In short: To ask "what do you do (for work)?", say എന്താ ജോലി? (entha joli?) or എന്താ ചെയ്യുന്നേ? (entha cheyyunne?). To answer: ഞാൻ ഒരു ___ ആണ് (njaan oru ___ aanu) ("I'm a ___").
Variations & related phrases
| Malayalam | Romanised | English |
|---|---|---|
| എന്താ ജോലി? | Entha joli? | What's your job? |
| എന്താ ചെയ്യുന്നേ? | Entha cheyyunne? | What do you do? |
| ഞാൻ ഒരു ടീച്ചർ ആണ് | Njaan oru teacher aanu | I'm a teacher |
| ഞാൻ പഠിക്കുവാ | Njaan padikkuvaa | I'm a student / I study |
When & how to use it
Joli means "job/work". English job titles (teacher, engineer, doctor) are commonly used as-is in everyday Malayalam.
Example sentences
| Malayalam | Romanised | English |
|---|---|---|
| എന്താ ജോലി? - ഞാൻ ഒരു ഡോക്ടർ ആണ്. | Entha joli? - Njaan oru doctor aanu. | What do you do? - I'm a doctor. |
| ഞാൻ ഇപ്പോ പഠിക്കുവാ. | Njaan ippo padikkuvaa. | I'm studying right now. |
Want to hear this used in a real conversation? Listen to Episode 7 - Meeting Someone New in the free Listen & Learn library — every line has a Malayalam, romanised and English transcript.
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Book a lesson →Frequently asked questions
How do you ask what do you do in Malayalam?
Say എന്താ ജോലി? (entha joli?) or എന്താ ചെയ്യുന്നേ? (entha cheyyunne?).
How do you say I'm a teacher in Malayalam?
Say ഞാൻ ഒരു ടീച്ചർ ആണ് (njaan oru teacher aanu).
What is the Malayalam word for job?
"Job/work" is ജോലി (joli).
How do you say I'm a student in Malayalam?
Say ഞാൻ പഠിക്കുവാ (njaan padikkuvaa).