Asking why something happens and how it happens is the only way to learn new things and get answers in our lives. The same is true for leaning a foreign language, don’t you think so?
So, how do you ask questions in Telugu? Learn key question words in Telugu to help you navigate your daily life and understand the world. The good news is that most Telugu question words start with the same letter, just like English question words that begin with the syllables wh-.
Table Of Contents
Question Words In Telugu
First things first – Telugu follows the Subject-Object-Verb word order. This means that when you ask a question, the question word usually takes the place of the element you’re asking about (subject or object) and comes before the verb.
Second, all question words in Telugu start with the sound ea, just like most question words in English begin with the syllable “wh.” Now that we know word order and common sounds for question words let’s learn what they are and how to form some Telugu questions.
How To Ask What In Telugu
This is your basic “what” for asking about things or actions. You can ask what in two ways. Enti/Emiti and Em (simple alternative). Here’s an example:
- What are you doing? – Em Chestunnav? (ఏం చేస్తున్నావు?)
Please note the question word is before the verb following the SOV word order.
- What is this? – Idi Enti/Emiti? (ఇది ఏంటి/ఏమిటి?)
Please note that the question word comes after the subject following the SOV word order.
How To Ask Why In Telugu
The word for why in Telugu is Enduku (ఎందుకు). You can use this to ask for a reason or explanation. For example:
- Why did you do that? – Enduku Ala Chesavu? (ఎందుకు అలా చేసావు?)
How To Ask Where In Telugu
The word for where in Telugu is Ekkada (ఎక్కడ). A suffix is added to this word when it’s an inquiry questioning for direction. For example:
- Where are you going? Ekkadiki veltunnavu? (ఎక్కడికి వెళ్తున్నావు?)
- Where is it? – Adi Ekkada Undi? (అది ఎక్కడ ఉంది?)
How To Say Who And Whom In Telugu
If you want to ask about people in Telugu, you’ll primarily use the word Evaru (ఎవరు). However, like many languages, Telugu uses different forms of this word depending on the grammatical role of the person in the sentence. Let’s see how these variations work.
Nominative Case (Subject): This is used when you want to know who someone is or who performed an action. The word is Evaru (ఎవరు). For example:
- Who are you? – Nuvvu Evaru? (నువ్వు ఎవరు?)
Accusative Case (Direct Object): This is used when you want to know whom someone acted upon or received an action. The word is Evarini (ఎవరిని). For example:
- Who did you ask this? – Nuvvu Evarini Adigavu? (నువ్వు ఎవరిని అడిగావు?)
Dative Case (Indirect Object): This is used when you want to know to whom something was given or directed. The word is Evariki (ఎవరికి). For example:
- Who did you give this to? – Nuvvu Evariki Icchavu? (నువ్వు ఎవరికి ఇచ్చావు?)
Instrumental Case (With Whom): This is used when you want to know with whom someone did something. The word is Evarito (ఎవరితో). For example:
- Who did you go out with? – Nuvvu Evarito Vellavu? (నువ్వు ఎవరితో వెళ్ళావు?)
Plural (Who All): When you want to ask about multiple people, use Evarevaru (ఎవరెవరు). For example:
- Who all attended? – Evarevaru Vaccharu? (ఎవరెవరు వచ్చారు?)
How To Ask When In Telugu
If you want to ask about when in Telugu, the word you’ll use is Eppudu (ఎప్పుడు). However, similar to “who,” there are ways to be more specific about the time frame you’re asking about.
General When: Eppudu (ఎప్పుడు) is your go-to word for asking about when something happened or will happen. It’s used for general questions about time. For example:
- When will you come? – Nuvvu Eppudu Vastavu? (నువ్వు ఎప్పుడు వస్తావు?)
Since When: To ask “since when,” you would generally use Eppati nunchi (ఎప్పటి నుండి). For example:
- Since when are you here? – Nuvvu Eppati Nunchi Ikkada Unnavu? (నువ్వు ఎప్పటి నుండి ఇక్కడ ఉన్నావు?)
Until When: To ask “until when,” you should use the word Entavaraku or Eppativaraku (ఎంతవరకు or ఎప్పటివరకు). For example:
- Until when will you stay here? – Nuvvu Ikkada Entavaraku Untavu? (నువ్వు ఇక్కడ ఎంతవరకు ఉంటావు?)
How To Ask Which In Telugu
To ask which in Telugu, the most common word is Edi (ఏది ) or Ea (ఏ). However, there’s a slight nuance depending on whether you’re asking about people or things:
For things: Use Edi (ఏది ) or Ea (ఏ)
- Which book do you want? – Niku Ea Pustakam Kavali? (నీకు ఏ పుస్తకం కావాలి?)
- Which is it? – Adi Edi? (అది ఏది?)
When you are enquiring about people, you’ll have to use Evaru (ఎవరు), which is the word for “who” since it’s more common to use a phrase like Indulo Evaru (ఇందులో ఎవరు) meaning “who among these.” For example:
- Which one of these boys is your brother? – Indulo Evaru Ni Tammudu? (ఇందులో ఎవరు నీ తమ్ముడు?)
So, while Edi is the direct translation for “which” when referring to things, when referring to people, it’s more common to use who to choose from a group.
How To Say Which Way In Telugu
Depending on the region, there are a few variants for this word in Telugu. But at an overall level, the word for which way in Telugu is Etu (ఎటు). Let’s see the various ways this word is used.
Ea Daari (ఏ దారి): This is the most direct translation, literally meaning “which way/path.” It’s the most common and generally understood way to ask for directions.
- Which way should I go to the station? – Station Ki Ea Darilo Vellali? (స్టేషన్ కి ఏ దారిలో వెళ్ళాలి?)
Ea Vaipu (ఏ వైపు): This translates to “which side” or “which direction.” It’s also frequently used to ask for directions.
- Which way is the market? – Market Ea Vaipu Undi? (మార్కెట్ ఏ వైపు ఉంది?)
Eṭu (ఎటు): This is a shorter, more colloquial way of saying “which way.” It can also mean “where to.”
- Which way did he go? – Atanu Etu Vellaadu? (అతను ఎటు వెళ్ళాడు?)
In most everyday situations, Ea Daari (ఏ దారి) or Etu (ఎటు) will be the most natural and easily understood ways to ask “which way” in Telugu.
How To Ask Whose In Telugu
The most common way to say “whose” in Telugu is Evaridi (ఎవరి). This word directly expresses possession or ownership. But just like other words, this also has a variation depending on nuance.
Evari (ఎవరి) and Evaridi (ఎవరిది)
Both Evari and Evaridi translate to “whose,” but they function differently grammatically and slightly differ depending on context and proximity (this/that).
Evari (ఎవరి): This functions more like an adjective or determiner. It directly modifies the noun it precedes. It’s often preferred when the object is closer (“this”).
- Whose book is this? – Idi Evari Pustakam? (ఇది ఎవరి పుస్తకం?) (The book is nearby.)
Evaridi (ఎవరిది): This functions more like a pronoun. It can stand alone and doesn’t necessarily need to modify a noun directly. It’s often preferred when the object is farther away (“that”).
- Whose house is that? – Aa Illu Evaridi? (ఆ ఇల్లు ఎవరిది?) (The house is at a distance.)
How To Say How In Telugu
The primary word for “how” in Telugu is Ela (ఎలా). It’s a versatile word used to ask about the manner, method, condition, or state of something or someone.
Here’s a breakdown with examples:
General “How” Ela (ఎలా) is used for general inquiries about the way something is done or the state of something. For example, asking how are you in Telugu.
- How are you? – Ela Unnavu/Unnaru? (ఎలా ఉన్నావు/ఉన్నారు?) (Informal/Formal)
- How did you do this? – Idi Ela Chesavu? (ఇది ఎలా చేసావు?)
How much/many: While Ela isn’t used directly for “how much/many” in the same way as in English, Telugu uses Entha (ఎంత) for this purpose.
- How much does it cost? – Cost Entha Avuthundi? (కాస్ట్ ఎంత అవుతుంది?)
- How many people are there? – Entha Mandi Unnaru? (ఎంత మంది ఉన్నారు?)
How far: For distance, you would say Entha Dooram (ఎంత దూరం).
- How far is the station? – Station Entha Dooram? (స్టేషన్ ఎంత దూరం?)
How long (duration): You can use Entha sepu (ఎంత సేపు).
- How long will it take? – Entha Sepu Paduthundi? (ఎంత సేపు పడుతుంది?)
Therefore, while “how” is translated primarily as Elā, Telugu uses different words like Entha, Entha Dooram, or Entha Sepu to express specific nuances like quantity, distance, and duration.
So there you have it. You just learned all there is about question words in Telugu. Reread them a couple of times and practice them with your friends, and you’ll master them in no time!
Vocabulary Table For Telugu Question Words
I know that’s a lot to read, so here’s a table with all those words, their meanings, and an example for each to help you remember easily. I’ve added a few variations for added clarity just for you.
| English | Telugu | Pronunciation | English Phrase | Telugu Phrase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What | ఏంటి?/ఏం | Enti/Em | What is this? | ఇది ఏమి? (Idi Enti?) |
| Who | ఎవరు | Evaru | Who is she? | ఆవిడ ఎవరు? (Aavida Evaru?) |
| To whom | ఎవరికీ | Evariki | To whom did you give this? | ఇది ఎవరికి ఇచ్చావు? (Idi Evariki Icchavu?) |
| Whose | ఎవరి | Evari | Whose book is this? | ఇది ఎవరి పుస్తకం? (Idi Evari Pustakam?) |
| Where | ఎక్కడ | Ekkada | Where is the water? | నీరు ఎక్కడ ఉంది? (Neeru ekkada Undi?) |
| When | ఎప్పుడు | Eppudu | When will you come? | మీరు ఎప్పుడు వస్తారు? (Meeru Eppudu Vastaaru?) |
| Why | ఎందుకు | Enduku | Why were you late? | మీరు ఎందుకు ఆలస్యం అయ్యారు? (Meeru Enduku Aalasyam Ayyaru?) |
| How | ఎలా | Ela | How did you come? | మీరు ఎలా వచ్చారు? (Meeru Ela Vaccharu?) |
| How much/How many | ఎంత/ఎన్ని | Entha/Enni | How much is this? | ఇది ఎంత? (Idi Entha?) |
| How long | ఎంతసేపు | Enthasepu | How long were you here? | మీరు ఎంతసేపు ఉన్నారు? (Meeru Enthaa Sepu Unnaru?) |
| Which way/To where | ఎటు | Etu | Which way are you going? | మీరు ఎటు వెళ్తున్నారు? (Meeru Etu Veltunnaru?) |
| Who all | ఎవరెవరు | Everevaru | Who all are in your family? | మీ కుటుంబంలో ఎవరెవరున్నారు? (Mee Kutumbamlo Evarevarunnaru?) |
| Which | ఏది | Edi | Which one is yours? | ఏది మీది? (Edi Meedhi?) |
| What type | ఎలాంటి | Elanti | What type is this? | ఇది ఎలాంటిది? (Idi Elantidi?) |
| From where | ఎక్కడి నుంచి | Ekkadi Nunchi | Where did you come from? | మీరు ఎక్కడి నుంచి వచ్చారు? (Meeru Ekkadi Nunchi Vaccharu?) |
How Do You Say “Question Words” In Telugu?
The phrase “question words” in the Telugu language means prasnaa padalu (ప్రశ్నా పదాలు), which is a literal translation.
FAQs About Question Words In Telugu
1. What Is The Most Common Telugu Question Word?
Enti (ఏంటి), meaning “what,” is the most frequently used question word in casual Telugu conversations.
2. Are There Different Ways To Ask Questions In Telugu?
Yes, you can form questions using intonation (rising tone at the end of a sentence) or by adding question tags like aa? (ఆ?) at the end of a statement. For example:
- Is this good? – Idi Bagundaa? (ఇది బాగుందా?)
3. What Is The Difference Between “Evaru” And “Yavaru”?
Both Evaru (ఎవరు) and Yevaru (యవరు) mean who in Telugu, but evaru is more commonly used in spoken and written Telugu. Yevaru is a less common dialectal variation.
Let’s Rewind What You Learned!
I hope this blog post gave you enough information to help you carry out conversations and ask what’s on your mind. With this, I hope that no matter where you are, whether you are traveling in Telugu regions or striking up conversations in Telugu, you’ll always have the right questions.
Today, we’ve learned question words in Telugu, how many variations they have, and how to use them in a sentence, along with a table, to make things easier for you while you learn Telugu. By the way, I recommend you read this blog post about Telugu grammar, which will help you improve your speaking skills to become a good all-rounder.
