Engaging in small talk is essential if you interact with Telugu people often. This is why having specific conversational Telugu phrases in your repertoire is important.
But where to start, you may ask? That’s precisely why I’ve written this blog. In this article, we’ll learn some Telugu language phrases that will come in handy in the office, with friends, while going out, and so on. Learning these will significantly improve your Telugu skills and simplify your life. So, without further ado, let’s begin.
Table Of Contents
Essential Conversational Telugu Phrases
What’s more important than learning the bare essentials? After all, you should be able to eat, travel, ask, and respond to people to carry out your tasks amidst Telugu speakers. We’ve already written several blogs on these basic phrases to help you learn Telugu, so I’ll add the links wherever needed.
Introducing yourself is the first and most important thing you do. So, you can read our blog on how to introduce yourself in Telugu first. Once you’re done with introductions, come back here to learn other essentials, which will help you make small talk with anyone in your daily life.
A quick note: The Telugu translations in the tables below are in the Andhra Pradesh dialect, which people of all dialects understand. But chances are there will be a few differences, so you may have to do your research as well. We’ll add more content on various dialects soon to help you out!
Starting A Conversation
Let’s say you meet someone by chance. After greeting them in Telugu, how do you start a conversation? Below is a table lining a few phrases to start a conversation.
| English | Telugu | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| How are you? | ఎలా ఉన్నారు? | Ela unnaru? |
| What’s your name? | మీ పేరు ఏంటి? | Mee peru eenti? |
| Where are you going? | ఎక్కడికి వెళ్తున్నారు? | Ekkadiki velthunnaru? |
| Where are we? | మనం ఎక్కడ ఉన్నాం? | Manam ekkada unnam? |
| What is this place? | ఈ చోటు ఏంటి? | Ee chotu enti? |
| What’s up? | ఏంటి సంగతి? | Eenti sangati? |
Asking About Someone’s Day
If you show interest in others, they’ll reciprocate. Ask these questions to show others you wanna know about their day.
| English | Telugu | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| Ready to start your day? | మీ పని మొదలెట్టడానికి సిద్ధమా? | Mee pani modaletadani siddhamaa? |
| How’s your day? | నీ రోజు ఎలా గడిచింది? | Nee roju ela gadichindi? |
| How was work like? | పని ఎలా సాగింది? | Pani ela saagindi? |
| Anything interesting happened today? | ఇవాళ ఏమైనా ఇంటరెస్టింగ్ విషయం జరిగిందా? | Ivaala eamina interesting vishayam jarigindaa? |
Asking For Directions
There’s a saying in Telugu, “అడగనిదే అమ్మ అయినా అన్నం పెట్టదు” (Adaganide Amma Aina Annam Pettadu), which means “Even a mom won’t feed you unless you ask,” which means you cannot get anything unless you ask for it.
And with only 15% of the population speaking English, it’s a must to know how to ask questions, especially when you’re traveling in Telugu regions. So, use these phrases and you’ll thank yourself for knowing them.
| English | Telugu | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| How do I go to _________? | _______కి ఎలా వెళ్ళాలి? | _______ki ela vellali? |
| How far is ________ from here? | _______ ఇక్కడి నుండి ఎంత దూరం? | ______ ikkadi nundi enta dooram? |
| Do you know where _____ is? | _______ ఎక్కడ ఉందో తెలుసా? | ______ ekkada undoo telusa? |
| Which way is _______? | _______కి ఎలా వెళ్ళాలి? | _______ki ela vejjali? |
| Can you show ______ on Google Maps? | _______ని గూగుల్ మ్యాప్స్ లో చూపిస్తారా? | _______ni Google Maps lo choopistara? |
Talking About Food
Here are a few more conversational Telugu phrases to start a simple conversation about food, one of the most common topics for small talk.
| English | Telugu | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| How’s the food? | ఫుడ్ ఎలా ఉంది? | Food ela undi? |
| What’s your lunch for today? | ఇవాళ నీ లంచ్ ఏంటి? | Ivaal nee lunch eenti? |
| Do you like spicy or sweet? | నీకు స్పైసి నచ్చుతుందా స్వీట్ నచ్చుతుందా? | Neeku spicy nachchutundaa, sweet nachchutundaa? |
| What’s your favourite cuisine? | నీకు ఇష్టమైన క్యూసిన్ ఏది? | Neeku ishtamaina cuisine eedi? |
Discussing The Weather
And here are some phrases to talk about the weather, another topic that’s very common for making small talk.
| English | Telugu | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| Is the weather here always like this? | ఇక్కడ వెథర్ ఎప్పుడూ ఇలాగే ఉంటుందా? | Ikkaḍa weather eppudu ilaage untadaa? |
| Do you think it’s going to rain? | రైన్ వస్తుంది అనుకుంటున్నావా? | Rain vastundi anukuntunnavaa? |
| How’s the summer here like? | ఇక్కడ సమ్మర్ ఎలా ఉంటుంది? | Ikkaḍa summer ela untundi? |
| Pretty hot day, isn’t it? | బాగా వేడిగా ఉంది కదా? | Bagaa vediga undi kadaa? |
Saying Goodbye
It’s always hard to say goodbye. Especially to your loved ones. And if that loved one happens to be a Telugu person, don’t you think it’d move them a little more if you said goodbye in Telugu? So, use these phrases when saying goodbye.
| English | Telugu | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| Good bye | వీడుకోలు/గుడ్ బై | Veedikolu/Good Bye |
| Take care, see you again | జాగ్రత్తగా ఉండండి, మళ్ళీ కలుసుకుందాం | Jaagrattaga undandi, malli kalusukundam. |
| Let’s meet again | మళ్ళీ కలుద్దాం | Malli kaluddam. |
| I’ll leave, bye. | ఇక ఉంటాను, బై. | Ika untaanu, bye. |
Telugu Words And Phrases For Daily Life
Discussing Travel Plans
Travel is essential for our growth. It shows us who we are and changes our perspective on life. So, before you use your phrases to navigate, learn these phrases to tell others about your travel plans.
You can ask where to go, or ask them to join you in Telugu. Maybe they’ll take you to some hidden gems!
| English | Telugu | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| I’m going to ______ for a vacation | నేను సెలవులకు _______కి వెళ్తున్నాను. | Nenu selavulaku _______ki velthunnanu. |
| Still deciding where to go, any recommendations? | ఇంకా ఎక్కడికి వెళ్లాలో డిసైడ్ కాలేదు, సలహా ఇస్తారా? | Inka ekkadi ki vellu aloo decide kaaledu, salah istara? |
| Let’s go to _______? | _______కి వెళదామా? | _______ki veladama? |
| Shall we go on a road trip? | రోడ్ ట్రిప్ వేద్దామా? | Road trip veddaama? |
Expressing Emotions
Human life is one giant emotional episode. At any given moment, we’re always experiencing some good or bad emotions. Use these phrases to express them.
| English | Telugu | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| I’m so happy | నాకు చాలా సంతోషంగా ఉంది | Naaku chala santhoshanga undi. |
| I’m satisfied | నాకు సంతృప్తిగా ఉంది | Naaku santhruptiga undi. |
| I’m sad | నాకు బాధగా ఉంది | Naaku baadhaga undi. |
| I’m feeling excited | నాకు ఆసక్తిగా ఉంది | Naaku aasaktiga undi. |
Useful Phrases For Shopping
If you live amongst Telugu people, these conversational Telugu phrases will undoubtedly help you get what you want when shopping. Telugu people are some of the most helpful, so these phrases will save you time and money and allow others to help you.
| English | Telugu | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| Excuse me, how much is this? | ఏమండీ, ఇది ఎంత? | Emandi, idi entha? |
| Where can I find ______? | _______ ఎక్కడ ఉంటుంది? | ____ ekkada untundi? |
| Do you take credit card? | మీరు క్రెడిట్ కార్డు తీసుకుంటారా? | Meeru credit card teesukuntaraa? |
| Where is the QR code for UPI? | UPIకి QR కోడ్ ఎక్కడ ఉంది? | UPI ki QR code ekkada undi? |
Making Plans With People
Humans are social animals; we all agree on that. But if you are in a land where you don’t speak the language, there’s not much socializing you can do.
So, use these phrases to make plans with fellow Telugu social animals and build your rapport.
| English | Telugu | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| Shall we go to _____ in the evening? | సాయంత్రం _______కి వెళదామా? | Saayantram _______ki veldaama? |
| What are your plans for tomorrow? | రేపు నీ ప్లాను ఏంటి? | Repu nee planu eenti? |
| Do you want to hang out this weekend? | వీకెండ్ కలుద్దామా? | Weekend kaluddaama? |
| Are we meeting tomorrow? | రేపు కలుస్తున్నామా? | Repu kalustunnama? |
Ways To Ask Or Tell The Time
Time is essential, especially when you’ve got some fun place to be and are stuck in the office waiting to clock out. But how do you ask what time it is if those around you cannot speak English? This is how.
| English | Telugu | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| What’s the time? | టైమ్ ఎంత అయింది? | Time entha ayindi? |
| What time does the train arrive at? | ట్రైన్ ఏ టైమ్ కి వస్తుంది? | Train eya time ki vastundi? |
| When does the event start? | ఈవెంట్ ఎప్పుడు మొదలవుతుంది? | Event eppudu modalavuthundi? |
| We’ve got plenty of time | మనకు చాలా టైమ్ ఉంది | Manaku chala time undi |
| It’s 10:45 am | ఇప్పుడు ఉదయం 10:45 అయింది | Ippudu udayam 10:45 aindi |
| It’s 9:45 pm | ఇప్పుడు రాత్రి 09:45 అయింది | Ippudu ratri 9:45 aindi |
Telugu Words And Phrases For The Office
Talking About Work
In an office setting, especially in the work culture of Telugu people, making others feel at ease is important. And what better way to do it than speaking to them in their language? Use these phrases next time you talk about work.
| English | Telugu | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| How’s your work going? | పని ఎలా నడుస్తోంది? | Pani ela nadustondi? |
| Are you done with your task? | మీ పని అయిపోయిందా? | Mee pani ayipoyinda? |
| I’m working on ______ | నేను _______ మీద పని చేస్తున్నా. | Nenu __ meeda pani chesstunna. |
| Can we catch-up at ___? | ____కి మాట్లాడుకుందామా? | ____ki maatladukundama? |
Making Small Talk At The Office
The same principle applies to informal chit-chat. Try these and make your Telugu colleagues intrigued by your interest in them.
| English | Telugu | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| How’s the breakfast? | బ్రేక్ ఫాస్ట్ ఎలా ఉంది? | Break fast ela undi? |
| Have you seen any movies recently? | ఈ మధ్య ఏమైనా సినిమాలు చూశారా? | Ee madhya eamina sinimalu chusara? |
| Can you recommend some music? | ఏమైనా మ్యూజిక్ రికమండ్ చేస్తావా? | Eamina music recommend chestava? |
| What are your hobbies? | మీ హాబీలు ఏంటి? | Mee hobbies eenti? |
Offering Help To Someone
It’s likely that you’ll have to help someone at work eventually, so here are some phrases to offer a helping hand.
| English | Telugu | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| Do you need some help? | నీకు సాయం కావాలా? | Neeku saayam kaavalaa? |
| Is everything fine with work? | పని బాగా జరుగుతుందా? | Pani baaga jarugutundaa? |
| Feel free to ask if you need help. | సాయం కావాలంటే తప్పకుండ అడుగు. | Saayam kaavalante tappakunda adugu. |
Making Requests Politely
If you’re working with a group of people, you’ll probably need to make some polite requests or ask for their help. You can use these phrases:
| English | Telugu | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| Can you please look into this? | కొంచెం ఇదేంటో చూస్తావా? | Konchem idento choostavaa? |
| Can you close this by ______ please? | ఈ పని _______కి క్లోజ్ చేయగలవా? | Ee pani ______ki close cheyagalaavaa? |
| Can I ask you for something? | నేను నిన్ను ఒకటి అడగొచ్చా? | Nenu ninnu okaṭi adagoccha? |
| Do you have a moment to talk? | ఒక క్షణం మాట్లాడటానికి వీలవుతుందా? | Oka kshanam maatladatanki veelavutundaa? |
Asking For Clarification
You’ll have to talk a lot when you’re working with others. To accomplish this while building valuable relationships, fixing any misunderstandings benefits you and everyone around you. Here are essential phrases for that.
| English | Telugu | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| Can you elaborate this? | ఇది కొంచెం వివరిస్తావా? | Idi konchem vivaristavaa? |
| Need some clarification, can you please help? | కొంచెం క్లారిటీ కావాలి, సాయం చేస్తావా? | Konchem clarity kaavali, saayam chestavaa? |
| I didn’t understand it. Please repeat. | అర్థం కాలేదు. మళ్ళీ చెప్పు ప్లీజ్. | Ardham kaaledu. Malli cheppu please. |
| Could you summarize this? | ఇది చిన్నగా చెప్తావా? | Idi chinnaga cheptavaa? |
| Can you give me an example | నాకు ఒక ఉదాహరణ ఇస్తావా? | Naaku oka udaharanam isstavaa? |
Telugu Words And Phrases For Friends
Complimenting Someone
Let’s say your Telugu teammate accomplished something great, or you want to compliment someone’s fashion sense. These are essential things when building your relationship with others. So, use these phrases to compliment them.
| English | Telugu | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| Well done. | భలే చేసారు | Bhale chesaru. |
| You look amazing today | ఇవాళ నువ్వు చాలా అందంగా ఉన్నావు. | Ivaal nuvvu chala andhanga unnavu. |
| Love your hair | నీ జుట్టు చాలా బాగుంది. | Nee juttu chala bagundi. |
| That color looks great on you | నీకు ఈ కలర్ బాగుంది | Neeku ee color bagundi. |
| This is good. You are smart. | ఇది బాగుంది. నువ్వు చాలా స్మార్ట్. | Idi bagundi. Nuvvu chala smart. |
Offering Congratulations To Celebrate Achievements Or Good News
Let’s say a Telugu teammate or friend is celebrating. You can congratulate them in English like always, but if you try to congratulate them in Telugu, you’ll undoubtedly leave a mark on their hearts. So, use these phrases to build those bonds.
| English | Telugu | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| Congratularions on your work anniversary | వర్క్ యానివర్సరీ శుభాకాంక్షలు | Work yanivarsary shubhakankshalu. |
| Congratulations on your wedding anniversary | పెళ్లి యానివర్సరీ శుభాకాంక్షలు | Pelli yanivarsary shubhakankshalu. |
| Well done, I’m happy for you. | అద్భుతం, మిమ్మల్ని చూస్తుంటే సంతోషంగా ఉంది | Adbhutam, mimmlni choostunte santhoshanga undi. |
| You did it! Bravo! | భలే పని చేశారు! బ్రావో! | Bhale pani chesaru! Bravo! |
Introducing Your Family
Let’s say you’ve known someone for a long time, are just showing your folks’ photos to your friends, or are at a corporate party with your spouse. Use these phrases to introduce your folks.
| English | Telugu | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| This is my family. | ఇది నా ఫ్యామిలీ. | Idi naa family. |
| He is my father. His name is ______ | ఈయన నా నాన్న. ఈయన పేరు _______ | Eeyana naa nanna. Eeyana peru ____. |
| She’s my mom. Her name is _____ | ఈమె మా అమ్మ. ఈమె పేరు _______ | Eeme maa amma. Eeme peru ____. |
| This is my wife/husband. | ఇది నా భార్య/భర్త. | Idi naa bhaarya/bharta. |
Apologizing In Different Situations
We all make mistakes, and the first thing to do if we want to make things better is to apologize. Here’s how you can do it in the Telugu language.
| English | Telugu | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| I’m sorry. | నన్ను క్షమించు. | Nannu kshaminchu. |
| Apologies for the confusion. | అయోమయానికి క్షమించండి. | Ayomayaniki kshaminchandi. |
| I really appreciate your understanding, sorry for the mistake. | అర్థం చేసుకున్నందుకు థాంక్స్, పొరపాటుకు క్షమించండి. | Ardham chesukunnaanduku thanks, porapaatuku kshaminchandi. |
| I didn’t mean to hurt you, I’m truly sorry | మిమ్మల్ని బాధపెట్టాలనేది నా ఉద్దేశం కాదు, నన్ను క్షమించండి. | Mimmlni baadhapettalanedi naa udheshyam kaadu, nannu kshaminchandi. |
How Do You Say “Conversation” In Telugu?
“Conversation” would be Sambhashana (సంభాషణ) in Telugu.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Percentage Of Telugu People Can Hold English Conversations?
About 18% of Telugu speakers are estimated to speak English, although a higher percentage of people can somewhat understand it.
On Average, How Many Days Will It Take To Learn Telugu?
Many factors play a role when it comes to learning a language. Everyone learns differently, and their capacity to remember vocabulary is different. And the people around us also play a significant role in that. But if you live among Telugu people and practice the language regularly, it should take around one year to speak easily.
These Phrases Are Nowhere Near Exhaustive, Where Can I Read More?
Due to the length limitation, it’s impossible to give you an exhaustive list here. But apps like Ling can undoubtedly give you the whole experience of learning the Telugu language. In the meantime, you can browse the Ling Telugu blog that offers an exhaustive list of Telugu-related articles.
Parting Words
I hope I’ve covered enough topics for you to easily carry out a short conversation. If you keep practicing these basic phrases and building your vocabulary, you’ll speak Telugu in no time.
You can also use apps such as the Ling app to learn the language and keep track of your progress. Its short and engaging lessons help those of us who are great at starting things but fall short when it comes to reaching the finish line.
