Did you know that understanding Telugu sentence structure is key to mastering the language? Telugu, a Dravidian language spoken by millions, follows a subject-object-verb (SOV) order, which differs from the English sentence structure. Grasping this unique arrangement can make your Telugu conversations more natural and fluent.
In this article, we’ll break down the basics of Telugu sentence structure, exploring how subjects, objects, verbs, and other elements come together to form coherent sentences. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to refine your skills, this guide will help you build a strong foundation in Telugu grammar. Now that you have some idea on the language, lets understand this unit on Telugu sentence structure.
Table Of Contents
How Do We Call Sentence Structure In Telugu?
We call “sentence structure” in Telugu as padhalu kalayaka (పదాలు కలయిక). In Telugu basic sentence structure is subject, object, & verb. It means that the subject comes first in the phrase, followed by the object, and finally the verb.
Basic Sentence Structure In Telugu:
The sentence construction in Telugu typically happens in Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) format, which is different from the Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) order used in English.
The subject comes first in a simple Telugu sentence, then the object, and finally the verb. 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.
To make the right sentences, you need to understand this structure. It also helps you understand the basic grammar of Telugu. It’s much easier and more natural to put together words in Telugu once you get used to the SOV order.
Here are more examples:
Example 1
English: They are watching a movie.
Telugu: Vallu cinima chustunnaru (వాళ్ళు సినిమా చూస్తున్నారు)
- Breakdown:
- Subject (S): They – Vallu (వాళ్ళు)
- Object (O): Movie – Cinima (సినిమా)
- Verb (V): Watching – Chustunnaru (చూస్తున్నారు)
Example 2
English: She eats an apple.
Telugu: Ame apple tiṇṭundi (ఆమే ఆపిల్ తింటుంది)
- Breakdown:
- Subject (S): She – Ame (ఆమే)
- Object (O): Apple – Apple (ఆపిల్)
- Verb (V): Eating – Tiṇṭundi (తింటుంది)
Example 3
English: The teacher teaches the students.
Telugu: Guruva vidyarthulaku bodhistadu (గురువు విద్యార్థులకు బోధిస్తాడు).
- Breakdown:
- Subject (S): Teacher – Guruva (గురువు)
- Object (O): Students –Vidyarthulanu (విద్యార్థులను)
- Verb (V): Teaches – Bodhistadu (బోధిస్తాడు)
Example 4
English: We are writing a letter.
Telugu: Memu uttaraṃ rastunnamu (మేము ఉత్తరం రాస్తున్నాము)
- Breakdown:
- Subject (S): We – Mēmu (మేము)
- Object (O): Letter – Uttaram (ఉత్తరం)
- Verb (V): Writing – Rāstunnāmu (రాస్తున్నాము)
Example 5
English: He loves music.
Telugu: Atanu sangitanni istapadatadu (అతను సంగీతాన్ని ఇష్టపడతాడు)
- Breakdown:
- Subject (S): He – Atanu (అతను)
- Object (O): Music – sangītānniS(సంగీతాన్ని)
- Verb (V): Loves –Iiṣṭapaḍatāḍu (ఇష్టపడతాడు)
Example 6
English: The cat caught the mouse.
Telugu: Pilli elukanu pattindi (పిల్లి ఎలుకను పట్టింది)
- Breakdown:
- Subject (S): Cat – Pilli (పిల్లి)
- Object (O): Mouse – Elukanu (ఎలుకను)
- Verb (V): Caught – Pattindi (పట్టింది)
But while Telugu SVO is the standard, Telugu also supports multiple-word order due to the use of inflectional endings. Here’s an example.
English: Ramu is writing a letter
SOV: రాము ఉత్తరం రాస్తున్నాడు / Ramu Uttaram Rastunnadu
Ramu (S)
Letter (O)
Writing (V)
OSV: ఉత్తరం రాము రాస్తున్నాడు / Uttaram Ramu Rastunnadu
Letter (O)
Ramu (S)
Writing (V)
OVS: ఉత్తరం రాస్తున్నది రాము / Uttaram Rastunnadi Ramu
Letter (O)
Writing (V)
Ramu (S)
Now that you learned about the structure of sentences in Telugu, let’s see how many types there are.
Components Of A Sentence
If you want to master the language, understanding the core components of a sentence is key. Think of it like building blocks – once you know how they fit together, everything else starts to make sense.
So, let’s break it down into the main parts: Subject (karta – కర్త), Object (karma – కర్మ) and Verb (kiriya – క్రియా). We’ll go through each one with a couple of examples to keep things clear and simple.
Subject – Karta (కర్త)
The subject of a sentence is the person or thing that acts.
Example 1
- Telugu: రాము పుస్తకం చదివాడు.
- Transliteration: Ramu pustakam chadivadu.
- Translation: Ramu read a book.
- Explanation: Here, “రాము” (Ramu) is the subject performing the act of reading.
Example 2
- Telugu: పిల్లి పాలు తాగింది.
- Transliteration: Pilli palu tagindi.
- Translation: The cat drank milk.
- Explanation: In this sentence, “పిల్లి” (pilli) is the subject acting as drinking.
Object – Karma (కర్మ)
The object of a sentence is the person or thing that receives the action.
Example 1
- Telugu: పుస్తకాన్ని రాము చదివాడు.
- Transliteration: Pustakanni Ramu chadivaḍu.
- Translation: Ramu read a book.
- Explanation: Here, “పుస్తకం” (pustakam) is the object receiving the action of reading.
Example 2
- Telugu: పాలని పిల్లి పాలు తాగింది.
- Transliteration: Palani Pilli tagindi.
- Translation: The cat drank milk.
- Explanation: In this sentence, “పాలు” (palu) is the object receiving the action of drinking.
Verb – Kriya (క్రియా)
The verb of a sentence is the action or state of being.
Example 1
- Telugu: రాము పుస్తకం చదివాడు.
- Transliteration: Ramu pustakam chadivadu.
- Translation: Ramu read a book.
- Explanation: Here, “చదివాడు” (chadivadu) is the verb indicating the action of reading.
Example 2
- Telugu: పిల్లి పాలు తాగింది.
- Transliteration: Pilli palu tagindi.
- Translation: The cat drank milk.
- Explanation: In this sentence, “తాగింది” (tagindi) is the verb indicating the action of drinking.
Additional Sentence Elements
Once you’ve got the hang of the basic components of a Telugu sentence, it’s time to add some flair! Just like in English, Telugu sentences can be spiced up with adjectives, adverbs, and postpositions. These elements add more detail and depth to your sentences, making your speech and writing more interesting and expressive. Let’s explore each of these additional elements with examples.
Adjectives – Viseshanalu (విశేషణాలు)
Telugu adjectives describe or modify nouns, giving more information about them.
Example 1
- Telugu: రాముని పెద్ద ఇల్లు.
- Transliteration: Ramuni pedda illu.
- Translation: Ramu’s big house.
- Explanation: Here, “పెద్ద” (pedda) is the adjective describing the noun “ఇల్లు” (illu), meaning house.
Example 2
- Telugu: కాటుక పువ్వు వాసన.
- Transliteration: Katuka puvvu vasana.
- Translation: The fragrant flower.
- Explanation: In this sentence, “వాసన” (vasana) is the adjective describing the noun “పువ్వు” (puvvu), meaning flower.
Adverbs – Kriyavisesanalu (క్రియావిశేషణాలు)
Telugu adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, providing more context about the action.
Example 1
- Telugu: రాము బాగా చదివాడు.
- Transliteration: Ramu baga chadivadu.
- Translation: Ramu read well.
- Explanation: Here, “బాగా” (baga) is the adverb modifying the verb “చదివాడు” (chadivadu), meaning read.
Example 2
- Telugu: పిల్లి నిదానంగా నడిచింది.
- Transliteration: Pilli nidananga naḍichindi.
- Translation: The cat walked slowly.
- Explanation: In this sentence, “నిదానంగా” (nidananga) is the adverb modifying the verb “నడిచింది” (naḍichindi), meaning walked.
Preposition/ Postpositions – Vyapanalu (వ్యాపనాలు)
Unlike English, Telugu uses postpositions that come after the noun or pronoun. So, in true sense, Telugu prepositions are postpositions.
Example 1
- Telugu: రాము ఇంటికి వెళ్ళాడు.
- Transliteration: Ramu intiki vellaḍu.
- Translation: Ramu went to the house.
- Explanation: Here, “ఇంటికి” (intiki) is the postposition indicating direction, and meaning to the house.
Example 2
- Telugu: పిల్లి చెట్టుపై కూర్చుంది.
- Transliteration: Pilli chettupai kurchundi.
- Translation: The cat sat on the tree.
- Explanation: In this sentence, “చెట్టుపై” (cheṭṭupai) is the postposition indicating location, meaning on the tree.
- indicating location, meaning on the tree.
Types Of Sentences In Telugu
In general, we can divide Telugu sentences into four types.
Declarative
- I’m eating: Nenu tintunanu (నేను తింటున్నాను)
- I’m Ramu: Nenu ramu (నేను రాము)
- I’m good: Nenu bagunnanu (నేను బాగున్నాను)
Interrogative
- How are you: Yela unnavu (ఎలా ఉన్నావు?)
- Where are you: Yekkada unnavu (ఎక్కడ ఉన్నావు?)
Imperative
- Eat this: Edi tinu (ఇది తిను)
- Read this: Edi chadavu (ఇది చదువు)
- Don’t tell: Chepaku (చెప్పకు)
- Don’t speak: Matladaku (మాట్లాడకు)
Exclamatory
How beautiful it is: Yentha andhamga undho (ఎంత అందంగా ఉందో!)
How big it is: Yentha peddaga undho (ఎంత పెద్దగా ఉందో!)
FAQs About Telugu Sentence Structure
What Is The Basic Sentence Structure In Telugu?
The basic sentence structure in Telugu follows the Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) order. This means that the subject comes first, followed by the object, and the verb is placed at the end of the sentence. For example, Ramu pustakam chadivaḍu (రాము పుస్తకం చదివాడు) translates to “Ramu read the book.”
How Do Postpositions Work In Telugu?
In Telugu, postpositions are used instead of prepositions, and they come after the noun or pronoun they are related to. For example, pustakaniki pai (పుస్తకానికి పై) means “on the book,” and where pai (పై) is the postposition meaning “on.”
What Are Some Common Mistakes To Avoid In Telugu Sentence Structure?
Common mistakes include misplacing the verb, using incorrect postpositions, neglecting gender and number agreement, and overusing literal translations from English. To avoid these mistakes, practice the correct sentence structure and pay attention to proper usage of adverbs, adjectives, and postpositions.
How Do Adjectives And Adverbs Fit Into Telugu Sentences?
In Telugu, adjectives usually come before the noun they describe and agree in gender and number. Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs and are often placed near the verb they modify. For example, pedda pustakam (పెద్ద పుస్తకం) means “big book,” and baga chadivadu (బాగా చదివాడు) means “read well.”
To Round Off
That’s all. Now you know what order of sentences Telugu uses and how. Be sure to practice regularly to get a good grip on it. It’s easier than you can imagine.
Your goals should be to practice often, talk to native speakers, and immerse oneself in the language as much as possible. Take help of our Ling app to go through interactive lessons and puzzles that make your learning interesting and easy. If you make an effort to implement what you’ve learned, you’ll see your talents improving over time.
