Going by the general perception, Tamil might look like a difficult language to learn. Even learning basic phrases like ‘my name is so-and-so’ or ‘how are you’ in this Asian language might seem daunting for beginners. But here’s the thing: looks can be deceptive! In this post, we’ll go over how to say how are you in Tamil in the easiest way possible to that you can start communicating like a pro with the locals. Let’s start!
Formal Vs. Informal Tone In The Tamil Language
“வணக்கம், எப்படி இருக்கிறீர்கள்?” (Vaṇakkam, Eppaṭi irukkiṟīrkaḷ?) translates into, “Hello, how are you?” in Tamil. It is the most common and basic phrase you will hear from Tamil-speaking locals when you are meeting them for the first time. And yes, it is a formal way of greeting someone or enquiring about their well-being.
That’s because, like many other languages that carry a different set of sentence formations based on the formality or informality of the situation, the Tamil language does the same. If you are meeting someone for the first time, you are certainly going to use a formal tone and structure of language.
But, as is the norm in Indian culture and, by extension, the Tamil culture, age commands respect. So, a respectful tone is used with any person who is older than you in age to show them respect.
Tamil people generally address relationships within the family, like parents, grandparents, elder siblings, uncles, and aunts, with a formal use of ‘you’, similar to ‘Aap‘ in Hindi and Urdu. This remains the case unless the family doesn’t strictly follow this culture or is cool with casual interactions within these relationships.
Let’s look at some Tamil words to address people.
| English | Tamil | Roman Transcription |
|---|---|---|
| Mother | அம்மா | Am’mā |
| Father | அப்பா | Appā |
| Brother/ Non-related elder male | அண்ணா | Aṇṇā |
| Younger brother | தம்பி | Tampi |
| Sister/ Non-related elder female | அக்கா | Akkā |
| Younger sister | தங்கட்சி | Taṅkaṭci |
| Friend | நண்பன் | Naṇpaṉ |
| Non-related older male | அய்யா | Ayyā |
| Non-related older female | அம்மா | Am’mā |
How Are You In Tamil
Let’s now use some of the terms in the section above in crafting our new versions for asking how someone is.
| English | Tamil | Roman Transcription |
|---|---|---|
| Hello, how are you? (Formal) | வணக்கம், எப்படி இருக்கிறீர்கள் | Vaṇakkam, nīṅkaḷ eppaṭi irukkiṟīrkaḷ? |
| How are you, sir? | நீங்கள் எப்படி இருக்கிறீர்கள் அய்யா? | Nīṅkaḷ eppaṭi irukkiṟīrkaḷ ayyā? |
| How are you, madam? | எப்படி இருக்கீங்க மேடம்? | Eppaṭi irukkīṅka mēṭam? |
| Good morning, how are you? | காலை வணக்கம் எப்படி இருக்கிறீர்கள்? | Kālai vaṇakkam eppaṭi irukkiṟīrkaḷ? |
| Good evening, how are you? | மாலை வணக்கம் எப்படி இருக்கிறீர்கள்? | Mālai vaṇakkam eppaṭi irukkiṟīrkaḷ? |
| How are you, dear? | அன்பே நீங்கள் எப்படி இருக்கிறீர்கள்? | Aṉpē nīṅkaḷ eppaṭi irukkiṟīrkaḷ? |
| How are you, friend? | எப்படி இருக்கிறாய் நண்பா? | Eppaṭi irukkiṟāy naṇpā? |
| How are you, guys? | எப்படி இருக்கிறீர்கள் நண்பர்களே? | Eppaṭi irukkiṟīrkaḷ naṇparkaḷē? |
| How are you, bro? | எப்படி இருக்கீங்க தம்பி? | Eppaṭi irukkīṅka tampi? |
| Are you doing well? | நீங்கள் நன்றாக இருக்கிறீர்களா? | Nīṅkaḷ naṉṟāka irukkiṟīrkaḷā? |
| Are you feeling better today? | இன்று நீங்கள் நன்றாக உணர்கிறீர்களா? | Iṉṟu nīṅkaḷ naṉṟāka uṇarkiṟīrkaḷā? |
| Are you comfortable? | சுகமா இருக்கீங்களா? | Cukama irukkuṟīṅkaḷā? |
Trivia: In the last sentence Cukama or Sukham is a Sanskrit word meaning happiness.
Simple Tamil Responses
Now that we know how to ask someone how they are, let’s also learn how to respond to that question ourselves. Here are some Tamil responses to the questions above.
| English | Tamil | Roman Transcription |
|---|---|---|
| I am fine, thank you. | நான் நன்றாக இருக்கிறேன், நன்றி | Nāṉ naṉṟāka irukkiṟēṉ, naṉṟi. |
| I am fine, dear. | நான் நலம் அன்புக்குரியவரே | Nāṉ nalam aṉpukkuriyavarē. |
| I am fine, and you? | நான் நன்றாக இருக்கிறேன், நீங்கள்? | Nāṉ naṉṟāka irukkiṟēṉ, nīṅkaḷ? |
| Good, and you? | நல்லது மற்றும் நீங்கள்? | Nallatu maṟṟum nīṅkaḷ? |
| Very good. | மிகவும் நல்லது | Mikavum nallatu. |
| Good. | நல்ல சுகன் | Nalla cukama. |
| Alright/ so-so. | இருக்கிறன் பரவாயில்லை. | Irukkiṟaṉ paravāyillai. |
| I am not well. | எனக்கு உடம்பு சரியில்லை | Eṉakku uṭampu cariyillai. |
Practice Conversation: Learn Tamil Through Dialogues
The best way to learn a new language is through repetitive spoken dialogues. You can practice speaking the Tamil language by practicing following conversations.
Conversation 1 (Formal)
Person 1: Vaṇakkam, nīṅkaḷ eppaṭi irukkiṟīrkaḷ? (Hello, how are you?)
Person 2: Nāṉ naṉṟāka irukkiṟēṉ, nīṅkaḷ? (I am fine, and you?)
Person 1: Nāṉ naṉṟāka irukkiṟēṉ, naṉṟi. (I am fine too, thank you.)
Conversation 2 (Formal/ Respectful)
Person 1: Nīṅkaḷ eppaṭi irukkiṟīrkaḷ annā? (How are you, elder brother?)
Person 2: Nāṉ nalam tampi, nīyā? (I am fine, younger brother, and you?)
Person 1: Nalla cukama. (Good.)
Conversation 3 (Informal)
Person 1: Eppaṭi irukkiṟāy naṇpā? (How are you, friend?)
Person 2: Eṉakku uṭampu cariyillai. (I am not well.)
Person 1: Kavaṉittukkoḷ. (Take care.)
Learning Tamil Is Easy
The Tamil language (Tamiẓ/Tamiḻ – தமிழ்), as you must be aware, is the native language of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the official language of Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry. Apart from that, it is also the official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore.
There is also a significant Tamil-speaking diaspora in Malaysia, Fiji, Mauritius, and South Africa. Belonging to the Dravidian language family and deemed a classical language, Tamil is one of the oldest languages in the world.
Belonging to the Dravidian language family and deemed a classical language, Tamil is one of the oldest languages in the world.
This is good news for a language learner as you are bound to come across similar sounding or common words or words with common or shared roots between your native language and Tamil. For instance, Korean and Tamil have a number of common words and shared root words thanks to their shared culture that dates long back.
Similarly, French and Tamil also share between them a plethora of words with shared or derived roots. This makes Tamil an easy language to learn, doesn’t it?
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