EkGuru › Learn Tamil › Tamil › 100 most common words

Tamil तमिलLanguage

Tamil — the 100 most common words

Written by: authorship not independently recorded. Maintained by Prakash. Reviewed by: not recorded. Updated: . Editorial policy and corrections.

Draft: not yet reviewed by a native speaker. Existing availability and indexing are preserved by owner instruction; that is not an editorial approval. Suggest a correction.

🔊 Tap any speaker button to hear the words on this page spoken. Too fast or slow? Use the speed button at the bottom-right of the page.

If you learn one thing first, learn this. Every word below is high-frequency — you will hear it in the first hour of any real conversation. There are 100 words here, in eight groups you can take one at a time, and every one is written three ways: English, Hindi and Tamil (தமிழ்) with a pronunciation column.

Why start with frequency? A language is not a wall you climb; it is a snowball. The first 100 words unlock the parts of Tamil that repeat every day — greeting someone, saying what you want, saying who you mean, and saying when. Grammar without vocabulary is silent, and vocabulary without grammar is a shopping list. Start here, then let the grammar page show you how to bolt these words together.

A useful rule of thumb: with a few hundred high-frequency words and one verb pattern, a learner can already manage greetings, shops and simple questions. This page is the densest part of that set.

How to use this page. Do not swallow all 100 words in one sitting. Take one group a day, read the column aloud, cover the pronunciation column and say each word. Then test yourself with the topic quiz and keep the ones that will not stick in the review deck.

Greetings and politeness (13)

#English Hindi TamilSay it
1Hello (respectful, universal)नमस्तेவணக்கம்vaṇakkam
2How are you? (formal)आप कैसे हैं?நீங்கள் எப்படி இருக்கிறீர்கள்?nīṅkaḷ eppaḍi irukkiṟīrkaḷ?
3How are you? (familiar)तुम कैसे हो?நீ எப்படி இருக்கிறாய்?nī eppaḍi irukkiṟāy?
4I'm fineमैं ठीक हूँநான் நன்றாக இருக்கிறேன்nāṉ naṉṟāka irukkiṟēṉ
5Thank youधन्यवादநன்றிnaṉṟi
6Yes / Noहाँ / नहींஆம் / இல்லைām / illai
7Pleaseकृपयाதயவுசெய்துtayavuceytu
8Excuse me / Sorryमाफ़ कीजिएமன்னிக்கவும்maṉṉikkavum
9Good morningसुप्रभातகாலை வணக்கம்kālai vaṇakkam
10Good nightशुभ रात्रिஇரவு வணக்கம்iravu vaṇakkam
11Goodbye (said by the leaver)चलता हूँவருகிறேன்varukiṟēṉ
12See you againफिर मिलेंगेமீண்டும் சந்திப்போம்mīṇḍum cantippōm
13Welcomeस्वागत हैநல்வரவுnalvaravu

Pronouns (19)

#English Hindi TamilSay it
1Iमैंநான்nāṉ
2we (excluding you)हमநாங்கள்nāṅkaḷ
3you (formal / plural)आप / तुम सबநீங்கள்nīṅkaḷ
4you (intimate)तूநீnī
5heवहஅவன்avaṉ
6sheवहஅவள்avaḷ
7itयह / वहஅதுatu
8they (people)वेஅவர்கள்avarkaḷ
9they (things)वेஅவைavai
10this (thing)यहஇதுitu
11that (thing)वहஅதுatu
12whatक्याஎன்னeṉṉa
13whoकौनயார்yār
14whereकहाँஎங்கேeṅkē
15whenकबஎப்போதுeppōtu
16whyक्योंஏன்ēṉ
17howकैसेஎப்படிeppaḍi
18how much / how manyकितनाஎவ்வளவுevvaḷavu
19which (thing)कौन-साஎதுetu

The 18 verbs you will use every day (18)

#English Hindi TamilSay it
1eatखानाசாப்பிடsāppiḍa
2goजानाபோகpōka
3comeआनाவரvara
4doकरनाசெய்யseyya
5speakबोलनाபேசpēca
6seeदेखनाபார்க்கpārkka
7giveदेनाகொடுக்கkoḍukka
8takeलेनाஎடுக்கeḍukka
9understandसमझनाபுரிந்துகொள்ளpurintukoḷḷa
10readपढ़नाபடிக்கpaḍikka
11writeलिखनाஎழுதeḻuta
12live / stayरहनाஇருக்கirukka
13likeपसंद करनाபிடிக்கpiḍikka
14loveप्यार करनाநேசிக்கnēsikka
15sleepसोनाதூங்கtūṅka
16buyखरीदनाவாங்கvāṅka
17learnसीखनाகற்றுக்கொள்ளkaṟṟukkoḷḷa
18drinkपीनाகுடிக்கkuḍikka

Family (13)

#English Hindi TamilSay it
1motherमाँஅம்மாammā
2fatherपिताஅப்பாappā
3elder brotherबड़ा भाईஅண்ணன்aṇṇaṉ
4younger brotherछोटा भाईதம்பிtampi
5elder sisterबड़ी बहनஅக்காakkā
6younger sisterछोटी बहनதங்கைtaṅkai
7sonबेटाமகன்makaṉ
8daughterबेटीமகள்makaḷ
9husbandपतिகணவர்kaṇavar
10wifeपत्नीமனைவிmaṉaivi
11friend (male)दोस्तநண்பன்naṇpaṉ
12friend (female)सहेलीதோழிtōḻi
13familyपरिवारகுடும்பம்kuḍumpam

Colours (6)

#English Hindi TamilSay it
1redलालசிவப்புsivappu
2blueनीलाநீலம்nīlam
3greenहराபச்சைpaccai
4yellowपीलाமஞ்சள்mañcaḷ
5whiteसफ़ेदவெள்ளைveḷḷai
6blackकालाகருப்புkaruppu

Core nouns (13)

#English Hindi TamilSay it
1bookकिताबபுத்தகம்puttakam
2house / homeघरவீடுvīḍu
3workकामவேலைvēlai
4schoolस्कूलபள்ளிpaḷḷi
5teacherशिक्षकஆசிரியர்āciriyar
6studentछात्र / छात्राமாணவர்māṇavar
7carगाड़ीகார்kār
8roadसड़कசாலைsālai
9moneyपैसाபணம்paṇam
10dayदिनநாள்nāḷ
11weekहफ़्ताவாரம்vāram
12monthमहीनाமாதம்mātam
13yearसालஆண்டுāṇḍu

Time words (11)

#English Hindi TamilSay it
1todayआजஇன்றுiṉṟu
2tomorrowकल (आने वाला)நாளைnāḷai
3yesterdayकल (बीता)நேற்றுnēṟṟu
4nowअबஇப்போதுippōtu
5laterबाद मेंபிறகுpiṟaku
6morningसुबहகாலைkālai
7noonदोपहरமதியம்matiyam
8eveningशामமாலைmālai
9nightरातஇரவுiravu
10What time is it?कितने बजे हैं?மணி என்ன?maṇi eṉṉa?
113 o'clockतीन बजेமூன்று மணிmūṉṟu maṇi

Days of the week (7)

#English Hindi TamilSay it
1Sundayरविवारஞாயிறுñāyiṟu
2Mondayसोमवारதிங்கள்tiṅkaḷ
3Tuesdayमंगलवारசெவ்வாய்cevvāy
4Wednesdayबुधवारபுதன்putaṉ
5Thursdayबृहस्पतिवारவியாழன்viyāḻaṉ
6Fridayशुक्रवारவெள்ளிveḷḷi
7Saturdayशनिवारசனிcaṉi

What to do after these 100

You now own the skeleton of Tamil. The next step is not more words — it is sentences. Take five verbs from the list above and build one sentence each about your own day. Then read the grammar basics guide for the word order (நான் சாதம் சாப்பிடுகிறேன்), and the speaking-alone plan so the words come out of your mouth and not just off the page.

More guides in this course

· Editorial policy · Learning journal