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Kannada basics — the script, sounds and first steps
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The starting point: the Kannada, your first words, and the honest answer to where to begin. Kannada's letters are famously round — the script was written with a stylus on palm leaves, and straight lines would have torn the leaf. It runs left to right with no headline bar, and it is beautifully phonetic: each letter is one sound, always. There are 13 vowels (ಅ ಆ ಇ ಈ ಉ ಊ ಋ ಎ ಏ ಐ ಒ ಓ ಔ, plus ಅಂ/ಅಃ for nasalization) and 34 consonants. Letters join into conjuncts (ಒತ್ತಕ್ಷರ): ಕ + ್ + ಣ = ಕ್ಷಣ (kshaṇa, moment). Close cousin of the Telugu script — learn one and the other looks familiar.
The alphabet at a glance
The Kannada script has 13 vowels and 35 consonants. The full tables with sounds are on the pronunciation page — learn to recognise them before you memorise any words.
Your first five words
| English | Hindi | Kannada | Say it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hello! (respectful) | नमस्कार | ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ! | Namaskāra! |
| works any time of day, for everyone | |||
| How are you? (formal) | आप कैसे हैं? | ನೀವು ಹೇಗಿದ್ದೀರಿ? | Nīvu hēgiddīri? |
| casual: ಹೇಗಿದ್ದೀಯಾ (hēgiddīyā) to close friends | |||
| I'm fine | मैं ठीक हूँ | ನಾನು ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿದ್ದೇನೆ | Nānu chennāgiddēne |
| What is your name? | आपका नाम क्या है? | ನಿಮ್ಮ ಹೆಸರೇನು? | Nimma hesarēnu? |
| My name is … | मेरा नाम … है | ನನ್ನ ಹೆಸರು … | Nanna hesaru … |
The order to learn in
- Script + sounds — Kannada is phonetic: learn the letters and you can read anything.
- Greetings + pronouns — say hello, introduce yourself, ask where.
- Numbers 1–20 — prices, time and quantities unlock immediately.
- Word order + present tense — one pattern (ನಾನು ಅನ್ನ ತಿನ್ನುತ್ತೇನೆ.) builds a thousand sentences.
- Topics (food, travel, shopping) — learn what your life needs first.