How to Speak Kannada

If you want to learn to speak Kannada, here are some quick ways to get started:

Here are some essential Kannada words and phrases to help you start speaking:

• Hello – ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ (Namaskāra)

• How are you? – ನೀವು ಹೇಗಿದ್ದೀರಾ? (Nīvu hēgiddīrā?)

• I am fine – ನಾನು ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿದ್ದೇನೆ (Nānu chennāgiddēne)

• What is your name? – ನಿಮ್ಮ ಹೆಸರೇನು? (Nimma hesarēnu?)

• My name is [name] – ನನ್ನ ಹೆಸರು [name] (Nanna hesaru [name])

• Thank you – ಧನ್ಯವಾದಗಳು (Dhanyavādagaḷu)

• Yes – ಹೌದು (Haudu)

• No – ಇಲ್ಲ (Illa)

• How much is this? – ಇದಕ್ಕೆ ಎಷ್ಟು? (Idakke eshtu?)

• I don’t understand – ನನಗೆ ಅರ್ಥವಾಗುತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ (Nanage arthavāguttilla)

• Watch Kannada movies, YouTube videos, or TV shows with subtitles.

• Listen to Kannada songs and try to understand the lyrics.

• Follow Kannada podcasts or news channels.

• Try speaking with Kannada-speaking friends or colleagues.

• Use apps like Duolingo, Tandem, or HelloTalk to practice with native speakers.

• Speak aloud to yourself to build confidence.

• Kannada has its own script (ಕನ್ನಡ ಲಿಪಿ). If you want to read and write, learning the script will help a lot.