As one of the four major Dravidian languages with 75+ million speakers, 2000 years of heritage, and four major dialects, you may think it’ll take a lot of work to remember how to say good morning in Telugu. But it’s not that hard! Don’t believe me? Let me explain it to you below.
Table Of Contents
Good Morning In Telugu
First things first. You should know there’s an honorific you can use when you greet or talk to someone, especially strangers, to be respectful when conversing. That word is andi. Adding it at the end of any phrase instantly makes it more respectable.
Now, let’s learn how to say good morning.
Good Morning – Subhodayam (శుభోదయం)
To wish someone a good morning in Telugu, you can say Subhodayam. It means good morning. And, considering what we mentioned above, if you add the word andi at the end, it becomes Subhodayam, andi, a more respectable greeting.
- Subha (Good) + Udayam (Morning) = Subhodayam
But before you go ahead and greet everyone with Subhodayam, let me clarify one thing.
Telugu as a language is very adaptable and known for assimilating words from other languages. Modern Telugu is so influenced by Sanskrit, Tamil, English, and other languages that even native speakers cannot comprehend original Telugu phrases, which is why original Telugu is now known as Accha Telugu, meaning “Real Telugu.”
Because of this assimilating nature, simple greetings like Subhodayam are now replaced by much more common “Good morning,” “Good evening,” and so on.
So, if you want to wish someone a good morning in Telugu, you can just say, “Good morning!” The same goes for good evening, good night, etc.
Now that you’ve learned to say Good morning in Telugu, let’s learn a few more ways to greet others.
Other Ways To Greet In Telugu
Regards – Vandanam – (వందనం)
Vandanam is one of those gems that stood the test of time and is still in use. The word means “regard,” but making it plural will change it from welcoming someone to wishing them goodbye.
When you meet someone, you can say Vandanam and then introduce yourself. Be sure to add andi at the end of your sentence for formality if you don’t know them personally. It’s also customary to bring your hands together while greeting Vandanam.
- Vandanam, andi (వందనం, అండి)
And Vandanalu (వందనాలు), which is plural and means “regards,” is generally used while seeing someone off.
I Bow To You – Namasthe / Namaskaram – (నమస్తే / నమస్కారం)
You might have heard Namaste or Namaskar, which means “I bow to you” in Sanskrit. These terms are widely used in Hindi, Sanskrit, and other Sanskrit-based languages. Telugu, too, assimilated them, and now they are used widely.
Again, add the word andi at the end to make it more formal and respectable.
- Namaskaram, andi/Namasthe, andi (నమస్కారం, అండి/నమస్తే, అండి)
And there you have it. You have now learned to say good morning in Telugu with a couple of alternatives. Now you can take the next step and learn how to say, how are you in Telugu!
How To Respond To Greetings In Telugu
Now, let’s assume you are at the receiving end of those greetings; how are you going to respond? Here’s how.
Are You Good? – Bagunnaraa (బాగున్నారా)
This is the typical response of Telugu people when greeted Good morning, Good evening, Hi, or Hello. Bagunnaraa literally means “Is Your State of Being Good?”
- Baga + Unnara = Good + Your State of Being
Good Morning To You Too – Meeku Kuda Good Morning (మీకు కూడా గుడ్ మార్నింగ్)
What better way to respond than by throwing the same question back? After all, that’s the defacto response of many English speakers as well, right?
So say, “Meeku kuda, Good morning,” and you’re good to go.
- Meeku = You and Kuda = Too
Welcome – Swaagatam (స్వాగతం)
A typical greeting while welcoming someone. Swagatam (స్వాగతం) means “Your arrival is welcome.” This is another borrowed word from Hindi/Sanskrit that’s now part of Telugu vocabulary.
This is a traditional phrase, so if you are greeting your friends or peers, you can just say “welcome.” English phrases are used much more commonly than you’d guess here.
Basic Telugu Greetings
This table is enough to bring you up to speed on basic Telugu greetings. But keep in mind that the first three are unfortunately out of trend, and nobody greets that way anymore. So unless you want to hog some attention, don’t say Subhodayam. Just say, “Good morning.” Same with the other two greetings.
But there’s no harm in learning actual Telugu phrases, is there? Let’s get to business.
| English Greeting | Telugu | Roman Transcription |
|---|---|---|
| Good Morning | శుభోదయం | Subhodayam |
| Good Evening | శుభ సాయంత్రం | Subha Sayantram? |
| Good Night | శుభరాత్రి | Subharatri |
| Hi/Hello | నమస్కారం | Namaskaram |
Frequently Asked Questions
1. In How Many Ways Can Someone Say “Morning” In Telugu?
Here are a few ways you can say morning in Telugu.
- Arunodayam
- Udayam
- Ushodayam
- Subhodayam
- Poddunna
- Vekulakalam (Loosely translates to the time of getting awake)
- Tellavarujamu (Loosely translates to dawn)
- Tellavaruputa (Early morning)
Now, don’t let this overwhelm you. As a beginner, just knowing Udayam (ఉదయం) is enough to make conversation.
2. What Are Some Old Telugu Greetings?
Here are a few. Almost nobody uses these phrases, but it’s fun to know them!
- Good Morning – Suprabhaatam (సుప్రభాతం)
- Regards – Dandhalu (దండాలు)
- Morning Greetings – Prodduti Vandanalu (ప్రొద్దుటి వందనాలు)
- Morning Regards – Prodduti Dandalu (ప్రొద్దుటి దండాలు)
- Early Dusk Greetings – Tholi Sandhya Vandanalu (తొలి సంధ్య వందనాలు )
- Early Dusk Regards – Tholi Sandhya Dandalu (తొలి సంధ్య దండాలు)
- First Morning Regards – Tholi Proddu Dadalu (తొలి ప్రొద్దు దండాలు)
- Early Salutations – Poddu Tenkanamulu (పొద్దు టెంకణములు)
3. What Is The Most Common Way To Say Good Morning In Telugu?
“Good morning!” It may come as a surprise, but that’s the truth. Children are taught to say “Good morning” in English from as early as preschool, and the use of English is encouraged for better employment prospects.
This has led to words like “Good morning,” “Good evening,” “Good night,” “Hi,” “How are you,” “Cancel,” “Payment,” “Decoration,” and many other English words to be assimilated into Telugu.
Final Words
I hope my somewhat extended take on saying Good Morning in Telugu helped you understand basic Telugu greetings. As you can see, Telugu’s assimilating nature makes it much easier to learn the language.
Due to modernizing culture, more and more people speak English, so you can happily substitute English words whenever you find it hard to recall a certain phrase or word. Still, practice your Telugu regularly, and you’ll be conversing with native folks in their language in no time.
If you want to learn more Telugu, services and courses like the Ling app can help you stick to a routine so you can be sure to accomplish your goal. Why not give it a try?
