Ordering food in Kannada is easier than it looks, and the darshini is the perfect place to practise. These fast, stand-up eateries serve dosa, idli and filter coffee all day, and the staff move quickly, so short phrases are exactly what you need. Here is how to order, customise and pay, in spoken Bengaluru Kannada written in English letters.
Beku and beda: want and don't want
Almost every darshini order rests on two words. Put beku after a thing to say you want it, and beda to say you don't.
| Say it | ಕನ್ನಡ | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee beku | ಕಾಫಿ ಬೇಕು | I want coffee (literally: coffee needed) |
| Sugar beda | ಶುಗರ್ ಬೇಡ | No sugar, please (literally: sugar not-needed) |
| Khaara beda | ಖಾರ ಬೇಡ | Not spicy, please (literally: spicy not-needed) |
There is no "I" and no verb to conjugate. The thing comes first and the wanting comes last, which is the same verb-at-the-end habit you see everywhere in Kannada. Notice too that English words like coffee and sugar slot in without any fuss.
At the counter
| Say it | ಕನ್ನಡ | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Yenu beku? | ಏನು ಬೇಕು? | What would you like? (literally: what needed) |
| Yenu ide? | ಏನು ಇದೆ? | What do you have? (literally: what is-there) |
Yenu beku? is the question you will hear from behind the counter. If you are not sure what is available, ask Yenu ide?. Darshinis rarely have menus on the table; the board is on the wall, or you just ask.
Numbers go in front of the dish
| Say it | ಕನ್ನಡ | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Ondu masala dose kodi | ಒಂದು ಮಸಾಲ ದೋಸೆ ಕೊಡಿ | One masala dosa, please (literally: one masala dosa give-please) |
| Eradu idli vade | ಎರಡು ಇಡ್ಲಿ ವಡೆ | Two idli-vada |
| Ondu by-two coffee | ಒಂದು ಬೈ-ಟು ಕಾಫಿ | One coffee, split into two |
To order more than one, put the number before the dish, exactly as in English: ondu is one, eradu is two. After a number the dish usually stays singular in speech, so two idli is simply "eradu idli".
Eradu idli vade is ordered as one dish: two idlis and a vada on the same plate.
Ondu by-two coffee is a darshini classic: one filter coffee poured into two small cups to share. Order it with a friend and you will look like a local.
Kodi: "please give"
| Say it | ಕನ್ನಡ | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Neeru kodi | ನೀರು ಕೊಡಿ | Water, please (literally: water give-please) |
| Bill kodi | ಬಿಲ್ ಕೊಡಿ | The bill, please (literally: bill give-please) |
Kodu (ಕೊಡು) is "give", and kodi is "please give". This is the same polite -i ending you use with auto drivers ("Meter haaki"). Add kodi after anything you want handed over.
You will hear the bare Kodu shouted between staff. That is fine for them, but never say it to them; it is the blunt command.
Spice, temperature and how you like it
| Say it | ಕನ್ನಡ | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Khaara beka? | ಖಾರ ಬೇಕಾ? | Do you want it spicy? (literally: spicy needed-?) |
| Khaara beda | ಖಾರ ಬೇಡ | Not spicy, please (literally: spicy not-needed) |
| Swalpa khaara | ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಖಾರ | A little spicy (literally: little spicy) |
| Bisi ide | ಬಿಸಿ ಇದೆ | It's hot (to touch) (literally: hot is) |
Don't mix up the two kinds of "hot". Bisi is temperature; spicy-hot is khaara. If you can't handle much chilli, Khaara beda is the phrase to memorise. If you like a bit of a kick but not too much, go for Swalpa khaara.
More, enough, and compliments
| Say it | ಕನ್ನಡ | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Innondu | ಇನ್ನೊಂದು | One more (literally: another-one) |
| Saaku | ಸಾಕು | That's enough |
| Chennagide | ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿದೆ | It's good (literally: well-is) |
Saaku is also the polite way to stop someone refilling your plate, which is useful if you are ever fed at someone's home. And Chennagide, said about the food, is one of the easiest ways to make a friend.
Eat here or take away
| Say it | ಕನ್ನಡ | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Illi thinthini | ಇಲ್ಲಿ ತಿಂತೀನಿ | I'll eat here (literally: here eat-will-I) |
| Parcel maadi | ಪಾರ್ಸೆಲ್ ಮಾಡಿ | Pack it to take away (literally: parcel do-please) |
"Parcel" is the everyday word for takeaway in Bengaluru, and Parcel maadi uses the same polite -i ending as kodi.
The token system and the bill
| Say it | ಕನ್ನಡ | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Token thogolli | ಟೋಕನ್ ತೊಗೊಳ್ಳಿ | Take a token (literally: token take-please) |
| Aaytu | ಆಯ್ತು | It's ready / Done (literally: became) |
| Bill kodi | ಬಿಲ್ ಕೊಡಿ | The bill, please (literally: bill give-please) |
Many darshinis work on tokens. You pay at the counter first, then hand the token over where the food comes out. If you hear Token thogolli, that is your cue to pay before anything else. Aaytu means your food is ready, or that something is done.
At places where you pay afterwards, Bill kodi gets you the bill.
A quick conversation
It is 8:30 on a weekday, the darshini is packed, and the queue is moving fast.
| Speaker | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Server | Namaskara | Hello |
| You | Namaskara | Hello |
| Server | Yenu beku? | What would you like? |
| You | Ondu masala dose kodi | One masala dosa, please |
| Server | Token thogolli | Take a token |
| You | Sari | OK |
| Server | Khaara beka? | Do you want it spicy? |
| You | Khaara beda | Not spicy, please |
| Server | Yenu beku? | What would you like? |
| You | Ondu by-two coffee | One coffee, split into two |
| Server | Innondu? | One more? |
| You | Saaku | That's enough |
| Server | Aaytu | It's ready / Done |
| You | Dhanyavada | Thank you |
Common mistakes
- Saying kodu instead of kodi. The bare form is blunt. Always add the polite -i: Neeru kodi, Bill kodi.
- Using bisi for spicy. Bisi means hot to the touch. For chilli heat, it is khaara.
- Ordering before paying at a token counter. Pay first, then hand over your token.
- Overthinking plurals. After a number, keep the dish singular: Eradu idli vade.
With beku, beda, a number and kodi, you can order almost anything on the board. Ordering food in Kannada quickly becomes the easiest conversation of your day, and the one you practise most.