How To Learn Tamil

How to Learn Tamil Level 1

How to Learn Tamil Level 2

How to Learn Tamil Level 3

Videos 

https://www.youtube.com/@want2learn

How to Learn Tamil Level 1

Easy Way to Learn Tamil

Tamil is spoken primarily by the people of Tamilnadu, and Puducherry or Pondicherry, India. It is also used by Tamilians in Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius, Fiji, and South Africa. About 88.6 million people worldwide speak Tamil as their mother tongue.

Learning Tamil will be easy if we start with simple words and phrases of everyday conversation and learn to read Tamil by identifying the letters of the alphabet. It might be better to practise writing the letters as that will fix the letters in our mind and it will make reading Tamil easier for us. Being in touch with Tamil speakers, watching Tamil programmes and listening to Tamil songs will help in getting a good exposure to the language.

1. Learn Some Tamil Verbs

If we set a goal for ourselves to learn a few verbs everyday  we will have a basic vocabulary of the most important verbs. We will be able to use them in conversation and manage by using English words for the nouns we are yet to learn. 

It is easy to point out an object and use a Tamil verb to start an interaction. 

It will be better if we start using the language as soon as possible rather than wait till we gain a good competence. 

Tamil people love to help others who are trying to learn their language.

Listen to the audio and repeat the words.

Add ங்க /nga/ to make a verb polite. 

By learning the Tamil words for give, குடு, take, எடு, drink, குடி and their polite forms it will be possible to start an interaction. Just by pointing to an object and using these verbs it will be possible to begin the interaction.

குடு /kudu/ குடுங்க /kudunga/ are the spoken forms for கொடு /kodu/ கொடுங்க /kodunga/. 

2. Learn some Tamil Nouns 

By learning a few Tamil nouns such as money, பணம், photo, படம், water, தண்ணீர் and adding the verbs learnt before, it will be possible to make sentences such as give money, பணம் குடு, take photo, படம் எடு and drink water, தண்ணீர் குடி.

4. Combine adjectives and nouns to form sentences.

 /dh/ as in Buddha

This - இது - /idhu/ 

That - அது - /adhu/

ழ is a special sound in Tamil. It is only found in Tamil and Malayalam.  If ழ is properly pronounced it will give the impression that we have good competence in Tamil. The word Tamil is also written as Thamizh, தமிழ் with a ழ . 

This video shows how the letters ழ, /zh/ ள, /+l/ ற, /+r/ ன are written and produced.  A plus sign is used before l and r to show they are slightly different from the l and r sound. 

Learn the other letters.

For more such videos go to https://www.youtube.com/@want2learn 

6. Learn some relationship words. 

7. Learn some pronouns. 

8. Learn some question words. 

9. Interact, ask and answer questions with the words learnt.

By learning one question word ‘enna’ which means ‘what’ and one noun ‘peyar’ meaning ‘name’, a number of questions can be asked and answered.

The answer will be என் பெயர் - en peyar …….., என் அம்மா பெயர் - en ammaa peyar ……., என் மனைவி பெயர் - en manaivi peyar ………. 

யார் உங்க / உன் அம்மா / அப்பா/ ?  Who is your father/mother? 

எங்கே உன் அம்மா/அப்பா ?  Where is your mother/father?

10. Learn simple conversation starters. 

Listen to others’ conversations and try to learn the tone and intonation. 

Listen to the conversation and repeat it.

Go to How to Learn Tamil 2 

Learn Tamil

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