#1 Introduction To Telugu Grammar With Examples

Telugu is a vast language. A millennia of influence from Sanskrit and Dravidian languages like Tamil made sure of that. This resulted in Telugu having some of the most extensive grammar rules, which may look a little daunting to tackle. That being said, if mastering Telugu grammar is something you want to do, this is a necessary step to take.

But worry not! Yes, Telugu grammar is vast and pretty hard, even for natives (me included). But most of the hard stuff is related to rules for music and poetry, so a general speaker need not worry about them. That’s why we’re going to go through various aspects of Telugu grammar and see how you can master the required basics. Let’s start.

A Brief History Of Telugu Grammar

The first book on Telugu grammar (Vyakaranam – వ్యాకరణం ), known as Andhra Sabda Chintamani (ఆంధ్ర శబ్ద చింతామణి) was written by Poet Nannayya, who is considered the first Telugu poet and grammarian of the language, in the 11th century CE.

Before Nannayya’s initiative, though the language was widely spoken, Telugu did not have formal grammar rules. And for a long time after Nannaya, those rules were the gold standard.

In the 19th century, a linguist known as Chinnaya Suri wrote a simplified work on Telugu grammar called Bala Vyakaranam (Children’s grammar), borrowing concepts and ideas from Nannayya. This is currently seen as the standard.

Now that we have learned a bit of history, let’s learn about Telugu grammar and how you can master it.

Elements Of Telugu Grammar

The secret to mastering something is understanding, dissection, and digesting. Not in a literal sense, of course! So, let’s understand the various elements of Telugu grammar, dissect them, and digest them.

Keeping the word count in mind, let’s start with Telugu letters and their modifiers.

Telugu Letters And Modifiers

The Telugu alphabet has 56 letters, which can be categorized into 16 vowels (Achulu) and 41 consonants (Hallulu).

Telugu Vowels	Vowel Sound	Telugu Consonants	Consonant Sound
అ	a	క	k
ఆ	ā	ఖ	kh
ఇ	i	గ	g
ఈ	ī	ఘ	gh
ఉ	u	ఙ	ṅ
ఊ	ū	చ	ch
ఋ	ru	ఛ	chh
ౠ	r̄u	జ	j
ఎ	e	ఝ	jh
ఏ	ē	ఞ	ñ
ఐ	ai	ట	ṭ
ఒ	o	ఠ	ṭh
ఓ	ō	డ	ḍ
ఔ	au	ఢ	ḍh
అం	am	ణ	ṇ
అః	aha	త	t
		థ	th
		ద	d
		ధ	dh
		న	n
		ప	p
		ఫ	ph
		బ	b
		భ	bh
		మ	m
		య	y
		ర	r
		ల	l
		వ	v
		శ	ś
		ష	ṣ
		స	s
		హ	h
		ళ	ḷ
		క్ష	kṣ
		ఱ	ṟ

Each of these letters has its modifiers, which are combined with other letters to produce the desired sounds:

Telugu Modifier	Sound
◌ా	ā
◌ి	i
◌ీ	ī
◌ు	u
◌ూ	ū
◌ృ	ru
◌ౄ	r̄u
◌ె	e
◌ే	ē
◌ై	ai
◌ొ	o
◌ో	ō
◌ౌ	au
◌ం	ṃ (anusvāra)
◌ః	ḥ (visarga)

For example, a vowel modifier works like this:

• ఏ (Ea) is a vowel.
• క (Ka) is a consonant.
• ె is the modifier sign of ఏ (Ea), known as Etvamu (ఏత్వము)
• So, Ka + vowel sign of Ea( ె) makes Ke
• క + ె = కె (Ka + Ea = Ke)

And here’s an example of a consonant modifier:

• ట (Ta) is a consonant.
• ర (Ra) is a consonant.
• ట + ర = ట్ర (Ta+Ra = Tra)

The line below ట (Ta) is the consonant modifier of ర (Ra). Unfortunately, the English keyboard doesn’t support individual consonant modifier characters, so we couldn’t share consonant modifiers separately. Here’s a complete list of modifier signs for consonants.

Since both vowels and consonants have their modifiers, you can make use of these to form words easily with very little chance of a mistake, even for complicated words.

Telugu Sentence Structure

Telugu sentence structure typically follows the Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) format, which is different from the Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) order used in the English language. This means that the subject comes first, then the object, and finally the verb.

For example, in the sentence Ramu pustakam chaduvutunnaaḍu (రాము పుస్తకం చదువుతున్నాడు), which means “Ramu is reading a book,” the name Ramu (రాము) is the subject, pustakam (పుస్తకం – book) is the object, and chaduvutunnadu (చదువుతున్నాడు – reading) is the verb. 

Telugu Parts Of Speech

Just like any language, Telugu’s got all of them. However, the way they are categorized is slightly different. Here they are:

• Telugu nouns – Namavachakam (నామవాచకం)
• Telugu pronouns – Sarvanamam (సర్వనామం)
• Telugu verbs – Kriya (క్రియ)
• Telugu adjectives – Viseshanam (విశేషణం)
• Telugu adverbs, Telugu conjunctions, and Telugu prepositions – Avyayam (అవ్యయం)

The reason some parts of speech that would be various categories became one is that adverbs, conjunctions, and prepositions generally don’t change based on gender, number, or case. They are just used to express nuances like time, mood, method, or relation. This is why they’re called invariable words, i.e., Avyayam (అవ్యయం) in Telugu.

Base Form And Modification In Telugu (Prakruti-Vikruti)

Telugu is an agglutinative language, which means it forms words and meanings by adding suffixes to base words. Because of this nature, it’s very important to know how to modify a word with a suffix without altering the root.

This is where Prakruti-Vikruti comes into play. This section of Telugu grammar deals with case endings, tense markers for verbs, number and gender modifiers, and so on.

Here’s an example with a number modifier (Singular to Plural).

Add lu (లు) for general nouns but varu (వారు) for people to make them plural:

• Tree = Chettu (చెట్టు)
• Trees = Chetlu (Chettu + lu) (చెట్లు).
• Woman = Aadadi (ఆడది)
• Women = Aadavaru (Aada + varu) (ఆడవారు).

Compounding Of Two Words In Telugu (Sandhi)

Since Telugu is crafted with poetry and music in mind, there are strict rules on how words should be compounded so that the result is harmonious and adaptable to prose. This process of compounding is called “Making Arrangement,” or Sandhi Cheyadam (సంధి చేయడం), and there are four types of “Arrangements,” or Sandhulu (సంధులు).

1. Savarnadeergha Sandhi (సవర్ణదీర్ఘ సంధి): The addition of two similar vowels can make one single long vowel. E.g.: Pustakamu + lu = Pustakaalu.
   
   
2. Yanadesha Sandhi (యణాదేశ సంధి): Certain consonants, when followed by specific vowels, change into “y” or “v.” E.g. Deva + Indra = Devendra.
   
   
3. Guna Sandhi (గుణ సంధి): Certain vowels, when combined, change their quality. E.g. Deva + Arjun = Devarjun. The end and beginning sounds of both words are the same, so to accommodate the “r” sound, the “a” sound changes.
   
   
4. Vridhi Sandhi (వృద్ధి సంధి): Certain vowel combinations result in a diphthong. E.g. Sakala + Oushad = Sakaloushad. The end sound of the first word, “la,” is mixed with the “ou” sound of the next word and becomes a diphthong “au.”

As you can see, these Sandhis or arrangements play a crucial role in how we add various vowels in a poetic note for a harmonious flow of language.

Compounding Of Two Or More Words In Telugu (Samasam)

In the above section, we dealt with the arrangement of two words together. Now, let’s move on to two or more word combinations in Telugu. Samasam is an aspect of Telugu grammar that deals with multiple words that form a single compound. It also has four rules that determine how words should be combined so that the resulting word sounds natural and sweet. Let’s check out the rules.

1. Dheerga Samasam (దీర్ఘ సమాసం): Combination of words of similar meaning. E.g., Ram and Lakshman become Ramlakshmanulu. One word that implies two peoples’ names.
   
   
2. Karmadharaya Samasam (కర్మధారయ సమాసం): A combination of words where one word modifies another with the goal being more descriptive. Describes the quality of nouns. E.g., “Black sky” – nallani aakaasham (నల్లని ఆకాశం). The color modifies the sky.
   
   
3. Tatpurusha Samasam (తత్పురుష సమాసం): A combination of words where one word modifies another to show possessive. Focuses on the relationship between the words. E.g., “school children” – paathashaala pillalu (పాఠశాల పిల్లలు). Here, “school” – Paathashaala (పాఠశాల) is related to “children” –pillalu (పిల్లలు).
   
   
4. Bahuvrihi Samasam (బహువ్రీహి సమాసం): This is a type of compounding where the compound word signifies the characteristics or quality of a specific entity that possesses it. E.g., One who knows everything – sarvajñuḍu (సర్వజ్ఞుడు). A combination of “everything” – sarva (సర్వ), the root word for knowledge jña (జ్ఞ), and ḍu (డు), the suffix used for one who has the quality of.

Telugu Cases

Cases in Telugu are grammatical markers that are used to show the role of nouns or pronouns in a sentence. This helps clarify the relationship between various words.

The fundamental function of these cases is to help manipulate the rhythm of poetry and add nuances to express complex expressions with ease. But when it comes to everyday language, these don’t affect or aid us in any way, since we rely on context.

Here are the are eight grammatical cases in Telugu:

Case	Name in Telugu	Function
Nominative Case	Prathama Vibhakti (ప్రథమా విభక్తి)	Represents who and what acts.
Accusative Case	Dvitīya Vibhakti (ద్వితీయా విభక్తి)	Indicates who or what is affected by action.
Instrumental Case	Tṛtīya Vibhakti (తృతీయా విభక్తి)	Shows the instrument used to act.
Dative Case	Chaturthi Vibhakti (చతుర్థీ విభక్తి)	Indicates whom or what the action is performed for.
Ablative Case	Pañchami Vibhakti (పంచమి విభక్తి)	Shows the origin; often translates as “from.”
Genitive Case	Shashṭhi Vibhakti (షష్ఠీ విభక్తి)	Shows possession or association.
Locative Case	Saptami Vibhakti (సప్తమి విభక్తి)	Indicates the location of something.
Vocative Case	Sambodhana Prathama (సంబోధన ప్రథమ)	Used for direct address.

Grammatical Gender In Telugu

Some languages have two grammatical genders, while some have three. But Telugu takes a different approach to this.

For pronouns, Telugu differentiates singular pronouns as masculine and non-masculine, but in the case of plural pronouns, it’s between human and non-human.

When it comes to verbs, this means it’s pretty easy to recognize them by the way they end.

• If a verb ends with du, it typically indicates that the verb is in the third-person singular masculine form.
• If a verb ends with dhi, it typically indicates that the verb is in the third-person singular non-masculine form.
• If a verb ends with ru, it typically indicates that it’s in the third-person plural human form.
• If a verb ends with yi/vi, it typically indicates that it’s in the third-person plural non-human form.

Telugu Poetic Meter (Chandassu)

Chandassu (ఛందస్సు) are the rules that govern the structure and rhythm of poetry in the Telugu language. This word originates from the word Chandas in Sanskrit, which is considered one of the six wings of Vedic studies.

These grammar rules deal with the arrangement of specific patterns known as gaanaas (గనాలు). They help create harmony, balance, and flow in poems. Unfortunately, due to modernization, the usage of Chandassu has pretty much disappeared in modern Telugu, and it’s slowly becoming a lost art among Telugu people.

Figures Of Speech In the Telugu Language

The art of poetry has everything to do with painting a picture in the reader’s mind. After all, a poet should try to move the hearts of people with his word magic. So, it’s only natural that Telugu allocates a whole division of grammar to help them impress readers with figures of speech.

Telugu contains a total of 8 figures of speech that deal with comparing things, assigning qualities, emphasis, illustration to make a point, contradictory terms, rhetoric, etc. All these are critical for a great poem.

Once again, figures of speech are specifically made for poetry and incorporate a lot more factors to work their magic out. It’s not something a new learner or average native speaker really needs to master.

Explore Telugu Grammar With Ling

With this, we’ve reached the end of our introduction to Telugu grammar. I agree it’s a lot to take in, but that’s what makes the language so beautiful. Though Telugu grammar nowadays is constrained to basic principles of word formation and essentials that we find in other languages, it wasn’t always like this. It brought great praise to the language!

If you want to learn Telugu grammar, keep in mind that there’s some flexibility in which you can alter the subject-object-verb sentence structure and still communicate without issues, although in a more roundabout way.

For now, your priority should be to expand your vocabulary and practice with friends and language-learning apps such as the Ling app. With some practice, you’ll automatically adapt to the grammar rules!

How Do You Say “Grammar” In Telugu?

Grammar in Telugu is Vyakaranam (వ్యాకరణం). This word has its roots in ancient Sanskrit and actually means the act of differentiating the parts of speech and organizing the rules of language.

Frequently Asked Questions About Telugu Grammar

1. What Percentage Of Telugu Grammar Is Not In Use Anymore?

It’s difficult to give an exact percentage, but modern Telugu is vastly different from classical Telugu, which was more complex.

2. How Many Tenses Are There In Telugu Grammar?

The Telugu language has three tenses: Present, Past, and Future. These tenses further have three more different aspects: Simple, continuous, and perfect.

3. How Many Types Of Sentences Are There In Telugu Grammar?

Telugu has four types of sentences: Declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory.

Let’s Recap!

In this post, I’ve given you an overview of the main elements in Telugu grammar. I started with the alphabet, sentence structure, and parts of speech, went through how to modify and compound words, covered cases and genders, and finished with some poetic elements like meter and figures of speech.

Of course, this was a lot. If it’s too overwhelming, remember to go step by step. You can start by getting familiar with Telugu sentence structure, which is Subject-Object-Verb (SOV), and the 56 letters of the Telugu alphabet. When you’ve got that down, start moving on to more complex elements.

With the right tools, resources, guidance, and direction, learning and mastering Telugu grammar isn’t as daunting as it sounds!