How to Learn Telugu
Learning the Telugu Language Outside India
Considering that Encarta claims there are over 10 million native Telugu speakers in the world it's surprisingly difficult to learn this language on your own. Written and recorded resources are limited, and classes are almost non existent. If you are a serious student, you should look for a tutor or a language exchange with a Telugu speaker.
Much of this page is a list of resources and information I wish I'd found when I first started learning Telugu. The phrases and translations I've added should be looked at as the notes of a fellow student, not a reliable textbook. I've used Spanish language vowel and English language consonant pronunciation to spell out words phonetically. This isn't adequate. Telugu has vowels held for long and short amounts of time. I have difficulty hearing these. Generally long vowels are written in this alphabet with a double vowel. So aa is the same sound as a but held for longer. Some Telugu consonants don't exist in the English language as well. The ones between D and T are particularly hard for me to differentiate. If you are a Telugu speaker, and notice mistakes, please let me know.
Links to Telugu Learning Sites
There are quite a few more Telugu learning sites available now than there were a year or two ago. It's worth keeping an eye out for new material. This could grow in the near future.
- App Store Downloads on iTunes
Browse and download apps to your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch from the App Store. The App Store has more than one million apps and games for your iOS device. - Kidsone e-learning
This fairly recent site teaches vocabulary with sound and animation. Look under e-learning to get started. - Language Reef Telugu
Alphabet, numbers, colors, months, days - Telugu English Dictionary Online
Electronic dictionary. - Google Books - Free E-Books on Telugu
This is a large resource only recently available. Several out of print and copyright expired books are available in full here. This includes several textbooks aimed at or written by the British in India. - Learn Telugu search on Youtube
Content on Youtube seems to be in constant flux, so this is just a link to a basic search to get you started. You should also try searching for, "telugu kids", "telugu english subtitles" - Wikipedia Telugu Page
This is good reading. The grammar section seems to have grown recently. - Wiki Travel Telugu Phrasebook
Simple phrasebook focusing on phrases useful to travelers. - Travelmasti One page phrase book
Basic words and phrases. - Omniglot Telugu Phrases
Basics & how to say, "My hovercraft is full of eels". - Online Telugu Converter
Convert English to Telugu text. Telugu font. Dictionary. - Hyderbad Best - One page Phrase Book
Phrases for visitors. - Google Translate
Now includes the Telugu language. - Telugu Flashcards
Online flashcards of Telugu vocabulary and alphabet. Mostly uses Telugu script. Alphabets at the end. - Quizlet Telugu Flashcards
Vocabulary flashcards mostly in phonetic English script.
Question?
Words you may already know in Telugu
Cognates
The Telugu language has adopted many English words, and Telugu speakers, especially those who also know some English are fond of throwing English words into the middle of Telugu. There's a little trick to it though. Nouns frequently, but not always have either a u or lu sound added to the end. (the u is pronounced like the double oo in too). U is for singular and lu is for plural.
computer - computeru
train - railu/ railubundi
car - caru
toilet - toiletu
boots/ closed shoes - bootlu
engine - inginu
road - rodu
bank - banku
plate - platu
tea - te
coffee - cafi
Yes and No in Telugu
While yes is fairly straight forward. There are multiple words for no. Be sure to use the correct one.
yes - aaunu
It can't be - kadu
it isn't - kaleydu
I don't have - ledu
I don't want - vadu
Phrases to Ignore
Lost in translation
There are several phrases that are commonly taught first when learning a European language that don't have equivalents in Telugu.
Please, Thank You, You're Welcome
While you often see translations of these words, be aware that the translations given are usually only used in situations of extreme gratitude, or desperation. This caries over to conversations held in English in Telugu speaking areas. Please and thank you are rarely used, and you may cause embarrassment or amusement using the word thank you too much for small things like tea or food being handed to you.
Bless You
Saying something to a person who sneezes is also common to European languages. There is, "sataish", which I'm told translates to roughly, "may you live for a 100 years", used only by older people responding to much younger people, but for the most part Telugu speakers don't respond to sneezes.
Question Words and Answer Words
what - emi
this- Idi
that-adi
where - ekkada
here- ikeda
there-akkada
when-eppudu
now-ipudu
then-appudu
how-ela
like this-ila
like that-ala
how much-enta
this much-inta
that much-anta
Verb Conjugation - Present Tense
For these I've used the root verb po- meaning to go.
I go - nenu potunanu
you go- nivu potunavu
she goes - ame potundi
he goes - atadu potunadu
they go - walu/varu potunaru
we go - Manamu/memu potunamu
you all go - niru potunaru
you(formal) go - miru potunaru
they(formal) go - tamaru potunaru
Adjectives
Adjectives come before the word they describe the same as English.
Example: Manchi nilu
Manchi=good nilu=water
There is no modification too match the object as in latin languages, but the ending of the adjective as well as the beginning of the word it describes are often lost or changed in a conjunction. This is similar to words like it's, we're or the're in English, but they happen a lot more often in Telugu.
Food Words
Understanding an English Menu in Andhra
The food items found on a typical menu in Andhra are not common in other parts of the world. The nicer restaurants in Andhra Pradesh will often have an English language menu, but you may still need a translation. This is a general overview to keep you from getting aakali while in Andhra.
Hungry - Aakali
Food - Annamu
Cooked rice - Annamu
Breakfast - Tiffin
Small meal - Tiffin
Restaurant - Hotel. Hotels may also rent rooms, but not necessarily.
Non vegetarian restaurant - Military Hotel
Dal - lentil
Idli - Steamed cake of rice and lentil flour. Not spicy.
Rava Idli - Steamed cake of wheat flour. Less common.
Dosa - Thin pancake of finely ground rice and lentil flour
Masala Dosa - Dosa with a filling, usually a potato curry.
Utthappam - Thick pancake of rice and lentil flour. The batter often has onions, chilies and peas tomatoes added to it. If you have trouble with spicy food, this is a good choice. You may be able to request it without the chilies.
Vada - Deep fried doughnut of rice and lentil flour.
Peanut chutney - Peanut, onion, and a little chili ground together. Sometimes with other spices or tamarind.
Coconut chutney - similar to peanut chutney, but with coconut.
Sambar - Toor dal curry. There are many variations. In hotels it tends to be watery with tomatoes. and a green vegetable, especially drumstick.
Gunpowder - Dry spice mix served alone or mixed with oil as an accompaniment to idly and dosa.
Drumstick- a long skinny green vegetable with a fibrous center which you chew, then remove from your mouth.
Lunch and Dinner or Supper
The standard meal is a thali plate. In traditional hotels rice and sambar may be unlimited, but you get one serving of everything else.
This generally has rice, sambar, a vegetable curry, a dal curry, a pickle a raita (yogurt or curd), and a small sweet.
Books and Recordings
These are books, a CD-Rom and DVD I've used with notes on their usefulness for learning the Telugu language.
Reader Feedback
Wayne on October 19, 2014:
Also, if anyone wants help getting started on alphabet / pronunciation, there is a free iPad app called "TeluguSlate." It doesn't explain how to draw conjunct consonants (a major drawback), but it does cover the main letters and give you audio aid for pronunciation. (It also uses pictures to teach words instead of English equivalents, which is way better for learning to "think" in the language).
Wayne on October 19, 2014:
I stumbled across this while web-searching. I am an American who is presently attempting to learn Telugu. (I'm a bit of a language enthusiast, and I have spent some time with friends in Andhra / Telangana).
In my opinion, people trying to learn this language should just go ahead and learn how to read the script as well. It can be frustrating to get started with (so many letters look so much alike!), but with regular daily practice, reading the script will become second nature fairly quickly. Reading the script helps you to be able to read the literature (which is a good way to learn and acquire vocabulary), and it is super helpful for figuring out a word's pronunciation, once you understand the rules. If you are ever planning to go to the Telugu speaking regions, knowing how to read this script is a huge lifesaver.
If you have not yet consulted it, a book that needs to be included in your list is "An Intensive Course in Telugu," by Parimi Ramanarasimham. I've tried several Telugu grammars, but this one seems to be the most helpful and exhaustive in its explanations of the rules. Additionally, in my conversations with native speakers, the information that I gained from this book has required far less correction from them than "Telugu in 30 days" (which is dated and frequently doesn't explain things well). If you are serious about learning Telugu, I highly recommend it. (I think you can find a couple of chapters for free online somewhere. Google it and check it out!)
phoenix1491 on July 22, 2013:
Thanks it was helpful!
Hope someday I would watch my favourite telugu movies without english subtitles.
PS :Subtitles are irritating
anonymous on January 21, 2013:
@anonymous: hi...if any doubts in telugu approach me. I can teach you telugu. I am a native speaker in telugu.I know telugu and english.
Pondripples (author) on September 23, 2012:
@anonymous: I think the closest is http://dsal.uchicago.edu/dictionaries/gwynn/ .
anonymous on September 15, 2012:
As a person who cannot read/write Telugu script, what tools do I have to understand the meaning of a specific work. I speak Telugu very fluently, but every once in a while I encounter words that I don't know. Is there a website that I can enter a Telugu word in english and get the meaning in English
anonymous on August 07, 2012:
@Pondripples: Thanks == Dhanyavaadamu [ ధనà±à°¯à°µà°¾à°¦à°®à± ] or its plural can be used in a formal situation, but you'd be hard pressed to find some one that doesn't understand "thanks" and "thank you". Most might respond with a smile and "yuvar velkam" and a funny nod of the head.
when some one sneezes, you run away. if you are slow or want to show some concern, make eye contact and express it with your face. if you are older than the sneezer, you can bless with "chiranjeeva" [ à°à°¿à°°à°à°à±à°µ ] implying you want the sneezer to be eternal.[ hopefully without the sneezing] or be more pragmatic and bless them with what you think will be a long life :). Just curious why are you learning Telugu? are you still learning? I could help if you want help.
Ahdilarum on March 20, 2012:
Nice coaching for learning basic Telugu. Chaala baghundhi.
Pondripples (author) on February 29, 2012:
@madoc: Not being a native speaker, I don't think I have a full understanding of this. I'm told it's mostly a cultural thing. To a degree the idea that each person should do what's required without being asked is there. The language does have formal and informal forms of address, and there is quite a bit more emphasis placed on showing deference than you would generally encounter in English speaking Americans. I have to say that once I realized the lack of please and thank you, it explained a lot about misunderstandings between Americans and natives of India.
madoc on February 28, 2012:
Not having please and thank you seems very strange - is there some other way of expressing gratitude and desire, or is it something in body language, or just a cultural expectation i.e. people do things without being asked, so please/thankyou are simply not required?
anonymous on December 28, 2011:
eee source bagaa unnayii .....:-)
vinay2080 on September 15, 2011:
Informative lens with helpful telugu learning resources.
http://freetelugucomedyclips.blogspot.com/
RealPolish on April 02, 2011:
Inetersting lesson :) thanks
anonymous on December 03, 2010:
ela undhi naa commentoo..
