The Kannada You'll Use Every Single Day

Greetings, pronouns, the magic trio of beku, beDa and saaku, 18 everyday verbs and every question word you need for autos, shops and new friends.

Kannada is one of India's classical languages, with a written history that goes back well over a thousand years, and it is the language of Karnataka. You can get by in Bengaluru without it. But the moment you say 'namaskaara' to the security uncle, or 'saaku' to the man piling a third ladle of sambar on your plate, the city treats you a little differently. Warmer. Like you live here.

This chapter is the toolkit: the small words that turn up in almost every conversation. No grammar lectures yet. Learn these, say them out loud, and use one new word a day on someone real.

waving_handSay Hello Like You Live Here

Four words that open every door, from your landlord's to the darshini counter's.

groupMe, You, Us and Them

The people words, and the little endings that turn 'I' into 'my', 'mine' and 'for me'.

near_meThis, That, Here, There

Pointing words. Combine them with a finger and you can buy almost anything at KR Market.

thumbs_up_downWant, Don't Want, Enough

If you only learn one section, make it this one. Shops, buffets, autos, aunties offering a second helping: it all runs on these.

directions_run18 Action Words for Everyday Life

These are the simple command forms, the way you'd say them to a friend. Add -i or -ri on the end to make most of them polite (more on that below).

helpEvery Question Word You Need

Ten words that start every question. Notice how most of them begin with 'y' or 'e'.

diversity_3Friendly or Polite? One Small Ending Decides

Kannada has two ways to say 'you', and the verb changes with it. With a friend or a child, use neenu and the plain verb. With anyone older, a stranger, a shopkeeper or your boss, use neevu and add the polite ending. It's the difference between 'come here' and 'please come here', and people notice.

chatPut It Together: Sentences You Can Use Today

Mix the words above and you already have real sentences. Try these out loud.

record_voice_overAsk Away: Questions for Real Conversations

The polite version is the one to use with anyone you've just met.

Got a Kannada word you always mishear, or a phrase you want us to cover? Tap the WhatsApp icon at the bottom right of your screen and tell us. And if you'd like each new chapter delivered, join our ever-growing community: subscribe to The City 24/7 newsletter.