namaskAra! Welcome back!
Particles are uninflected words that don’t exactly belong to
another class of words (such as adverbs, etc.) but serve a function within the
sentence.
‘e’ or ‘ne’
These are emphatic particles used to emphasize a word. This
can be translated as “only”, “just”, “merely”, “indeed” etc.
‘ne’ is used after a final vowel ‘a’, ‘e’, 'ae'.
‘e’ is used after a final vowel ‘i’, ‘u’ or a final consonant
(or half-u).
Examples:
mara – marane
rAme – rAmene
appae – appene
kAr – kAre
pakki – pakkiye
onji - onje
guru – guruve
uNDu - uNDe
Ayeg – Ayege
barpe - barpene
Tulu: mara bUruNDu
English: Tree will fall down.
Kannada: mara bILuttade
Tulu: marane bUruNDu
English: Tree only will fall down (Here it emphasizes the
tree)
Kannada: marave bILuttade
Tulu: mara bUruNDe
English: Tree will fall down indeed (Here it emphasizes the
action of falling)
Kannada: mara bidde bILuttade
Tulu: yAn onje dOsae tiNDini
English: I ate only one Dosa (It emphasizes the
insufficiency of a single Dosa – I ate only one Dosa, not much)
Kannada: nAnu onde dOse tindiddu
Tulu: yAne onji dOsae
tiNDini
English: I only ate one Dosa (I am the one who ate Dosa, not
anyone else.)
Kannada: nAne ondu dOse tindiddu
Tulu: Aye ellae barpene
English: He will come tomorrow anyhow (It emphasizes the
action of coming – I am sure he will come tomorrow)
Kannada: avanu nAle bande bartAne
Tulu: Aye ellene barpe
English: He will come tomorrow only (It emphasizes the time
of coming ‘tomorow’ – He will come tomorrow not other day)
Kannada: avanu nALeye bartAne
Tulu: Ayene ellae barpe
English: He himself will come tomorrow (He only will come
tomorrow not anyone else)
Tulu: Aye ninane lettini
English: He called you only (not others)
Kannada: avanu ninnanne karediddu
Tulu: Ir ellae baroDe
English: You should come tomorrow in any case
Kannada: nIvu nALe barle bEku
Tulu: yAn jeidine (jeidini +
e) ijji
English: I did not sleep at all
Kannada: nAnu malage illa
Tulu: Aye barpuje
English: He does not come
Kannada: avanu baruvudilla
Tulu: Aye barpine (barpini +
e) ijji
English: He does not come at all
Kannada: avanu baruvude illa
Tulu: Al eNDa pAterujal
English: She does not speak with me
Kannada: avaLu nannalli mAtADuvudilla
Tulu: Al eNDa pAterune ijji
English: She does not speak with me at all
Kannada: avaLu nannalli mAtADuvude illa
Interrogative particles ‘a’, ‘na’, (‘e’, ‘ne’)
‘These are interrogative particles used in simple questions.
‘e’/‘ne’ are very polite and used to give respect when speaking to
elders/strangers.
‘na’ and ‘ne’ are used after a final vowel ‘a’, ‘e’, 'ae'.
‘a’ and ‘e’ are used after a final vowel ‘i’, ‘u’ or a final
consonant (or half-u).
Examples:
mara – marana? / marane? - Is it tree?
tUka – tUkana? / tUkane? – Let us see?
Aye – Ayena? / Ayene? – Is it him?
barpe – barpena? / barpene? – Will he come?
mOnae – mOnena? / mOnene? – Is it face?
sari – sariya? / sariye? – Is it correct?
ijji – ijja? / ijje? – No? / Is not there?
pOyi – pOya? / pOye? – Let us go?
guru – guruva? / guruve?
– Is it Guru?
uNDu – uNDa? / uNDe? – Is it there?
baroDu – baroDa? / baroDe? – Shall I come?
kaNN – kaNNa? / kaNNe? – Is it eye?
barpar – barpara? / barpare? – Will you come?
Tulu: nama movie’g
pOya?
English: Let us go to movie?
Kannada: nAvu movie’ge
hOgONva?
Tulu: undu ninna illa?
English: idu ninna maneya?
Kannada: Is this your house?
Tulu: I Epa barpa? iniya,
ellena?
English: When will you come, today or tomorrow?
Kannada: nInu yAvAga bartIya? ivatta, nALeya?
Tulu: enkonji upakAra malpuvare?
English: Can you please do me a favor?
Kannada: nanagondu sahAya mADuttIra?
Tulu: yAn irenoTTugu baroDe?
English: Shall I come with you?
Kannada: nAnu nimmoTTige barla?
Tulu: barsa baronduNDe ijje?
English: Is it raining or not?
Kannada: maLe bartideya ilva?
Tulu: aklen leppoDa boDcha?
English: Shall I call them or not?
Kannada: avarannu karIla bEDva?
Tulu: undu eDDena atta?
English: Is this good or not?
Kannada: idu OLLeda alva?
Tulu: anda atta?
English: Yes or no?
Kannada: hauda alva?
Tulu: undu satyana sulla?
English: Is this true or a lie?
Kannada: idu satyava suLLa?
Also, these particles are used to change interrogative
pronouns into indefinite pronouns and exclamatory expressions.
Examples:
Er – Era – Someone / Wonder
who!
Erna – Ernana – Someone’s /
Wonder whose!
enchina – enchinana –
Something / Wonder what!
dAda – dAdana – Something /
Wonder what!
dAne – dAnna (dAne + na) –
Wonder what!
vou – vovva - Something /
Wonder which one!
Et – Eta – Wonder how much!
Epa – Epana – Sometime /
Wonder when!
Olu – Ola – Somewhere /
Wonder where!
ODe – Odena – To somewhere /
Wonder whither!
onchi – onchiya – To
somewhere / Wonder whither!
Tulu:
Person A: Era ninan
lettonduller
Person B: Er?
Person A: Era! enk gottuji
English:
Person A: Somebody is calling you
Person B: Who?
Person A: (Wonder who) I don’t know!
Kannada:
Person A: yAro ninnannu karItiddAre
Person B: yAru?
Person A: yAro! nanage gottilla
Tulu:
Person A: Ar Epa barper?
Person B: Epana!
English:
Person A: When he/she will come?
Person B: Wonder when! (I don’t know)
Kannada:
Person A: avaru yAvAga bartAre?
Person B: yAvAglo!
Tulu: Ayeg dAdana At’ND
English: Something has happened to him
Kannada: avanige Eno Agide
Tulu: akulu mUle Ola uppoDu
English: They should be here (only) somewhere.
Kannada: avaru ille ello irbEku
Tulu: mokulu ODena pOyer
English: They went somewhere
Kannada: avaru elligo hOdaru
‘dAnna’ is used to express doubt and commonly placed after
the word with the interrogative particles.
Tulu: Aye illaD ullena dAnna!
English: Maybe, he is at home. I am not sure!
Kannada: avanu maneyalli iddAno Eno!
Tulu: aleg dAda ANDa dAnna!
English: I am not sure what happened to her!
Kannada: avaLige Enu Ayto Eno!
‘la’
This can be used as a simple adverb in English “too/also” or
an emphatic particle which can be translated as “even” or a conjunction “and”.
Examples:
Tulu: appaela magalla batter
English: Mother and daughter came
Kannada: tAyiyU magaLU bandaru
Tulu: nAyila puchchaela gobbondulla
English: Dog and Cat are playing
Kannada: nAyi mattu bekku ADuttive
Tulu: enk nAyilena pODigae ApuNDu
English: I am afraid of dogs.
Kannada: nanage nAyigaLa bhaya Agtade
Tulu: enkla nAyilena pODigae
ApuNDu
English: I am also afraid of dogs.
Kannada: nanagU nAyigaLa bhaya Agtade
Tulu: enk nAyilenala pODigae
ApuNDu
English: I am also afraid of dogs.
Kannada: nanage nAyigaLidU bhaya Agtade
The English usage of “also/too” is unclear. The sentence ‘I
am also afraid of dogs’ could mean “In addition to some other person, I am
afraid of dogs” or “I am afraid of dogs in addition to other things”. However,
the Tulu sentence is clear; 'la' succeeds the word that it modifies.
Tulu: yAnla niklenoTTugu
barpae
English: I will come with you too.
Kannada: nAnU nimma jote bartEne
Tulu: yAn dAda paNpae aven malpuvaela
English: I also do what I say
Kannada: nAnu Enu hELtEne adannu mADtEne kUDa
Tulu: yAn onji gaNTaela
jeidijae
English: I have not slept for even an hour.
Kannada: nAnu ondu gaNTeyU kUDa malagilla
Tulu: Ar enan lettijer
English: He/She didn’t call me
Kannada: avaru nannannu karililla
Tulu: Arla enan lettijer
English: He/She also did not call me
Kannada: avarU nannannu karIlilla
Tulu: Ar enanla lettijer
English: He/She did not call me too
Kannada: avaru nannannU karIlilla
Tulu: Ar enan lettinla
(lettini+la) ijji
English: He/She didn’t even call me
Kannada: aavaru nannannu karilU illa
Tulu: yAn ayen lett’NDala
battije
English: Even though I called him, he did not come
Kannada: nAnu avanannu karedarU avanu baralilla
Tulu: akulu battijerDala Ir
baroDe
English: Even though they do not come, you should come in
any case
Kannada: avaru baradiddarU nIvu barale bEku
‘la’ is also used to change interrogative pronouns into
indefinite pronouns
Examples:
Er – Erla – anyone
Erna – Ernala – anyone’s
enchina – enchinala –
anything
dAda – dAla – anything
vou – voula – any of them
Et – Etla – Any quantity / Sufficient
Epa – Epala – Any time /
Always
Olu – Olla – Anywhere
ODe – Odela – To anywhere
onchi – onchila – To anywhere
Tulu: illaD Erla ullera?
English: Is there anyone home?
Kannada: maneyalli yArAdarU iddAra?
Tulu: EreDala pAteroDchi
English: Don’t speak with anyone
Kannada: yArallU mAtADabEDa
Tulu: enk dAla boDchi
English: I don’t need anything
Kannada: nanage EnU bEDa
Tulu: namak pariyerae Etla
nIr uNDu
English: We have sufficient water to drink
Kannada: namage kuDiyOke sAkashTu nIru ide.
Tulu: sUrye Epala mUDAyiD
mUDuve
English: The sun always rises in the east
Kannada: sUrya yAvAgalU pUrvadalli mUDuttAne
Tulu: Aye Olla tOjuje
English: He is not visible anywhere
Kannada: avanu ellU kANuttilla
Tulu: Ir ODela pOvoDchi
English: You don’t go anywhere
Kannada: nIvu elligU hOgabEDi
‘gae’
This is a reporting particle which can be translated as “It
is said”. When reporting something said by others, we normally use ‘gae’ at the
end of sentences. Using ‘gae’ at the end of a sentence shows that the sentence
you said was not yours, but it was said by someone else or you got the news
from unknown source which cannot be believed true completely.
For example if some people said, "There is a bomb in
the bus" (Tulu: bass’D bomb uNDu) and you want to report that, you can say:
Tulu: bass’D bomb
uNDugae
English: It is said that there is a bomb in the bus
Kannada: bassalli bomb
ideyante
Let us see more examples:
Tulu: janokulu paNper Aye ori kalvegae
English: People say that he is a thief.
Kannada: janaru hELtAre avanobba kaLLanante
Tulu: Aye nikk kAtondullegae
English: He (or someone else) said that he is waiting for
you.
Kannada: avanu ninage kAytA iddAne ante
Tulu: akulu ellae barpergae
English: They (or someone else) said that they will come
tomorrow
Kannada: avaru nAle bartAre ante
Tulu: ini I nela ochchoDugae
English: It’s said that you should wipe the floor today
Kannada: ivattu nInu nela oresabEkante
‘pand’ / ‘ind’
These are not actually particles but past gerunds of verbs
‘paNpini’ (To tell/say) and ‘iNpini’ (To tell/say).
paND’d – pand = Having said
iND’d – ind = Having said
Apart from this, ‘pand’ / ‘ind’ can also be used as reporting particle in
indirect speech which can be translated as “that” or “said that”. Let us see an
example:
Direct speech:
English: He said, "I will not come."
Tulu: Aye paNDe, “yAn barpujae”
Kannada: avanu hELida, “nAnu baralla”
Indirect speech:
English: He said that he would not come.
Tulu: Aye barpuje pand paNDe
Kannada: avanu baralla anta hELida
In spoken Tulu, ‘pand’ / ‘ind’ further shortened into ‘nd’
Tulu: akulu ellae barper’nd
panter
English: They (have) said that they would come tomorrow
Kannada: avaru nALe bartAre anta hELiddAre
Tulu: Al illaDe pOvondullal’nd
paNDal
English: She said she was going to home
Kannada: avaLu manage hOgtiddALe anta hELidaLu
Tulu: Aye dAda malpoDu’nd
kENDe
English: He asked what he should do
Kannada: avanu Enu mADabEku anta kELida
Tulu: yAn Ayeg ellae baroDu’nd
paNDae
English: I told him that he should come tomorrow
Kannada: nAnu avanige nALe barabEku anta hELide
Tulu: enk dAda malpoDu’nd gottAvondijji
English: I don’t know (that) what should I do
Kannada: nanage Enu mADbEku anta gottAgtilla
Tulu: yAn nentae I sullu paNpini’nd
English: I thought that you were telling a lie
Kannada: nAnu andukoNDe nInu suLLu hELtiddIya anta
Tulu: yAn, I barpuja’nd
enniyae
English: I thought that you don’t come
Kannada: nAnu, nInu baralla anta andukoNDe
‘paNDa’
‘paNDa’ is the subjunctive form of the verb ‘paNpini’ (To
tell/say).
paND + Da – paNDa= If said
Example:
Tulu: Aye enk paNDa yAn ireg paNpae
English: If he tells me, I will tell you
Kannada: avanu nanage hELidare nAnu nimage hELtEne
This word can also be used as a particle which can be
translated as ‘means’/ ‘that means’
Tulu: ancha paNDa
English: That means
Kannada: hAgandre
Tulu: mUlu sharat paNDa Er?
English: Who is Sharth here?
Kannada: illi sharat andre yAru?
Tulu: I paNDa enk ishTa
English: I like you (Lit. You mean like for me)
Kannada: nInu andre nanage ishTa
Tulu: tuluTu ____ paNDa dAda?
English: What does ____ mean in Tulu?
Kannada: tuLuvalli ____ andre Enu?
Vocative Particles: E, O, inda,
inde, ala, ale, , mbae (mae), de, ya and ye
These are used while addressing
a person (animal, object etc.) being spoken to
E, O, inda, inde, ala, ale are
used before starting a sentence or a word.
Examples,
Tulu: O rAma! iDe bala!
English: Hey Rama! Come here!
Kannada: O rAma! Illi bA!
Tulu: E! dAda malpuni?
English: Hey! What are you
doing?
Kannada: Ey! Enu mADuvudu?
Tulu: inda! dettoNu
English: Hey! Take this!
Kannada: igO! takO
Tulu: inda maga! iDe bala!
English: Hey Son! Come here!
Kannada: igO maga! Illi bA!
Tulu: ala! Ayen tUla!
English: Hey! Look at him!
Kannada: agO! avanannu nODu!
Tulu: ala! Aye pOye!
English: Look! He went!
Kannada: agO! Avanu hOda!
O, E, inda and ala are informal
and can be used for both male and female.
‘inde’ is the respectfull form of ‘inda’
Tulu: inde! iren leppunu!
English: Hey, (Someone) Calling
you!
Kannada: igOLLi! nimmannu kareyuvudu
‘ale’ is the respectfull form of ‘ala’
Tulu: ale! Era batter!
English: Look! Someone came!
Kannada: agoLLi! yArO bandaru
mbae (mae), de, ya and ye are
used at the end of a sentence or a word.
'mbae'/'mae' is informal or
singular. This can be used for only male friends/younger persons – Don’t use
this for any one unless your close friend
Tulu: E HarIsha! iDe balambae
(balamae)!
English: Hey Harish! Come here
(man!)
Kannada: Ey HarIsha! Illi bAro!
Tulu: eNaDa kAs ijjimbae
(ijjimae)!
English: I don’t have money (dude!)
Kannada: nanna hattira duDDu
illavo! (illa kaNo!)
Tulu: yAn ellae barondijjaemae!
English: I am not coming tomorrow
(man!)
Kannada: nAnu nAle bartillavo!
(bartilla kaNo!)
'de' is also informal or singular.
This can be used for only female friends/younger persons. Don’t use this for
any one unless your close friend
Tulu: E gItA! Ollade?
English: Hey Geetha! Where are
you? (woman!)
Kannada: Ey gItA! elliddIye?
Tulu: Av Erde battini?
English: Who is that (who
came)? (woman!)
Kannada: adu yAre bandiddu?
Tulu: enk ini barrae Apujide!
English: I can’t come today
(woman!)
Kannada: nanage ivattu
baralikke Aguvudillave! (Aguvudilla kaNe!)
'ya' is also informal or
singular. This can be used for both male and female friends/younger persons
Tulu: I dAda maltondullaya?
English: What are you doing?
(man! Or woman!)
Kannada: nInu Enu mADittiddIyo!/nInu
Enu mADuttiddIye!
Tulu: E! nama bEga pOyiya!
English: Hey, Let us go soon!
(man! Or woman!)
Kannada: Ey! nAvu bEga hOgONa
kaNo/kaNe!
Tulu: ijjiya! Enk gottuji!
English: No man! (or No
woman!), I don’t know!
Kannada: illavo!/illave! nanage
gottilla!
‘ye’ is the plural or
respectful form of ‘ya’ - This can be used for both male and female elders/strangers
Tulu: Ir ollar’ye?
English: Where are you?
Kannada: nIvu elliddIriri?
Tulu: ijjiye! yAn barpujae!
English: No (sir!), I don’t come!
Kannada: illari/illa kaNri!
nAnu baruvudilla!
Tulu: ora iDe baleye!
English: Please come here once!
Kannada: omme illi banniri!
The particles 'mbae'/'mae', 'de', 'ya', 'ye' can also be added immediately after ‘inda’, ‘inde’, ‘ala’ and ‘ale’
Examples:
Tulu: indambae! nikk kebi
kENujambae?
English: Hey! (man!) Can’t you
hear! (Are you deaf?)
Kannada: igoLLa! ninage kivi
kELalveno?
Tulu: indade! amma leppuni!
English: Hey! (woman!), Mom is
calling you!
Kannada: igoLLe! amma kareyuvudu
Tulu: indaya! bEga pOya!
English: Hey! (man! Or woman!),
Go quickly!
Kannada: igoLLa! bEga hOga!
Tulu: alambae! av Er?
English: Hey (man!) Who is
that?
Kannada: agoLLa! Adu yAru?
Tulu: alade! Akulu batter!
English: Look! (woman!) They came!
Kannada: agoLLe! Avaru bandaru!
Tulu: alaya! aulu tUlaya!
English: Hey! (man! Or woman!)
look at there!
Kannada: agoLLa! alli nODa!
Tulu: indeye! nama Epa pOpini?
English: Hey! (sir!), When are
we going?
Kannada: igoLLi! nAvu yAyAga
hOguvudu?
Tulu: aleye! Ir baroDugae
English: Hey! (sir!), you
should come (they said)
Kannada: agoLLi! nIvu
barabEkante
Apart from these particles, you
can also use words such as mArAya, mArAyti and mArrae
mArAya is informal or singular.
This can be used for only male friends/younger persons
Tulu: I ora bEga bala mArAya!
English: Come soon (man!)
Kannada: nInu omme bEga bA
mArAya!
mArAyti is also informal or
singular. This can be used for only female friends/younger persons
Tulu: ijji mArAyti! av yAn att!
English: No (woman!), it is not
me!
Kannada: illa mArAyti! adu nAnu
alla!
mArrae is respectfull form of
mArAya and mArAyti. This can be used for both male and female elders/strangers
Tulu: Aye ijjegae mArrae!
English: He is not there (it
was told)! (man! Or woman!)
Kannada: avanu illante kaNri!
(mArAyare!)'
Bye!