Every lesson of Spoken Malayalam at Home comes with a free video and a free PDF of its slides. Every lesson is tagged with its level, from A1 to C2, so you can start at lesson 1 or jump straight to your level. Each slide deck shows Malayalam in script, English letters and English.
Levels at a glance: A1 Beginner · A2 Elementary · B1 Intermediate · B2 Upper intermediate · C1 Advanced · C2 Mastery
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A1: Beginner (25 lessons)
- 1. Start Here: How Spoken Malayalam Works and How to Use This Course
- 2. Short and Long Vowels: Why Pani and Paani Mean Different Things
- 3. The Half U at the End of Words: Pokunnu, Vannu, Kandu
- 4. Doubled Consonants: Patti, Kutti, Amma, Ella
- 5. Hard and Soft T, D, N, L: Retroflex Sounds Made Easy
- 6. The Famous Zha: Vazhi, Mazha, Pazham, Kozhi
- 7. Two Rs and Two Ls: Ra and Rra, La and La
- 8. Nasal Sounds and Ng, Nj, Nn: Njaan, Engane, Ningal
- 9. Aspirated and Borrowed Sounds: Kh, Gh, Bh, F and Z
- 10. Rhythm, Stress and the Malayalam Melody
- 11. Reading Manglish: How Malayalis Type on Their Phones
- 12. Malayalam Script I: Vowels and How the Script Works
- 13. Malayalam Script II
- 14. Numbers at Home: One to a Lakh
- 15. Time, Days and Dates: Mani, Divasam and the Family Calendar
- 16. Sounds and Script Review and Test
- 17. Aanu and Undu: Two Kinds of 'To Be'
- 18. I, You, He, She: Pronouns and Respect — Nee, Ningal, Thaangal
- 19. Nouns Don't Need He or She: Gender in Malayalam Made Simple
- 20. Plurals: Kuttikal, Pusthakangal and When to Skip Them
- 21. Case Endings
- 22. Possession: Ente, Ninte, Avante and Enikku Undu
- 131. Final Review I: Sounds, Script and Numbers
- 136. Malayalam Among the World's Languages
- 137. How to Learn Malayalam
Get the full A1–A2 course (quizzes, workbook, certificate)
A2: Elementary (40 lessons)
- 23. The Present Tense: Njaan Chaaya Kudikkunnu
- 24. The Past Tense I: Vannu, Poyi, Kandu — The Common Patterns
- 25. The Past Tense II: Irregulars and the Had-Done Forms
- 26. The Future: Varum, Pokum and Plans for Tomorrow
- 27. Commands and Requests: Vaa, Varoo, Varanam, Onnu Tharaamo
- 28. Let's, Maybe and Should: -aam, Aayirikkum, -anam
- 29. Can, Must and Need: Pattum, Kazhiyum, Venam, Venda
- 30. Feelings That Happen to You: Enikku Vishakkunnu, Enikku Ishtamaanu
- 31. Asking Anything: Enthu, Aaru, Evide, Eppol, Enthinu, Engane, Ethra
- 32. Saying No: Illa, Alla, Venda, Vendaa, Paadilla
- 55. Morning at Home: Waking Up, the Bathroom Queue and Getting Ready
- 56. The Breakfast Table: Puttu, Appam, Dosa and Who Wants What
- 57. Getting the Kids Ready for School
- 58. Cooking Together in the Kitchen
- 59. Rice and Curry: Lunch Time and the Language of Taste
- 60. Help at Home: Talking Respectfully to Helpers and Workers
- 61. Doorbell, Deliveries and the Gate
- 62. Calling the Shop and Ordering Groceries
- 63. At the Fish and Vegetable Market
- 64. The Family Phone Call With Grandparents
- 65. Visiting Relatives: Being a Good Guest
- 66. Guests at Our Home: Hosting the Kerala Way
- 67. Evening Tea, Snacks and Chatting With Neighbours
- 68. Homework, Screen Time and Family Rules
- 69. Feeling Unwell at Home: Fever, Cold and Home Remedies
- 70. Something Is Not Working: The Electrician and the Plumber
- 71. Rain, Power Cuts and Monsoon Days at Home
- 72. Weekend Plans and Family Outings
- 73. Dinner Time and Bedtime
- 74. Arguments, Apologies and Making Up at Home
- 75. Celebrating at Home: Birthdays, Good News and Exam Results
- 130. Baby Talk, Pets and Little Ones at Home
- 132. Final Review II: The Grammar Engine and Case Endings
- 138. Sentence Lab 1: Build Any Sentence in Four Steps
- 139. Sentence Lab 2: Growing a Sentence One Block at a Time
- 140. Sentence Lab 3: Chaining Actions Into One Sentence
- 141. Sentence Lab 4: Turning Actions Into Things
- 142. The Tense Matrix: Is, Isn't, Is It, Isn't It in Every Time
- 149. Hands at Home: Everyday Action Verbs
- 169. We With You and We Without You: Nammal vs Njangal
Get the full A1–A2 course (quizzes, workbook, certificate)
B1: Intermediate (61 lessons)
- 33. Joining Actions: Kazhichittu, Vannappol, Pokumbol, Cheythu Kondu
- 34. Who, Which, That: Vanna Aal, Kanda Cinema, Njaan Paranja Kaaryam
- 35. If and Then: -aal, -enkil and Wishes
- 36. Quoting: Ennu, Ennaanu and Passing Messages Around the House
- 37. Little Words With Big Meaning
- 38. Making It Happen: Causatives Like Cheyyikkuka and Kudippikkuka
- 39. Compound Verbs: Vechu, Kalanju, Poyi, Kondu Vaa
- 40. Already, Just and Ever: Kazhinju, Ippo Thanne, Ittundo
- 41. Comparing Things: Kooduthal, Kuravu, Ettavum
- 42. Someone, Something, Somewhere
- 43. Describing States: Thurannu Kidakkunnu, Urangi Kidakkunnu
- 44. The Passive and 'I Can't Manage It'
- 45. Grammar Engine Review and Test
- 46. Case Masterclass: -e and -ne — The Object Marker
- 47. Case Masterclass: -kku and -nu — To, For and the Feeling Word
- 48. Case Masterclass: -il — In, At, On and Among
- 49. Case Masterclass: -inte, -nte and -ude — Of and Belonging
- 50. Case Masterclass: -ode — Talking To and Feeling Towards People
- 51. Case Masterclass: -aal and -kondu — By, With and Because Of
- 52. Case Masterclass: -il Ninnu and -ninnu — From and Since
- 53. Case Masterclass
- 54. Case Masterclass: Putting All the Endings Together
- 90. Thanks, Sorry and Please: Malayalam's Three Word Stocks
- 91. Telling a Story: Ninakku Ariyaamo Innu Enthaa Undaayathu?
- 92. Introducing Yourself to the Family and the Neighbours
- 93. Sorry, Say That Again? Keeping a Malayalam Conversation Alive
- 94. Directions Around the Neighbourhood
- 95. Money, Shopping and Prices
- 96. Clothes, Tailors and Getting Dressed Up
- 97. Travelling by Bus, Train and Auto
- 98. Weather, Seasons and Kerala Nature
- 99. Animals, Pets and Kerala's Creatures
- 100. Health, Body and the Doctor's Visit
- 101. Hobbies, Films, Music and TV Talk
- 102. Phone and Message Malayalam: Calls, Voice Notes and Family Groups
- 103. Work and Studies: Talking About Your Job and School
- 104. Emotions at Home: Happy, Tired, Bored, Worried
- 105. Compliments, Encouragement and Blessings-Free Good Wishes
- 106. Listening Lab: A Busy Family Breakfast
- 107. Listening Lab: The Phone Call Home
- 108. Listening Lab: Guests Arrive Unexpectedly
- 109. Listening Lab: The Fish Market and the Grocery Run
- 110. Listening Lab: A Rainy Day and a Power Cut
- 111. Listening Lab: A Sick Day at Home
- 112. Listening Lab: Planning a Family Trip
- 113. Listening Lab: Sunday Evening With the Family
- 133. Final Review III: Daily Life, Real Speech and Slang
- 143. Used To, Was Doing and Keeps Doing
- 144. Feelings and Impressions That Happen to You: Thonnuka and Friends
- 145. By Myself and My Own: Thanne, Swantham and Thaan
- 146. Just Because, Even So and Anyway
- 147. Reacting Like a Malayali: Little Words for Big Feelings
- 150. Sentence Lab 5: Think the Thought, Not the English Words
- 151. Keeping a Conversation Alive
- 152. Leaving Words Out: Short Native Answers
- 155. Give Me or Give Him: Tharuka vs Kodukkuka and Coming vs Going
- 156. Softeners: Onnu, Ketto and the Missing Please
- 157. Small Words, Many Meanings: Chumma, Sheri, Kozhappamilla, Pinne
- 158. Time Talk: Ippo, Ithaa and Leaving Without Saying Goodbye
- 160. Hospitality Scripts: Offering, Insisting and Refusing Food
- 168. Phone Calls, Voice Notes and Chat Malayalam
Get the full B1–B2 course (quizzes, workbook, certificate)
B2: Upper intermediate (39 lessons)
- 76. Manglish at Home: English Words With Malayalam Grammar
- 77. Alle, Ketto, Pinne, Sheri, Ayyo: The Words That Glue Talk Together
- 78. Chetta, Chechi, Mone, Mole: How Families Address Each Other
- 79. Spoken Shortcuts: How Real Malayalam Squeezes Words
- 80. Being Polite and Indirect in Malayalam
- 81. Collocations: The Word Partners of Everyday Malayalam
- 82. Malayalam's Phrasal Verbs
- 83. Colloquial Set Phrases You Hear Every Day at Home
- 84. Everyday Slang I: Friends and Young People
- 85. Everyday Slang II: Family Chat, Teasing and the Street
- 86. Everyday Idioms and Proverbs at Home
- 87. Echo Words and Doubling: Chaayayum Kaapiyum, Pathukke Pathukke
- 114. Respect in Verbs
- 115. Must Be and Probably: Aayirikkum, Kaanum, Thonnunnu
- 116. Start, Keep, Let and Try: Thudangi, Konde Irunnu, Sammathikku, Nokku
- 117. Wanting and Liking: Venam, Ishtam, Thaalparyam and Aagraham
- 118. Inviting, Accepting and Refusing Without Offending
- 119. Body Language, Gestures and the Malayali Head Nod
- 120. Count Words and Quantities: Onnu, Oru, Kurachu, Dhaaraalam
- 121. Time Words and Frequency: Eppozhum, Chilappol, Orikkalum
- 122. Common Learner Mistakes and How to Fix Them
- 123. Fast Speech: How Words Join Together (Sandhi Made Easy)
- 124. English Words, Malayali Style: Bus-u, Phone-u and Station
- 125. Don't! The Five Ways to Say It
- 126. Go Ahead: The Permissive -o and -olu (Paranjo, Paranjolu)
- 127. Even If and Even Though: Vannaalum, Mazha Peythaalum
- 134. Final Review IV: Putting It All Together in Real Conversations
- 135. Final Exam: Spoken Malayalam at Home
- 148. Word Order for Emphasis: Moving Words Around Like a Native
- 153. How Do You Know? Saw It, Heard It, Guess It
- 154. It Just Happened: Accidents vs Doing It on Purpose
- 159. Feelings in the Body: How Malayalam Describes Emotion
- 162. Story Time: Telling Stories the Malayali Way
- 163. Agreeing, Disagreeing and Giving Your Opinion
- 164. Requests, Refusals and Saving Face
- 180. Work and Meetings in Malayalam
- 181. Gulf and Diaspora Malayalam
- 184. Finding Words You Don't Know: Circumlocution
- 185. Explaining Your Own Culture in Malayalam
Get the full B1–B2 course (quizzes, workbook, certificate)
C1: Advanced (18 lessons)
- 88. Regional Malayalam I: Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Thrissur
- 89. Regional Malayalam II: Kozhikode, Kannur and Malabar Speech
- 128. Ear Lab: Malabar Malayalam (Kozhikode and Kannur)
- 129. Ear Lab: Thiruvananthapuram Malayalam
- 161. Saying the Opposite: Sarcasm, Irony and Teasing
- 165. One Message, Three Ways: Friend, Elder and Formal
- 166. Sound Words: Malayalam's Ideophones
- 167. Intonation Lab: One Sentence, Many Meanings
- 171. Native Speed Lab 1: A Family Argument at Full Speed
- 172. Native Speed Lab 2: Neighbours Chatting Over the Wall
- 174. Proverbs in Real Use: When Malayalis Actually Say Them
- 175. Humour and Wordplay: Getting the Joke
- 176. Explaining Complex Ideas Simply
- 177. Persuading and Negotiating Politely
- 178. Talking About Problems, Worries and Comfort
- 182. Generations: How Grandparents, Parents and Teens Talk
- 186. Telling a Story With Suspense
- 188. Spoken vs Written vs News Malayalam
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C2: Mastery (7 lessons)
- 170. Final Conversation Challenge: The Unscripted Day
- 173. Native Speed Lab 3
- 179. Speaking at a Family Function
- 183. Which Sounds More Natural? Choosing the Native Option
- 187. Reading the Room: Hints, Hesitation and What Is Not Said
- 189. Native Speed Lab 4: A Fast Phone Call
- 190. Grand Final: C2 Native Challenge
Get the full C1–C2 course (quizzes, workbook, certificate)
Frequently asked questions
Are the slides really free?
Yes. Every lesson’s slides are free to download for personal study. The full course adds quizzes, a workbook, cheat sheets and a certificate.
Which level should I start at?
If you are new to Malayalam, start at lesson 1. If you can already hold a simple conversation, go to the B1 lessons. Not sure? Take the free level test.
Do I need to read the Malayalam script?
No. Every slide shows Malayalam in script, in English letters and in English, so you can learn to speak first and pick up the script along the way.
© Reshmi R Nair. Slides are free for personal study; not for resale or redistribution.