Basic Kannada phrases
Everyday spoken Kannada, the way people say it in Bengaluru — written in English letters, with the meaning and a word-by-word gloss. These come from Chapter 1, which you can practise free.
Practise these free- Nimma hesaru enu?ನಿಮ್ಮ ಹೆಸರು ಏನು?
- What is your name?
- Word for word: your name what
- Neevu yellinda?ನೀವು ಎಲ್ಲಿಂದ?
- Where are you from?
- Word for word: you from-where
- Nanu Dilli indaನಾನು ದೆಹಲಿ ಇಂದ
- I am from Delhi
- Word for word: I Delhi from
- Hegiddira?ಹೇಗಿದ್ದೀರಾ?
- How are you?
- Word for word: how are-you
- Polite form. Drop to "Hegiddiya?" only with close friends and children.
- Hegiddiya?ಹೇಗಿದ್ದೀಯಾ?
- How are you? (informal)
- Word for word: how are-you
- Only for close friends, children, and anyone much younger than you.
- Chennagiddiniಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿದ್ದೀನಿ
- I am fine
- Word for word: well am-I
- Namaskaraನಮಸ್ಕಾರ
- Hello / Greetings
- Works any time of day, with anyone. Hands together is optional but never wrong.
- Dhanyavadaಧನ್ಯವಾದ
- Thank you
- Add "-galu" (Dhanyavadagalu) to sound a notch more formal.
- Kshamisiಕ್ಷಮಿಸಿ
- Sorry / Excuse me
- Also how you get a stranger’s attention before asking anything.
- Sariಸರಿ
- OK / Fine
- The single most useful word in this chapter.
- Illaಇಲ್ಲ
- No / There isn’t any
- Doubles as "we don’t have it" — you will hear this a lot in shops.
- Houduಹೌದು
- Yes
- Yenu samachara?ಏನು ಸಮಾಚಾರ?
- What’s the news? / What’s up?
- Word for word: what news
- Neevu?ನೀವು?
- And you?
- Word for word: you?
- Just raise your tone. Bouncing the question back is expected.
- Nanna hesaru Ashaನನ್ನ ಹೆಸರು ಆಶಾ
- My name is Asha
- Word for word: my name Asha
- Swap in your own name — the rest of the sentence never changes.
- Artha agalillaಅರ್ಥ ಆಗಲಿಲ್ಲ
- I didn’t understand
- Word for word: meaning did-not-happen
- Your lifeline. Say it without embarrassment — people switch to slower Kannada, not English.
- Swalpa nidhanavagi heliಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ನಿಧಾನವಾಗಿ ಹೇಳಿ
- Please say it slowly
- Word for word: a-little slowly say
- Gottillaಗೊತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ
- I don’t know
- Swalpa swalpa gottuಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಗೊತ್ತು
- I know a little
- Word for word: little little known
- The correct answer to "do you know Kannada?" for roughly the next year.
- Hogi barthiniಹೋಗಿ ಬರ್ತೀನಿ
- Goodbye
- Word for word: having-gone I-will-come
- Kannada has no flat "goodbye" — you always promise to come back.
- Kannada gottha?ಕನ್ನಡ ಗೊತ್ತಾ?
- Do you know Kannada?
- Word for word: Kannada known?
- You will be asked this constantly. "Swalpa swalpa" is the answer.
- Chennagi kalithira!ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿ ಕಲಿತೀರಾ!
- You’ll learn it well!
- Encouragement, not a question. The reply is simply "Dhanyavada".