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Dictionary
Malayalam words with real learner examples.
The everyday words my beginners use most, each with the Malayalam script, simple romanisation and a real example sentence.
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A learner's dictionary of everyday Malayalam
This is a short dictionary of the words my beginners use most, each with the Malayalam script, a simple romanisation and a real example sentence. It is deliberately small: knowing these 48 words well, and in sentences, is worth more than recognising a thousand from a list.
Verbs are listed in their dictionary form (ending in -uka), with an example of how they are actually spoken.
Question words
| Malayalam | Romanised | Meaning | Example |
|---|
| എന്ത് | enthu | what | ithu enthaanu? What is this? |
| എവിടെ | evide | where | amma evide? Where is mother? |
| ആര് | aaru | who | avide aaraanu? Who is there? |
| എപ്പോൾ | eppol | when | eppol varum? When will you come? |
| എങ്ങനെ | engane | how | avide engane pokum? How do I get there? |
| എത്ര | ethra | how much / many | ithinu ethrayaanu? How much is this? |
| എന്തുകൊണ്ട് | enthukondu | why | enthukondu vannilla? Why didn't you come? |
| ഏത് | ethu | which | ethu bus? Which bus? |
Everyday verbs
| Malayalam | Romanised | Meaning | Example |
|---|
| പോവുക | povuka | to go | njaan veettilekku povukayaanu I'm going home |
| വരുക | varuka | to come | avan vannu He came |
| കഴിക്കുക | kazhikkuka | to eat | njaan kazhichu I ate |
| കുടിക്കുക | kudikkuka | to drink | chaaya kudicho? Did you have tea? |
| പറയുക | parayuka | to say | onnu koodi parayaamo? Could you say it again? |
| ചെയ്യുക | cheyyuka | to do | enthu cheyyunnu? What are you doing? |
| അറിയുക | ariyuka | to know | enikku ariyilla I don't know |
| കാണുക | kaanuka | to see | pinne kaanaam See you later |
| ഉറങ്ങുക | uranguka | to sleep | urangiyo? Did you sleep? |
| വിളിക്കുക | vilikkuka | to call | pinne vilikkaam I'll call later |
Food and drink
| Malayalam | Romanised | Meaning | Example |
|---|
| ചോറ് | choru | cooked rice; a meal | choru kazhicho? Have you eaten? (a common greeting) |
| വെള്ളം | vellam | water | kurachu vellam tharaamo? Could I have some water? |
| ചായ | chaaya | tea | enikku chaaya venam I want tea |
| കാപ്പി | kaappi | coffee | kaappi undo? Is there coffee? |
| മീൻ | meen | fish | meen curry fish curry |
| പാൽ | paal | milk | paal venda No milk, thanks |
| പഴം | pazham | banana; fruit | pazham undo? Are there bananas? |
| എരിവ് | erivu | spicy heat | erivu kurachu mathi Not too spicy, please |
Family
| Malayalam | Romanised | Meaning | Example |
|---|
| അമ്മ | amma | mother | |
| അച്ഛൻ | achan | father | |
| ചേട്ടൻ | chettan | elder brother | also a polite way to address an older man |
| ചേച്ചി | chechi | elder sister | also a polite way to address an older woman |
| അനിയൻ | aniyan | younger brother | |
| അനിയത്തി | aniyathi | younger sister | |
Time
| Malayalam | Romanised | Meaning | Example |
|---|
| ഇന്ന് | innu | today | |
| നാളെ | naale | tomorrow | naale kaanaam See you tomorrow |
| ഇന്നലെ | innale | yesterday | |
| ഇപ്പോൾ | ippol | now | njaan ippol varaam I'm coming now |
| പിന്നെ | pinne | later; then | |
| രാവിലെ | raavile | morning | |
| വൈകുന്നേരം | vaikunneram | evening | |
| രാത്രി | raathri | night | |
Describing words
| Malayalam | Romanised | Meaning | Example |
|---|
| നല്ല | nalla | good | nalla chaaya good tea |
| വലിയ | valiya | big | valiya veedu a big house |
| ചെറിയ | cheriya | small | |
| പുതിയ | puthiya | new | |
| ചൂട് | choodu | heat; hot | innu nalla choodaanu It's really hot today |
| തണുപ്പ് | thanuppu | cold | |
| എളുപ്പം | eluppam | easy | |
| ബുദ്ധിമുട്ട് | buddhimuttu | difficulty; hard | buddhimuttaanu It's hard |
RRN
Written by Reshmi R NairApplied linguist and native Malayalam speaker · 15+ years teaching spoken Malayalam to English speakers and the Malayali diaspora · 3,000+ learners in 10+ countries. About me · Book a lesson
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