ഏതാ?
Ethaa? — Which one?
In short: To ask "which one?", say ഏതാ? (ethaa?). "Which do you want?" is ഏതാ വേണ്ടേ? (ethaa vende?), and "which is better?" is ഏതാ നല്ലത്? (ethaa nallathu?). ഏത് (eth) = which.
Variations & related phrases
| Malayalam | Romanised | English |
|---|---|---|
| ഏതാ? | Ethaa? | Which one? |
| ഏതാ വേണ്ടേ? | Ethaa vende? | Which one do you want? |
| ഏതാ നല്ലത്? | Ethaa nallathu? | Which is better? |
| ഇതോ അതോ? | Itho atho? | This one or that one? |
When & how to use it
When choosing, ethaa? ("which one?") and itho atho? ("this or that?") cover most situations. Eth = which.
Example sentences
| Malayalam | Romanised | English |
|---|---|---|
| രണ്ടും നല്ലതാ - ഏതാ വേണ്ടേ? | Randum nallathaa - ethaa vende? | Both are nice - which do you want? |
| ഏതാ നല്ലത്, നീല അതോ പച്ച? | Ethaa nallathu, neela atho pacha? | Which is better, blue or green? |
Want to hear this used in a real conversation? Listen to Episode 12 - At the Market 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 say which one in Malayalam?
Say ഏതാ? (ethaa?).
How do you ask which do you want?
Say ഏതാ വേണ്ടേ? (ethaa vende?).
How do you ask which is better?
Say ഏതാ നല്ലത്? (ethaa nallathu?).
How do you say this one or that one?
Say ഇതോ അതോ? (itho atho?).