50 Essential Words You Need to Know for Kannada at the A1 Level

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Learning a new language can be an exciting and rewarding experience. Kannada, a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the Indian state of Karnataka, is no exception. As with any language, starting with the basics is crucial. This article aims to provide you with 50 essential words that every beginner should know at the A1 level in Kannada. These words will help you navigate through everyday conversations and give you a solid foundation to build on.

Greetings and Basic Phrases

1. **Namaskara** (เฒจเฒฎเฒธเณเฒ•เฒพเฒฐ) – Hello
– This is the most common way to greet someone in Kannada.

2. **Hegiddira?** (เฒนเณ‡เฒ—เฒฟเฒฆเณเฒฆเณ€เฒฐเฒพ?) – How are you?
– A polite way to ask someone about their well-being.

3. **Chennagiddini** (เฒšเณ†เฒจเณเฒจเฒพเฒ—เฒฟเฒฆเณเฒฆเณ‡เฒจเณ†) – I am fine
– A typical response to “Hegiddira?”

4. **Dhanyavaadagalu** (เฒงเฒจเณเฒฏเฒตเฒพเฒฆเฒ—เฒณเณ) – Thank you
– Expressing gratitude is always important.

5. **Dayavittu** (เฒฆเฒฏเฒตเฒฟเฒŸเณเฒŸเณ) – Please
– A courteous way to make a request.

6. **Yen hesaru?** (เฒจเฒฟเฒฎเณเฒฎ เฒนเณ†เฒธเฒฐเณ เฒเฒจเณ?) – What is your name?
– Useful when meeting someone new.

7. **Nanna hesaru…** (เฒจเฒจเณเฒจ เฒนเณ†เฒธเฒฐเณ…) – My name is…
– Introduce yourself easily.

8. **Barutheeni** (เฒฌเฒฐเณเฒคเณเฒคเณ‡เฒจเณ†) – I will come
– Commonly used to indicate your arrival.

9. **Hogi** (เฒนเณ‹เฒ—เฒฟ) – Go
– A simple way to tell someone to go.

10. **Banni** (เฒฌเฒจเณเฒจเฒฟ) – Come
– An invitation for someone to come along.

Numbers

11. **Ondu** (เฒ’เฒ‚เฒฆเณ) – One
12. **Eradu** (เฒŽเฒฐเฒกเณ) – Two
13. **Mooru** (เฒฎเณ‚เฒฐเณ) – Three
14. **Nalku** (เฒจเฒพเฒฒเณเฒ•เณ) – Four
15. **Aidu** (เฒเฒฆเณ) – Five
16. **Aaru** (เฒ†เฒฐเณ) – Six
17. **Yelu** (เฒเฒณเณ) – Seven
18. **Entu** (เฒŽเฒ‚เฒŸเณ) – Eight
19. **Ombattu** (เฒ’เฒ‚เฒฌเฒคเณเฒคเณ) – Nine
20. **Hattu** (เฒนเฒคเณเฒคเณ) – Ten

Common Nouns

21. **Manรฉ** (เฒฎเฒจเณ†) – House
– Refers to a dwelling place.

22. **Oota** (เฒŠเฒŸ) – Food
– Essential for talking about meals.

23. **Neeru** (เฒจเณ€เฒฐเณ) – Water
– You’ll need this word often.

24. **Kaasu** (เฒ•เฒพเฒธเณ) – Money
– Important for transactions.

25. **Chitra** (เฒšเฒฟเฒคเณเฒฐ) – Picture
– Useful in both literal and metaphorical senses.

26. **Pustaka** (เฒชเณเฒธเณเฒคเฒ•) – Book
– Essential for students and readers.

27. **Gadiyara** (เฒ—เฒกเฒฟเฒฏเฒพเฒฐ) – Clock
– Helps in managing time.

28. **Baagilu** (เฒฌเฒพเฒ—เฒฟเฒฒเณ) – Door
– Common in household conversations.

29. **Kitaki** (เฒ•เฒฟเฒŸเฒ•เฒฟ) – Window
– Another household term.

30. **Maga** (เฒฎเฒ—) – Son
– Refers to one’s male child.

Common Verbs

31. **Maadu** (เฒฎเฒพเฒกเณ) – Do
– A versatile verb used in many contexts.

32. **KoDu** (เฒ•เณŠเฒกเณ) – Give
– Important in everyday transactions.

33. **Tegedu** (เฒคเณ†เฒ—เณ†เฒฆเณ) – Take
– Another useful verb.

34. **Hogu** (เฒนเณ‹เฒ—เณ) – Go
– Used to indicate movement.

35. **Baa** (เฒฌเฒพ) – Come
– Inviting someone to come.

36. **Nodu** (เฒจเณ‹เฒกเณ) – See/Look
– Common in daily conversations.

37. **Kelasa** (เฒ•เณ†เฒฒเฒธ) – Work
– Refers to any form of work or job.

38. **Keli** (เฒ•เณ†เฒณเฒฟ) – Listen
– Important for conversations.

39. **Baraha** (เฒฌเฒฐเฒน) – Write
– Essential for academic contexts.

40. **Odu** (เฒ“เฒฆเณ) – Read
– Another academic term.

Adjectives and Descriptions

41. **Dodda** (เฒฆเณŠเฒกเณเฒก) – Big
– Useful for describing size.

42. **Chikka** (เฒšเฒฟเฒ•เณเฒ•) – Small
– The opposite of “Dodda”.

43. **Sihi** (เฒธเฒฟเฒนเฒฟ) – Sweet
– Describing taste.

44. **Kahi** (เฒ•เฒนเฒฟ) – Bitter
– Another taste description.

45. **Bisi** (เฒฌเฒฟเฒธเฒฟ) – Hot
– Can describe temperature or spiciness.

46. **Thampu** (เฒคเฒ‚เฒชเณ) – Cold
– Describing temperature.

47. **Hosaddu** (เฒนเณŠเฒธเฒฆเณ) – New
– Useful in various contexts.

48. **Hale** (เฒนเฒณเณ†) – Old
– The opposite of “Hosaddu”.

49. **Olleya** (เฒ’เฒณเณเฒณเณ†เฒฏ) – Good
– Positive quality description.

50. **Ketta** (เฒ•เณ†เฒŸเณเฒŸ) – Bad
– Negative quality description.

Using These Words in Sentences

To effectively use these words in conversation, it’s important to understand their context and how they fit into sentences. Here are a few example sentences to get you started:

1. **Namaskara, nanna hesaru Ravi. Ninna hesaru yen?**
– Hello, my name is Ravi. What is your name?

2. **Dayavittu, neeru koDu.**
– Please, give me water.

3. **Oota chennagide. Dhanyavaadagalu.**
– The food is good. Thank you.

4. **Naanu odu koDuttene.**
– I am reading a book.

5. **Nimma mane dodda ide.**
– Your house is big.

Building Vocabulary

Building a robust vocabulary is essential for becoming fluent in any language. Here are a few tips to help you expand your Kannada vocabulary:

1. **Flashcards**: Use flashcards to memorize new words. You can write the Kannada word on one side and the English translation on the other.

2. **Language Apps**: Utilize language learning apps that offer Kannada courses. These apps often use interactive methods to teach vocabulary.

3. **Labeling**: Label household items with their Kannada names. This will help you remember the words better as you see them daily.

4. **Practice Conversations**: Try to use new words in your daily conversations. This will help you remember and understand the context in which these words are used.

5. **Reading**: Read Kannada books, newspapers, or articles. This will expose you to new vocabulary and help you understand how words are used in different contexts.

Conclusion

Learning a new language is a journey, and knowing these 50 essential words will set you on the right path to mastering Kannada. Practice them regularly, use them in your daily conversations, and you’ll find yourself becoming more comfortable and confident in your language skills. Remember, the key to learning any language is consistency and practice. So, keep practicing, and soon you’ll find yourself conversing fluently in Kannada. Happy learning!

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