Clothing words come up when shopping, getting ready for a wedding or Onam, or simply telling a child to put their shoes on. This guide covers everyday clothes, Kerala’s traditional dress, footwear and accessories, and the phrases you’ll need. Each word comes with the Malayalam script, an easy romanised spelling and the English meaning.
Everyday clothes
Many clothing words are borrowed from English, so you already know half of them.
| Malayalam | Romanised | English |
|---|---|---|
| ഷർട്ട് | Shirt | Shirt |
| പാന്റ്സ് | Pants | Trousers |
| ഡ്രസ്സ് | Dress | Dress / clothes |
| ചുരിദാർ | Churidaar | Churidar (tunic and trousers) |
| കുർത്ത | Kurtha | Kurta |
| ഉടുപ്പ് | Uduppu | Clothes / a garment |
Traditional Kerala dress
For Onam, weddings and temple visits, Malayalis often wear cream cotton with a gold border, called kasavu.
| Malayalam | Romanised | English |
|---|---|---|
| മുണ്ട് | Mundu | Mundu (men’s wrap, worn at the waist) |
| സാരി | Saari | Saree |
| സെറ്റുമുണ്ട് | Settumundu | Set-mundu (women’s two-piece traditional dress) |
| കസവ് | Kasavu | Gold border (on a mundu or saree) |
Footwear and accessories
| Malayalam | Romanised | English |
|---|---|---|
| ചെരുപ്പ് | Cheruppu | Sandals / footwear |
| ഷൂ | Shoe | Shoes |
| തൊപ്പി | Thoppi | Cap / hat |
| കണ്ണട | Kannada | Glasses |
| കുട | Kuda | Umbrella |
Useful phrases
| Malayalam | Romanised | English |
|---|---|---|
| ഷർട്ട് ഇടൂ | Shirt idoo | Put your shirt on |
| ചെരുപ്പ് ഇട് | Cheruppu idu | Put your sandals on |
| ഈ ഡ്രസ്സ് നന്നായിട്ടുണ്ട് | Ee dress nannaayittundu | This dress looks nice |
| ഈ ഷർട്ടിന്റെ വില എത്രയാ? | Ee shirtinte vila ethrayaa? | How much is this shirt? |
| എനിക്ക് ഒരു മുണ്ട് വേണം | Enikku oru mundu venam | I’d like a mundu |
Remember to take your cheruppu off before entering a Kerala home or temple. For buying clothes, see shopping phrases; for colours, see colours in Malayalam.
Frequently asked questions
What is mundu in Malayalam?
A mundu (മുണ്ട്) is the traditional wrap worn at the waist, often with a gold kasavu border for festivals.
What is set mundu?
Settumundu is the women’s two-piece traditional dress of Kerala, usually cream with a gold kasavu border.
How do you say put your shoes on in Malayalam?
“Cheruppu idu” (sandals) or “shoe idu”. Idu means put on.
Ready to actually speak Malayalam?
Learn one-to-one with Reshmi R Nair, Malayalam Linguist — speak from your first lesson. Or grab the free phrasebook to start today.
Book a lesson → Free 100-phrase PDFOnline 1-to-1 classes for learners in the USA, UK, UAE & Gulf and Canada · all countries and time zones
Pop in your email and the download unlocks instantly — plus new free guides when they come out. No spam.