Malayalam beginner worksheets
A free printable worksheet: ten core words with script and romanisation, four short exercises, a speaking task and an answer key.
Worksheet 1: your first ten Malayalam words
This worksheet is for complete beginners. It takes about 20 minutes. Print it (print this page) or work on paper, and say every answer out loud before you write it. The answers are at the bottom.
| Malayalam | Romanised | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| വെള്ളം | vellam | water |
| ചായ | chaaya | tea |
| വീട് | veedu | house, home |
| അമ്മ | amma | mother |
| എവിടെ | evide | where |
| എന്ത് | enthu | what |
| വേണം | venam | want, need |
| വേണ്ട | venda | don't want |
| ഉണ്ട് | undu | there is, have |
| നന്ദി | nanni | thank you |
Exercise A: match the meaning
Write the letter of the correct meaning next to each word.
1. evide 2. nanni 3. veedu 4. venda 5. enthu
a) thank you b) what c) where d) don't want e) house
Exercise B: complete the sentence
Fill the gap with a word from the list, then say the sentence aloud.
1. enikku ______ venam. (I want water.)
2. amma ______? (Where is mother?)
3. ithu ______aanu? (What is this?)
4. enikku chaaya ______. (I don't want tea.)
5. chaaya ______o? (Is there tea?)
Exercise C: turn it into a question
Add -o to undu to make a yes/no question, as in vellam undu (there is water) → vellam undo? (is there water?).
1. chaaya undu → ______
2. amma veettil undu → ______
3. paal undu → ______
Exercise D: speak
Record a 20-second voice note: greet the listener with namaskaaram, say what you want with enikku ___ venam, ask where something is with ___ evide?, and finish with nanni. Listen back once and check your long vowels (aa in chaaya).
Answers
A: 1 c, 2 a, 3 e, 4 d, 5 b
B: 1 vellam, 2 evide, 3 enth(aanu), 4 venda, 5 und(o)
C: 1 chaaya undo? 2 amma veettil undo? 3 paal undo?
Got most of them? Move on to 20 words and a seven-day plan, the 50 conversation prompts and the learner's dictionary. For more printable practice, get the free starter pack, or book a lesson to have your voice note corrected.
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