Verbs are the engine of every sentence. Learn these core Malayalam verbs and you can build endless simple sentences.
| English | Malayalam (Romanised) |
|---|---|
| to eat | kazhikkuka |
| to drink | kudikkuka |
| to go | pokuka |
| to come | varuka |
| to speak | samsaarikkuka |
| to see | kaanuka |
| to know | ariyuka |
| to want | venam |
| to give | tharuka |
| to do | cheyyuka |
| to sleep | uranguka |
| to read | vaayikkuka |
| to write | ezhuthuka |
| to walk | nadakkuka |
| to sit | irikkuka |
| to stand | nilkkuka |
| to learn | padikkuka |
| to understand | manassilaakkuka |
| to like | ishtappeduka |
| to buy | vaanguka |
Tip: in Malayalam the verb usually comes at the end of the sentence. Combine a verb with words from common words — e.g. "Vellam kudikkuka" (drink water).
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Building sentences with everyday verbs
Verbs are the engine of conversation, so a small set of common ones unlocks a huge range of sentences. Master pokuka (go), varuka (come), kazhikkuka (eat), kudikkuka (drink), parayuka (say) and cheyyuka (do), and you can already express most daily actions.
Malayalam verbs are wonderfully regular: you change the ending to mark tense. From the present njan pokunnu (I am going) you can build the past njan poyi (I went) and the future njan pokum (I will go). Because the pattern is consistent, learning one verb teaches you how dozens behave.
Practise by narrating your own actions in real time — what you’re doing, did, or will do — using the same handful of verbs. This builds the instinct to reach for the right form automatically, which is what fluent speaking really is.
Conjugating common verbs
Malayalam verbs are wonderfully regular: change the ending to mark tense. Learn the pattern with these high-frequency verbs and you can handle most everyday actions.
| Verb | Present (-ing) | Past | Future |
|---|---|---|---|
| go | pokunnu | poyi | pokum |
| come | varunnu | vannu | varum |
| eat | kazhikkunnu | kazhichu | kazhikkum |
| do | cheyyunnu | cheythu | cheyyum |
| say | parayunnu | paranju | parayum |
| see | kaanunnu | kandu | kaanum |
Building sentences fast
Start from the present: njan pokunnu (I am going). Swap the verb and you have njan kazhikkunnu (I am eating), njan varunnu (I am coming). Because the endings are consistent, learning one verb effectively teaches you how dozens behave across all three tenses.
The fastest way to internalise this is to narrate your own actions in real time — what you're doing, did, and will do — using the same handful of verbs. That builds the instinct to reach for the right form automatically, which is what fluent speaking really is.
Frequently asked questions
What are common Malayalam verbs for beginners?
Pokuka (go), varuka (come), kazhikkuka (eat), kudikkuka (drink), parayuka (say) and cheyyuka (do) are everyday high-frequency verbs.
How do Malayalam verbs change with tense?
Malayalam verbs add endings for past, present and future, and the pattern is consistent — once you learn the system you can conjugate predictably.
How do you say 'I am going' in Malayalam?
"Njan pokunnu" means "I am going." Swapping the verb stem lets you build many everyday sentences with the same pattern.
Why focus on verbs early?
Verbs are the engine of sentences — a handful of common verbs plus patterns lets you express a huge range of everyday actions.
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