Spoken 3: food and ordering
Goal: By the end you can order food, refuse politely and ask for the bill.
Draft lesson: not yet reviewed by a fluent Tamil speaker.
Warm-up
சாப்பாடு
cāppāṭu
food, a meal
தோசை
tōcai
dosa, a crisp rice pancake
காபி
kāpi
coffee
I want, please give
எனக்கு … வேண்டும் means “I want …”. கொடுங்கள் is the polite “please give”.
எனக்கு ஒரு தோசை வேண்டும்.
eṉakku oru tōcai vēṇṭum.
I want one dosa.
Spokeneṉakku oru tōcai vēṇum.
தண்ணீர் கொடுங்கள்.
taṇṇīr koṭuṅkaḷ.
Please give me water.
Spokentaṇṇi kuṭuṅka.
ஒரு காபி கொடுங்கள்.
oru kāpi koṭuṅkaḷ.
One coffee, please.
Spokenoru kāpi kuṭuṅka.
No thanks, that's enough
வேண்டாம் is “I don't want it”. போதும் is “enough”. Hosts will keep serving until you say one of them.
வேண்டாம்.
vēṇṭām.
No, thank you. (I don't want it.)
Spokenvēṇām.
போதும்.
pōtum.
That's enough.
காரம் வேண்டாம்.
kāram vēṇṭām.
Not spicy, please.
Spokenkāram vēṇām.
Praise and pay
எவ்வளவு means “how much”. Use it for prices everywhere.
சாப்பாடு நன்றாக இருக்கிறது.
cāppāṭu naṉṟāka irukkiṟatu.
The food is good.
Spokencāppāṭu nallā irukku.
எவ்வளவு?
evvaḷavu?
How much?
Spokenevḷō?
பில் கொடுங்கள்.
pil koṭuṅkaḷ.
The bill, please.
Spokenpil kuṭuṅka.
Try it
Question 1 of 7
Complete “I want…”: எனக்கு ஒரு காபி ___.
Use it
Role-play a small restaurant order aloud: greet, order two things with எனக்கு … வேண்டும், refuse something with வேண்டாம், and ask எவ்வளவு?
Culture note
At weddings and festivals a full meal is often served on a banana leaf (வாழை இலை), with rice in the middle and many small dishes around it. People eat with the right hand, and folding the leaf towards you at the end shows you enjoyed the meal.
Recap
Key words
- சாப்பாடு · food, a meal
- தோசை · dosa, a crisp rice pancake
- காபி · coffee
Rules
- “I want X” is எனக்கு X வேண்டும் (spoken: வேணும்).
- வேண்டாம் = I don't want it. போதும் = enough.
- கொடுங்கள் (spoken: குடுங்க) is the polite “please give”.