Learning Kannada can be an enriching experience, whether you’re interested in delving into the rich culture of Karnataka or simply want to converse with local speakers. Understanding common verbs is a vital part of picking up any language because they are often the action words that carry the meaning of sentences. In this article, we’ll go over some commonly used verbs in Kannada, their definitions, and provide examples of how they’re used in everyday conversation.

ಮಾಡು (mADu)
Meaning: to do, make
ಅವಳು ಪಾಕ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾಳೆ. (avaḷu pāka mADuttiddāḷe.)
She is cooking.

ತಿನ್ನು (tinnu)
Meaning: to eat
ನಾವು ಊಟ ತಿನ್ನುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇವೆ. (nāvu ūṭa tinnuttiddēve.)
We are having a meal.

ಬರು (baru)
Meaning: to come
ನೀನು ನನ್ನ ಮನೆಗೆ ಬರುವೆಯ? (nīnu nanna manege baruveya?)
Will you come to my house?

ಹೋಗು (hOgu)
Meaning: to go
ಅವನು ಶಾಲೆಗೆ ಹೋಗುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾನೆ. (avanu śālege hōguttiddāne.)
He is going to school.

ನೋಡು (nODu)
Meaning: to see, to look
ನೀವು ಆ ಚಿತ್ರವನ್ನು ನೋಡಿದಿರಾ? (nīvu ā citravannu nODidirā?)
Have you seen that movie?

ಕೇಳು (kELu)
Meaning: to listen, to ask
ಅವನು ಸಂಗೀತ ಕೇಳುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾನೆ. (avanu saṅgīta kELuttiddāne.)
He is listening to music.

ಹೇಳು (hELu)
Meaning: to say, to tell
ನೀನು ನನಗೆ ಸತ್ಯ ಹೇಳು. (nīnu nanage satya hELu.)
Tell me the truth.

ಕೊಡು (koDu)
Meaning: to give
ದಯವಿಟ್ಟು ಅವನಿಗೆ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಕೊಡು. (dayaviṭṭu avanige pustaka koDu.)
Please give him the book.

ತಗೋ (tagO)
Meaning: to take
ಈ ಊಟವನ್ನು ತಗೋಬೇಕು. (ī ūṭavannu tagōbēku.)
You should take this meal.

ಬರೆ (bare)
Meaning: to write
ಅವಳು ಪತ್ರ ಬರೆಯುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾಳೆ. (avaḷu patra bareyuttiddāḷe.)
She is writing a letter.

ಓದು (ODu)
Meaning: to read
ಮಕ್ಕಳು ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಓದುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ. (makkaḷu pustaka ODuttiddāre.)
The children are reading a book.

ನಗು (nagu)
Meaning: to smile, to laugh
ಅವನ ನಗು ಚೆಂದವಾಗಿದೆ. (avana nagu ceṅdavāgide.)
His smile is beautiful.

ಆಡು (ADu)
Meaning: to play
ಮಕ್ಕಳು ಹೊರಗೆ ಆಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ. (makkaḷu horage ADuttiddāre.)
The children are playing outside.

Kannada verbs conjugate according to the tense, gender, and number, which might seem daunting at first. However, with practice and consistent exposure, you can quickly pick up on the patterns and start forming sentences of your own. Listen to native speakers, try speaking with them, and immerse yourself in the language to cement your understanding of these common verbs. Happy learning!