Telugu daily life & culture

Written by: authorship not independently recorded. Maintained by Prakash. Reviewed by: not recorded. Updated: legacy editorial date unknown. 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.

The Telugu phrases of everyday life, plus the culture that makes them make sense.

Daily phrases

English	Hindi	Telugu	Say it
I don't understand	मैं नहीं समझा	నాకు అర్థం కాలేదు	nāku arthaṁ kālēdu
I want water	मुझे पानी चाहिए	నాకు మంచినీళ్ళు కావాలి	nāku man̄chinīḷḷu kāvāli
	కావాలి (want/need) always works this way: నాకు X కావాలి
Speak slowly, please	धीरे बोलिए	మెల్లగా మాట్లాడండి	mellagā māṭlāḍaṇḍi
What is this called?	इसे क्या कहते हैं?	దీన్ని ఏమంటారు?	dīnni ēmanṭāru?
I am learning Telugu	मैं तेलुगु सीख रहा हूँ	నేను తెలుగు నేర్చుకుంటున్నాను	nēnu telugu nērchukunṭunnānu
Where are you from?	आप कहाँ से हैं?	మీది ఎక్కడ?	mīdi ekkaḍa?
My name is ...	मेरा नाम ... है	నా పేరు ...	nā pēru ...
Nice to meet you	आपसे मिलकर खुशी हुई	మిమ్మల్ని కలవడం ఆనందంగా ఉంది	mimmalni kalavaḍaṁ ānandaṅgā undi

Culture in five words

సంక్రాంతి (Sankrānti) — The Telugu harvest festival (January) — kites on every terrace, sugarcane in every hand, pongal pots boiling over in the courtyard.
ఉగాది (Ugādi) — Telugu New Year — the sweet-bitter ugadi pachadi teaches the year's first lesson: life is a mix, taste it all.
బతుకమ్మ (Bathukamma) — Telangana's flower festival — nine nights of stacked marigolds and circle songs. Women build it, everyone sings it.
బోనాలు (Bonālu) — Ashada folk festival for Mahankali — pots of offering carried dancing through old Hyderabad's lanes.
హైదరాబాదీ బిర్యానీ (Hyderabadi biryani) — The dum-cooked legend — Paradise vs Bawarchi is a friendly war. Pick a side, then eat at both.