Script 6: reading practice
Goal: By the end you can read whole words in syllables and understand your first three sentences.
Draft lesson: not yet reviewed by a fluent Tamil speaker.
Warm-up
வணக்கம்
vaṇakkam
hello, greetings
நன்றி
naṉṟi
thank you
தண்ணீர்
taṇṇīr
water
Read in syllables
Do not read letter by letter. A dotted consonant closes the syllable before it. So வணக்கம் is three beats: va · ṇak · kam.
வணக்கம்
vaṇakkam
hello: va · ṇak · kam
தண்ணீர்
taṇṇīr
water: taṇ · ṇīr
அப்பா
appā
father: ap · pā
Length matters
A doubled consonant is held longer, and a long vowel is held longer. Either one can turn a word into a different word.
படம்
paṭam
picture
பட்டம்
paṭṭam
kite
பல்
pal
tooth
பால்
pāl
milk
Your first sentences
இது means “this” and அது means “that”. Tamil needs no word for “is” in these sentences: you simply put the two parts side by side.
இது புத்தகம்.
itu puttakam.
This is a book.
அது வீடு.
atu vīṭu.
That is a house.
இது என் அம்மா.
itu eṉ ammā.
This is my mother.
Try it
Question 1 of 7
How many syllables (beats) are in வணக்கம்?
Use it
Point at three things around you and say இது ___ for each one. Words you already know: புத்தகம், வீடு, பூ, மரம், கை, தண்ணீர்.
Culture note
வணக்கம் works at any time of day and with anyone, from a child to a grandparent. It is often said with the palms pressed together in front of the chest.
Recap
Key words
- வணக்கம் · hello, greetings
- நன்றி · thank you
- தண்ணீர் · water
Rules
- Read in syllables. A dotted consonant closes the syllable before it.
- Doubled consonants and long vowels are held longer and can change the meaning.
- இது = this, அது = that. No word for “is” is needed.