Making plans in Malayalam means knowing your days, your times and your todays and tomorrows. This guide covers the seven days of the week, today, tomorrow and yesterday, the times of day, telling the time, the twelve months of the Malayalam calendar and Kerala’s seasons. Each word comes with the Malayalam script, an easy romanised spelling and the English meaning.
🔊 Hear it spoken — tap play
Real colloquial pronunciation, the way it’s actually said in Kerala.
The seven days of the week
Each day ends in -aazhcha, which also means “week”. In quick speech the short forms (njaayar, thingal) are common too.
| Malayalam | Romanised | English |
|---|---|---|
| ഞായറാഴ്ച | Njaayaraazhcha | Sunday |
| തിങ്കളാഴ്ച | Thinkalaazhcha | Monday |
| ചൊവ്വാഴ്ച | Chovvaazhcha | Tuesday |
| ബുധനാഴ്ച | Budhanaazhcha | Wednesday |
| വ്യാഴാഴ്ച | Vyaazhaazhcha | Thursday |
| വെള്ളിയാഴ്ച | Velliyaazhcha | Friday |
| ശനിയാഴ്ച | Shaniyaazhcha | Saturday |
| Malayalam | Romanised | English |
|---|---|---|
| ഞായറാഴ്ച ഞാൻ ഫ്രീ ആണ് | Njaayaraazhcha njaan free aanu | I’m free on Sunday |
| വെള്ളിയാഴ്ച കാണാം | Velliyaazhcha kaanaam | See you on Friday |
| ഇന്ന് ഏത് ദിവസമാ? | Innu ethu divasamaa? | What day is it today? |
Today, tomorrow, yesterday
| Malayalam | Romanised | English |
|---|---|---|
| ഇന്ന് | Innu | Today |
| നാളെ | Naale | Tomorrow |
| ഇന്നലെ | Innale | Yesterday |
| മറ്റന്നാൾ | Mattannaal | The day after tomorrow |
| മിനിഞ്ഞാന്ന് | Mininjaannu | The day before yesterday |
| ഈ ആഴ്ച | Ee aazhcha | This week |
| അടുത്ത ആഴ്ച | Adutha aazhcha | Next week |
| കഴിഞ്ഞ ആഴ്ച | Kazhinja aazhcha | Last week |
| മാസം / വർഷം | Maasam / Varsham | Month / Year |
Morning, afternoon, evening, night
| Malayalam | Romanised | English |
|---|---|---|
| പുലർച്ചെ | Pularcche | Early morning / dawn |
| രാവിലെ | Raavile | Morning |
| ഉച്ചയ്ക്ക് | Uchaykku | At noon / midday |
| ഉച്ചകഴിഞ്ഞ് | Uchakazhinju | Afternoon |
| വൈകുന്നേരം | Vaikunneram | Evening |
| രാത്രി | Raathri | Night |
| രാവിലെ കാണാം | Raavile kaanaam | See you in the morning |
| വൈകുന്നേരം വിളിക്കാം | Vaikunneram vilikkaam | I’ll call in the evening |
Good morning and good night greetings are in the greetings guide.
Telling the time
Hours are counted with mani (o’clock). Add -ara for half past: moonnara is half past three.
| Malayalam | Romanised | English |
|---|---|---|
| സമയം എത്രയായി? | Samayam ethrayaayi? | What time is it? |
| മൂന്ന് മണി | Moonnu mani | Three o’clock |
| മൂന്നര | Moonnara | Half past three |
| രാവിലെ എട്ട് മണിക്ക് | Raavile ettu manikku | At eight in the morning |
| വൈകുന്നേരം ആറ് മണിക്ക് കാണാം | Vaikunneram aaru manikku kaanaam | See you at six in the evening |
| സമയം ആയി | Samayam aayi | It’s time |
Need the numbers? See Malayalam numbers.
The Malayalam months
Alongside the international calendar, Kerala uses the Malayalam calendar (Kollavarsham). Its months begin in mid-month by the Western calendar. Festivals follow it: Onam falls in Chingam and Vishu on the first of Medam.
| Malayalam | Romanised | English |
|---|---|---|
| ചിങ്ങം | Chingam | Aug–Sep (new year month; Onam) |
| കന്നി | Kanni | Sep–Oct |
| തുലാം | Thulaam | Oct–Nov |
| വൃശ്ചികം | Vrischikam | Nov–Dec |
| ധനു | Dhanu | Dec–Jan |
| മകരം | Makaram | Jan–Feb |
| കുംഭം | Kumbham | Feb–Mar |
| മീനം | Meenam | Mar–Apr |
| മേടം | Medam | Apr–May (Vishu) |
| ഇടവം | Edavam | May–Jun |
| മിഥുനം | Mithunam | Jun–Jul |
| കർക്കടകം | Karkkadakam | Jul–Aug (monsoon month) |
Seasons in Kerala
| Malayalam | Romanised | English |
|---|---|---|
| മഴക്കാലം | Mazhakkaalam | Rainy season / monsoon |
| വേനൽക്കാലം | Venalkkaalam | Summer (hot season) |
| മഞ്ഞുകാലം | Manjukaalam | Cool season / winter |
| വസന്തം | Vasantham | Spring (mostly literary) |
| ഇപ്പോ മഴക്കാലമാ | Ippo mazhakkaalamaa | It’s the monsoon season now |
| വേനൽക്കാലത്ത് നല്ല ചൂടാ | Venalkkaalathu nalla choodaa | It’s very hot in summer |
For rain and monsoon words, see weather words in Malayalam.
Put it together: making plans
Friend: Naale free aano? — Are you free tomorrow?
You: Naale illa. Mattannaal pattum. — Not tomorrow. The day after works.
Friend: Sheri, Velliyaazhcha vaikunneram? — Okay, Friday evening?
You: Sheri, aaru manikku kaanaam! — Okay, see you at six!
Frequently asked questions
What are the days of the week in Malayalam?
Njaayaraazhcha (Sunday), Thinkalaazhcha (Monday), Chovvaazhcha (Tuesday), Budhanaazhcha (Wednesday), Vyaazhaazhcha (Thursday), Velliyaazhcha (Friday), Shaniyaazhcha (Saturday).
How do you say today, tomorrow and yesterday in Malayalam?
Innu (today), naale (tomorrow), innale (yesterday). The day after tomorrow is mattannaal.
How do you ask the time in Malayalam?
“Samayam ethrayaayi?” Answer with mani: “moonnu mani” (three o’clock), “moonnara” (half past three).
What are the Malayalam months?
Chingam, Kanni, Thulaam, Vrischikam, Dhanu, Makaram, Kumbham, Meenam, Medam, Edavam, Mithunam and Karkkadakam.
What does raavile mean?
Raavile means “in the morning”. Vaikunneram is evening and raathri is night.
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.