Speaking a little Kannada with your home help, driver and delivery riders makes daily life in a Bengaluru flat much smoother. These are the people you talk to most often, and the conversations are short and practical: what needs doing, what time, which floor, and who's at the gate. This guide covers the essential Kannada for home help and deliveries, in spoken Bengaluru Kannada written in English letters.
Three patterns to know first
-beku after a verb: it needs doing
You may know beku from ordering at a darshini, where it goes after a thing: Coffee beku (I want coffee). After a verb it means the job needs doing: tholibeku, needs washing. Name the thing first, so Paatre tholibeku is "the dishes need washing".
-thini is "I will", -thira is "will you?"
Barthini is "I'll come"; barthira is "will you come?", and it's polite. You might already know the pair from Hogthini (I'll go) and Majestic-ge barthira? (Will you come to Majestic?). Swap the ending, swap the person.
-ane makes first, second, third
Add -ane to a number for its order: ondane, first; eradane, second; moorane, third. You need it for floors and dates, which is most of what a delivery rider asks.
Asking for everyday chores
| Say it | ಕನ್ನಡ | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Paatre tholibeku | ಪಾತ್ರೆ ತೊಳೀಬೇಕು | The dishes need washing (literally: vessels wash-must) |
| Batte ogibeku | ಬಟ್ಟೆ ಒಗೀಬೇಕು | The clothes need washing (literally: clothes wash-must) |
| Kasa gudisi | ಕಸ ಗುಡಿಸಿ | Please sweep (literally: rubbish sweep-please) |
| Nela oresi | ನೆಲ ಒರೆಸಿ | Please mop the floor (literally: floor wipe-please) |
| Adige maadi | ಅಡಿಗೆ ಮಾಡಿ | Please cook (literally: cooking do-please) |
| Kasa thogondu hogi | ಕಸ ತೊಗೊಂಡು ಹೋಗಿ | Please take the rubbish out (literally: rubbish having-taken go-please) |
The -beku lines describe what needs doing, which is a gentle way to ask. Lines like Kasa gudisi and Nela oresi are polite requests.
A common mistake is to mix up the two washing verbs. Dishes take tholibeku and clothes take ogibeku. If your help asks Yenu beku? (What would you like?), answer with whichever job comes first.
Timings and days off
| Say it | ಕನ್ನಡ | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Naale barthira? | ನಾಳೆ ಬರ್ತೀರಾ? | Will you come tomorrow? (literally: tomorrow will-you-come?) |
| Barthini | ಬರ್ತೀನಿ | I'll come (literally: will-come-I) |
| Eshtu gantege barthira? | ಎಷ್ಟು ಗಂಟೆಗೆ ಬರ್ತೀರಾ? | What time will you come? (literally: how-much hour-at will-you-come?) |
| Eshtu gantege barli? | ಎಷ್ಟು ಗಂಟೆಗೆ ಬರ್ಲಿ? | What time should I come? (literally: how-much hour-at shall-I-come?) |
| Aaru gantege | ಆರು ಗಂಟೆಗೆ | At six o'clock (literally: six hour-at) |
| Ivattu raja | ಇವತ್ತು ರಜಾ | Today is my day off (literally: today holiday) |
Notice the difference between barthira and barli. You ask Eshtu gantege barthira? when you want to know their plan. Eshtu gantege barli? is what your help or driver asks when they want you to choose the time. Either way, the answer is a time with the "at" ending, like Aaru gantege.
If you hear Ivattu raja, your help is letting you know she is taking the day off. A kind Sari (OK / Fine) is the usual reply.
Pay day
| Say it | ಕನ್ನಡ | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Sambala yaavaga kodthira? | ಸಂಬಳ ಯಾವಾಗ ಕೊಡ್ತೀರಾ? | When will you pay me? (literally: salary when will-you-give?) |
| Ondane taareekhu | ಒಂದನೇ ತಾರೀಖು | On the first of the month (literally: first date) |
This is a question you will be asked, so be ready with a clear answer. Agreeing on pay day at the start keeps the arrangement simple for everyone.
Deliveries and the gate
Delivery riders and security guards keep conversations brief, so short answers are best.
| Say it | ಕನ್ನಡ | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Order bandide | ಆರ್ಡರ್ ಬಂದಿದೆ | Your order is here (literally: order has-come) |
| Kelage barthini | ಕೆಳಗೆ ಬರ್ತೀನಿ | I'm coming down (literally: down will-come-I) |
| Gate hatra iri | ಗೇಟ್ ಹತ್ರ ಇರಿ | Please wait at the gate (literally: gate near be-please) |
| Yaava floor? | ಯಾವ ಫ್ಲೋರ್? | Which floor? |
| Eradane floor | ಎರಡನೇ ಫ್ಲೋರ್ | Second floor (literally: two-th floor) |
| Moorane floor | ಮೂರನೇ ಫ್ಲೋರ್ | Third floor (literally: three-th floor) |
Hatra is the everyday, clipped form of hattira (near), and it's what you'll hear on the street. When a rider calls to say Order bandide, you can either go and collect it with Kelage barthini or ask them to wait with Gate hatra iri. If they ask Yaava floor?, give your floor with the -ane ending.
Letting someone in
| Say it | ಕನ್ನಡ | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Yaaru bandiddare? | ಯಾರು ಬಂದಿದ್ದಾರೆ? | Who's here? (literally: who has-come) |
| Olage bidi | ಒಳಗೆ ಬಿಡಿ | Please let them in (literally: inside let-please) |
You might hear Yaaru bandiddare? from a security guard, or ask it yourself when the bell rings. If it's someone you're expecting, Olage bidi asks the guard to let them in.
A quick conversation
It's Lakshmi akka's first morning helping in your flat, and she wants the arrangement clear before she starts.
- Lakshmi: Namaskara — Hello / Greetings
- You: Namaskara — Hello / Greetings
- Lakshmi: Yenu beku? — What would you like?
- You: Paatre tholibeku — The dishes need washing
- Lakshmi: Sari — OK / Fine
- You: Nela oresi — Please mop the floor
- Lakshmi: Eshtu gantege barli? — What time should I come?
- You: Aaru gantege — At six o'clock
- Lakshmi: Sambala yaavaga kodthira? — When will you pay me?
- You: Ondane taareekhu — On the first of the month
Then your phone rings: a delivery is at the gate.
- Rider: Order bandide — Your order is here
- You: Kelage barthini — I'm coming down
When Lakshmi akka finishes, she says goodbye.
- Lakshmi: Hogi barthini — Goodbye
- You: Naale barthira? — Will you come tomorrow?
- Lakshmi: Barthini — I'll come
Make it part of your routine
The easiest way to practise is with the people you already see every day. Try Kelage barthini on your next delivery call, and ask your help Naale barthira? at the end of the day. Small, repeated exchanges like these build confidence faster than anything else.