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Lesson 7 of 10
Meeting people in Tamil
How are you, what is your name, where are you from, I like it: the first five minutes. Play the ten Tamil words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 10 Tamil phrases in this lesson
- நீங்கள் எப்படி இருக்கீர்கள்?NING-gal EP-pa-di i-RUK-keer-gal
- How are you?
- நலமாக இருக்கேன்na-la-MAA-ga i-RUK-keen
- I'm fine, thanks
- நீங்கள்?NING-gal
- And you?
- உங்கள் பெயர் என்ன?UNG-gal pe-YAR EN-na
- What's your name?
- என் பெயர் ...en pe-YAR
- My name is...
- நீங்கள் எந்த ஊர்?NEENG-gal EN-dha OOR
- Where are you from?
- நான் ...லிருந்து வருகிறேன்naan ...-li-run-dhu va-ru-gi-REN
- I'm from...
- எனக்குப் பிடித்திருக்கிறதுe-NAK-ku-p pi-DIT-thi-ruk-ki-ra-dhu
- I like it
- ரொம்ப அழகுROM-ba A-zha-gu
- It's beautiful
- வாருங்கள்VAA-rung-gal
- Welcome
The formal version, using நீங்கள் (the respectful "you"). Use with elders, strangers, and in professional settings.
A complete and natural response to "how are you." You can also say நல்லாயிருக்கேன் (NAL-laa-yI-ruk-keen) in more casual speech.
Simply raise the question back with the pronoun. Combined with a smile and a slight head tilt, it is a complete and natural exchange.
Literally "which town are you?".
Literally "I come from ...".
Literally "please come", the welcome at the door.