tulu)
- Aangla-Bhashe.
- Is there someone here who speaks English?
- English gottitthinaaglu yeranda ullera? ( ?)
- Help!
- saaya! ( !)
- help me : saaya malpule ( ! )
- Look out!
- jaagrathe! ( !)
- Early morning.
- . (Pulle Kaande )
- Evening.
- . (Baiyyadu )
- Night.
- (Raathre )
- Jeppunu (to sleep)
-
- I don't understand.
- enk gottu aapujji/ enku artha aapuji. ( )
- I understand "name of language".
- enk TULU aarta aapund.
- 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/ Inchi Toole
- 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 bene-apundu
- Very (can also mean "too much")
- muste
- Car
- gaadi
- Foot
- khare
- Confuse
- Gondala
- Living Room
- Chavadi
- Guest
- Bin-ner
- Bride
- Madhmalu
- Bridegroom
- Madhmaye
Village
Numbers[edit]
- 1
- onji (one)
- 2
- raddu (two)
- 3
- mooji (three)
- 4
- naalu (four)
- 5
- ainu (five)
- 6
- aaji (six)
- 7
- yeLu (seven)
- 8
- yenma (eight)
- 9
- ormba (nine)
- 10
- pattu (ten)
- 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 (...)
porthu
Clock time[edit]
ganthe yeth aand?
Duration[edit]
yeth portuddu inchi
- Summawara = Monday
- Angara = 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
- Nimisha= minutes
- wara = week
- tingola = month
- washa = year
tingolu
Writing time and date[edit]
red = kempu
blue = nili
green = pacche
white = boldu
black = kappu
yellow = manjal
Transportation[edit]
Bus and train[edit]
Directions[edit]
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[edit]
badai the illu or badigeda illu
duddu/kaas - money
chillarey - change
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- tumbler,
tarkaari- vegetables,
narthe- snail
gangasara(Some slangs: Bajel, Kuppi, Teertha, watis) - alchohol
vanas - meals
jeppu - sleep
perade - hen
pettha - cow
appe - mother
ammer- father
ishta - like
dever - God
moke, mamathe - love
porlu - beauty
kule - ghost
thindi - Breakfast
baajal - cool drink
bonda - tender coconut
amal - intoxication
Shopping[edit]
santhe (Market)
paintae - something like malls but smaller
Driving[edit]
For Hire -- Baadige barpara
Authority[edit]