In short: To ask "what is this called?", say ഇതിന്റെ പേര് എന്താ? (ithinte peru entha?) ("what's its name?"). For "what is this?": ഇത് എന്താ? (ithu entha?). പേര് (peru) = name.
Variations & related phrases
| Malayalam | Romanised | English |
|---|---|---|
| ഇതിന്റെ പേര് എന്താ? | Ithinte peru entha? | What is this called? |
| ഇത് എന്താ? | Ithu entha? | What is this? |
| അതിന്റെ പേര് എന്താ? | Athinte peru entha? | What is that called? |
| ഇതിനെ എന്താ വിളിക്കുന്നേ? | Ithine entha vilikkunne? | What do you call this? |
When & how to use it
Point and ask ithinte peru entha? to learn the names of foods, objects and places - a fast way to grow vocabulary.
Example sentences
| Malayalam | Romanised | English |
|---|---|---|
| ഈ പഴത്തിന്റെ പേര് എന്താ? | Ee pazhathinte peru entha? | What is this fruit called? |
| ഇത് എന്താ? - അത് ചക്കയാ. | Ithu entha? - Athu chakkayaa. | What is this? - That's jackfruit. |
Want to hear this used in a real conversation? Listen to Episode 24 - 'I'm Still Learning Malayalam' (Survival) in the free Listen & Learn library — every line has a Malayalam, romanised and English transcript.
Practise speaking it for real
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Book a lesson →Frequently asked questions
How do you ask what is this called in Malayalam?
Say ഇതിന്റെ പേര് എന്താ? (ithinte peru entha?).
How do you ask what is this in Malayalam?
Say ഇത് എന്താ? (ithu entha?).
What is the Malayalam word for name?
"Name" is പേര് (peru).
How do you ask what that is called?
Say അതിന്റെ പേര് എന്താ? (athinte peru entha?).