stage 1 · lesson 2 · 17 phrases
I, you, we — the nine people words
Nine pronouns, and the one sentence shape that uses them: X vidyaarthi = X is a student.
Draft — these 17 phrases still need a native-speaker check before they count as correct.
by the end you can
- Say I, we, you (one person), you (several or respectful), he, she, they and it.
- Name yourself: naanu vidyaarthi.
- Switch between -Ø and -gaLu when 'we' and 'they' are more than one person.
say these out loud
ನಾನು
naanu
I
ನಾವು
naavu
we
ನೀವು
niivu
you (plural, or one person respectfully)formal
ನೀನು
niinu
you (one person, familiar)informal
ಅವನು
avanu
he
ಅವಳು
avaLu
she
ಅವರು
avaru
they (people), or one person respectfullyformal
ಅದು
adu
it (a thing)
ಅವು
avu
those (things)
ನಾನು ವಿದ್ಯಾರ್ಥಿ
naanu vidyaarthi
I am a student.
ನೀನು ವಿದ್ಯಾರ್ಥಿ
niinu vidyaarthi
You are a student. (one person, familiar)informal
ನೀವು ವಿದ್ಯಾರ್ಥಿ
niivu vidyaarthi
You are a student. (one person, respectfully)formal
ನೀವು ವಿದ್ಯಾರ್ಥಿಗಳು
niivu vidyaarthigaLu
You are students.formal
ನಾವು ವಿದ್ಯಾರ್ಥಿಗಳು
naavu vidyaarthigaLu
We are students.
ಅವನು ವಿದ್ಯಾರ್ಥಿ
avanu vidyaarthi
He is a student.
ಅವಳು ವಿದ್ಯಾರ್ಥಿ
avaLu vidyaarthi
She is a student.
ಅವರು ವಿದ್ಯಾರ್ಥಿಗಳು
avaru vidyaarthigaLu
They are students.
This lesson is built from the course outline, not from a grammar book: every phrase below is one the operator’s own syllabus teaches at this point.
The one pattern
There is no word for ‘is’. A noun sentence is just subject + noun: naanu vidyaarthi = I (am a) student. Plural subjects take -gaLu on the noun: naavu vidyaarthigaLu = we (are) students.
How to practise
Say each card out loud in Kannada before you look at the meaning, then check yourself against the English. The practice deck for this lesson builds itself from these 17 cards.