Malayalam for Beginners: Start Speaking with Simple Sentences
Learn basic Malayalam pronouns, aanu, question words and useful beginner sentences with English meanings and easy pronunciation.
The easiest way to begin Malayalam is to learn a few building blocks that appear in hundreds of everyday sentences. Start with pronouns such as njan (I), ningal (you), avan (he) and aval (she), then connect them with aanu, the Malayalam equivalent commonly used for is, am and are.
Do not wait until your grammar is perfect. Read each example aloud, replace one word and make a sentence about your own life. This helps you move from recognising Malayalam to actually speaking it.
What you need to know
Personal pronouns
ഞാൻ (njan) means I, നിങ്ങൾ (ningal) means you, അവൻ (avan) means he, അവൾ (aval) means she, അവർ (avar) means they, and ഞങ്ങൾ (njangal) means we.
Using ആണ് (aanu)
Aanu connects a person or thing with a description: ഞാൻ ഡോക്ടർ ആണ് means I am a doctor. In questions, aanu commonly changes to aano.
Essential question words
ആര് (aaru) who, എവിടെ (evide) where, എന്ത് (enthu) what, എപ്പോൾ (eppol) when, എങ്ങനെ (engane) how and എന്തുകൊണ്ട് (enthukondu) why.
Useful Malayalam examples
Read each sentence aloud. Use the pronunciation as a bridge, then return to the Malayalam script as you become familiar with it.
Make the lesson yours
- Say your name and profession in Malayalam.
- Ask someone their name and where they live.
- Create four sentences using njan, ningal, avan and aval.
Common questions
Can I learn spoken Malayalam without learning the script first?
Yes. You can begin speaking with pronunciation written in English letters, while gradually becoming familiar with Malayalam script.
What does aanu mean in Malayalam?
ആണ് (aanu) is commonly used like is, am or are in identity and description sentences.