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Telugu · Telugu letters
Telugu Alphabet
Telugu is written in its own script, left to right, with rounded letters and no continuous line along the top. It is an abugida: every consonant letter carries a built-in short a (క = ka), a vowel sign (gunintalu) attached to it changes that vowel, and the small mark pollu or virama (్) cancels it completely (క్ = k). When two consonants meet with no vowel between them, the second one shrinks into a subscript form (vattu, also called ottu) written under or beside the first, as in క్క (kka) or స్త (sta); the second letter ర has its own hook-like form. Words are written as they are said, and the letters are taught in the traditional rows, grouped by where the tongue or lips touch. Sounds use the lessons' spelling: a line on top (ā ī ū ē ō) = long vowel, a dot under (ṭ ḍ ṇ ṣ ḷ) = tongue curled back, h after a letter = a puff of air, c = 'ch' as in 'chair' (ch is the puffed version), ś and ṣ = 'sh', ṅ and ñ = the nasals of the k and ch rows, ṃ = the nasal dot ం (anusvara), ṛ = the vowel ఋ. Telugu has its own digits (౧ ౨ ౩ …), but today prices and signs mostly use 1 2 3.
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Vowels (achchulu)
అavowel · short a, like the a in 'about'అమ్మ (amma) mother
ఆāvowel · long a, like the a in 'father'ఆవు (āvu) cow
ఇivowel · short i, like 'bit'ఇల్లు (illu) house
ఈīvowel · long i, like 'see'ఈగ (īga) fly
ఉuvowel · short u, like 'put'ఉప్పు (uppu) salt
ఊūvowel · long u, like 'moon'ఊరు (ūru) town, village
ఋṛvowel · 'ru' as in 'ritual', only in Sanskrit-origin wordsఋతువు (ṛtuvu) season
ౠṝvowel · long ṛ; rare, taught in the traditional list but not used in everyday wordsno everyday word uses it
ఌl̥vowel · syllabic l; obsolete, not used in modern Telugu, still in the traditional listno word in modern Telugu
ౡl̥̄vowel · long syllabic l; obsolete, not used in modern Telugu, still in the traditional listno word in modern Telugu
ఎevowel · short e, like 'bed'ఎలుక (eluka) mouse
ఏēvowel · long e, like 'say' (a pure vowel)ఏనుగు (ēnugu) elephant
ఐaivowel · like 'ai' in 'aisle'ఐదు (aidu) five
ఒovowel · short o, like 'pot'ఒక (oka) one, a
ఓōvowel · long o, like 'go' (a pure vowel)ఓడ (ōḍa) ship
ఔauvowel · like 'ow' in 'cow'ఔషధం (auṣadhaṃ) medicine
అంaṃanusvara · a + a nasal ending, n or m depending on the next letter; written as a dot after the letterఅందం (andaṃ) beauty
అఃaḥvisarga · a + a light puff of h; only in Sanskrit-origin words, written as two dotsదుఃఖం (duḥkhaṃ) sadness
Vowel signs on క (gunintalu)
కkaconsonant · the bare letter, with its built-in aకల (kala) dream
కాkāక + ా · long ā sign, written after the letterకాకి (kāki) crow
కిkiక + ి · short i signకిటికీ (kiṭikī) window
కీkīక + ీ · long ī signకీర్తి (kīrti) fame
కుkuక + ు · short u signకుక్క (kukka) dog
కూkūక + ూ · long ū signకూర (kūra) curry, cooked vegetables
కృkṛక + ృ · ṛ sign ('kru'), Sanskrit-origin wordsకృతజ్ఞతలు (kṛtajñatalu) thanks
కౄkṝక + ౄ · long ṝ sign; rare, taught in the full listunverified: no everyday word
కెkeక + ె · short e signకెమెరా (kemerā) camera
కేkēక + ే · long ē signకేక (kēka) a shout
కైkaiక + ై · ai signకైలాసం (kailāsaṃ) Mount Kailash
కొkoక + ొ · short o signకొత్త (kotta) new
కోkōక + ో · long ō signకోడి (kōḍi) chicken
కౌkauక + ౌ · au signకౌగిలి (kaugili) hug
కంkaṃక + ం · anusvara, the nasal dot after the letter (n or m)కంచం (kañcaṃ) plate
కఃkaḥక + ః · visarga, two dots: a light puff of h, Sanskrit-origin wordsనమః (namaḥ) salutations
క్kక + ్ · pollu (virama): cancels the vowel, so only k; it is how joined letters beginతక్కువ (takkuva) less, little
Consonants: velar (ka to ṅa)
కkaconsonant · k as in 'sky' (no puff)కుక్క (kukka) dog
ఖkhaconsonant · k with a puff of air, like 'k-h' in 'backhand'ఖాళీ (khāḷī) empty, vacant
గgaconsonant · g as in 'go'గడియారం (gaḍiyāraṃ) clock
ఘghaconsonant · g with a puff of air, like 'g-h' in 'bighorn'ఘటన (ghaṭana) incident
ఙṅaconsonant · ng as in 'sing'; rare on its own, today usually replaced by the nasal dot ంబంగారం (baṅgāraṃ) gold: written with ం, said with ṅ
Consonants: palatal (ca to ña)
చcaconsonant · ch as in 'chair'చేప (cēpa) fish
ఛchaconsonant · ch with a puff of air; in Sanskrit-origin wordsఛాయ (chāya) shade
జjaconsonant · j as in 'jar'జంతువు (jantuvu) animal
ఝjhaconsonant · j with a puff of air; rare, Sanskrit-origin wordsఝరి (jhari) stream, waterfall; unverified
ఞñaconsonant · ny as in 'canyon'; rare on its own, today usually replaced by the nasal dot ంపంజరం (pañjaraṃ) cage: written with ం, said with ñ
Consonants: retroflex (ṭa to ṇa)
టṭaconsonant · t with the tongue tip curled backటమాటా (ṭamāṭā) tomato
ఠṭhaconsonant · ṭ with a puff of air; rareఠాణా (ṭhāṇā) police station; unverified
డḍaconsonant · d with the tongue tip curled backడబ్బు (ḍabbu) money
ఢḍhaconsonant · ḍ with a puff of air; rareఢిల్లీ (ḍhillī) Delhi
ణṇaconsonant · n with the tongue tip curled backకారణం (kāraṇaṃ) reason
Consonants: dental (ta to na)
తtaconsonant · t with the tongue on the teeth, softer than English tతల (tala) head
థthaconsonant · dental t with a puff of airకథ (katha) story
దdaconsonant · d with the tongue on the teethదారి (dāri) road, way
ధdhaconsonant · dental d with a puff of airధన్యవాదాలు (dhanyavādālu) thank you
నnaconsonant · n as in 'no'నది (nadi) river
Consonants: labial (pa to ma)
పpaconsonant · p as in 'spin' (no puff)పండు (paṇḍu) fruit
ఫphaconsonant · p with a puff of air; also used for the f of loanwordsఫోన్ (phōn) phone
బbaconsonant · b as in 'bus'బస్సు (bassu) bus
భbhaconsonant · b with a puff of air, like 'b-h' in 'abhor'భాష (bhāṣa) language
మmaconsonant · m as in 'man'మనిషి (maniṣi) person
Other consonants (ya to ḷa, kṣa)
యyaconsonant · y as in 'yes'యాత్ర (yātra) journey
రraconsonant · r, a light tap of the tongue (like Spanish r in 'pero')రోజు (rōju) day
లlaconsonant · l as in 'love'లేదు (lēdu) no, there is not
వvaconsonant · between English v and wవర్షం (varṣaṃ) rain
శśaconsonant · sh as in 'shoe'శరీరం (śarīraṃ) body
షṣaconsonant · sh with the tongue tip curled back; Sanskrit-origin wordsకష్టం (kaṣṭaṃ) difficulty
సsaconsonant · s as in 'sun'సముద్రం (samudraṃ) sea
హhaconsonant · h as in 'hat'హోటల్ (hōṭal) hotel
ళḷaconsonant · l with the tongue tip curled backనీళ్ళు (nīḷḷu) water
ఱṟaconsonant · old letter for a rolled r; rare, today said and written like ర (often written ర్ర)ఏఱు (ēṟu) old spelling of ఏరు, stream; unverified
క్షkṣajoined letter · k + ṣ, said 'ksha'; learned as a letter of its ownపరీక్ష (parīkṣa) exam
Common joined letters (ottulu)
క్కkkaక + క · k + k, the second k is the subscript; the sound is held longerకుక్క (kukka) dog
చ్చccaచ + చ · ch + ch, doubledఇచ్చు (iccu) to give
ట్టṭṭaట + ట · ṭ + ṭ, doubledపొట్టి (poṭṭi) short
త్తttaత + త · t + t, doubledకొత్త (kotta) new
ద్దddaద + ద · d + d, doubledపెద్ద (pedda) big
న్నnnaన + న · n + n, doubledఅన్నం (annaṃ) rice
ప్పppaప + ప · p + p, doubledఇప్పుడు (ippuḍu) now
మ్మmmaమ + మ · m + m, doubledతొమ్మిది (tommidi) nine
ల్లllaల + ల · l + l, doubledచల్లని (callani) cold
ళ్ళḷḷaళ + ళ · ḷ + ḷ, doubledనీళ్ళు (nīḷḷu) water
స్తstaస + త · s + tనమస్తే (namastē) hello
ర్తrtaర + త · r + t; ర stays full size, త shrinks below itవార్త (vārta) news
ష్టṣṭaష + ట · ṣ + ṭకష్టం (kaṣṭaṃ) difficulty
క్రkraక + ర · k + r; the ర becomes a small hook formక్రికెట్ (krikeṭ) cricket
ప్రpraప + ర · p + r; the ర hook formప్రవేశం (pravēśaṃ) entrance
ద్రdraద + ర · d + r; the ర hook formసముద్రం (samudraṃ) sea
త్రtraత + ర · t + r; the ర hook formయాత్ర (yātra) journey
న్యnyaన + య · n + yధన్యవాదాలు (dhanyavādālu) thank you
స్వsvaస + వ · s + vస్వాగతం (svāgataṃ) welcome
జ్ఞjñaజ + ఞ · written jña, often said 'gña'; learned as a letter of its ownజ్ఞాపకం (jñāpakaṃ) memory
Numbers
౦0 · sunnādigit zeroసున్నా (sunnā) zero; rarely used today, signs and prices use 0
౧1 · okaṭidigit oneఒకటి (okaṭi) one; rarely used today, signs and prices use 1
౨2 · reṇḍudigit twoరెండు (reṇḍu) two; rarely used today, signs and prices use 2
౩3 · mūḍudigit threeమూడు (mūḍu) three; rarely used today, signs and prices use 3
౪4 · nālugudigit fourనాలుగు (nālugu) four; rarely used today, signs and prices use 4
౫5 · aidudigit fiveఐదు (aidu) five; rarely used today, signs and prices use 5
౬6 · ārudigit sixఆరు (āru) six; rarely used today, signs and prices use 6
౭7 · ēḍudigit sevenఏడు (ēḍu) seven; rarely used today, signs and prices use 7
౮8 · enimididigit eightఎనిమిది (enimidi) eight; rarely used today, signs and prices use 8
౯9 · tommididigit nineతొమ్మిది (tommidi) nine; rarely used today, signs and prices use 9
౧౦10 · padidigit one + digit zero = tenపది (padi) ten; rarely used today, signs and prices use 10
Signs & menu words
ప్రవేశంpravēśaṃentranceabove doors and gates
నిష్క్రమణniṣkramaṇaexitgreen exit signs, stations, malls
మరుగుదొడ్డిmarugudoḍḍitoilet (the formal word)signs for public toilets
టాయిలెట్ṭāyileṭtoilet (English loanword)signs in stations, malls, restaurants
పురుషులుpuruṣulumenon the men's door
స్త్రీలుstrīluwomenon the women's door
తెరిచి ఉందిterici undiopen (lit. 'is opened')shop and office doors
మూసి ఉందిmūsi undiclosed (lit. 'is shut')shop and office doors
నెట్టండిneṭṭaṇḍipushon doors
లాగండిlāgaṇḍipullon doors
పోలీస్pōlīspolicepolice stations, vehicles
ఆసుపత్రిāsupatrihospitalroad signs, building signs
మందుల దుకాణంmandula dukāṇaṃpharmacy (lit. 'medicine shop')street shop signs
రైల్వే స్టేషన్railvē sṭēṣanrailway stationroad and station signs
విమానాశ్రయంvimānāśrayaṃairportroad signs, airport buildings
బస్సుbassubusbus stops and bus fronts
టికెట్ṭikeṭticketticket counters, tickets
ప్రమాదంpramādaṃdangerwarning signs, building sites
జాగ్రత్తjāgrattacareful, cautionwarning signs, wet floors, steps
ధూమపానం నిషేధంdhūmapānaṃ niṣēdhaṃno smokingstations, hospitals, restaurants
తాగునీరుtāgunīrudrinking waterwater taps and coolers in stations
నీళ్ళుnīḷḷuwatermenus; what you ask for in a restaurant
టీṭīteatea stalls and menus
కాఫీkāphīcoffeetea stalls, cafés, menus
బీరుbīrubeerbar and restaurant menus
అన్నంannaṃrice (cooked rice, also 'meal')menus, restaurant signs
చికెన్cikenchicken (English loanword)restaurant menus
చేపcēpafishmenus, fish markets
శాకాహారంśākāhāraṃvegetarianhotel and restaurant signs
మాంసాహారంmāṃsāhāraṃnon-vegetarianhotel and restaurant signs
కారంkāraṃspicy hot (also chilli powder)menus; ask for 'కారం తక్కువ' for less spicy
ధరdharapricemenus, shop labels
ఉచితంucitaṃfree (no charge)signs, offers, entry
స్వాగతంsvāgataṃwelcomeshop fronts, hotels, gates
Basic Telugu phrases