Between daily commutes, endless meetings, and just trying to get some rest on the weekends, learning a new language in Bangalore can feel like a chore you simply don't have time for. You don't need to write poetry or give a speech. You don’t need 1000s of Kannada words. You probably just want to start with the ones that show up again and again in autos, shops, restaurants, and around your building. Learn these, and you'll be able to handle most of an ordinary day in Bengaluru.
Here is a practical, usable guide to learning conversational Kannada fast, using the focus on your daily needs that help most first - commute, food, shopping, or just everyday small talk.
Greetings and Small Talk in Kannada
- Namaskara (ನಮಸ್ಕಾರ) - Hello or Greetings. (Equivalent of Namaste or Namaskar)
- Chennagiddira? (ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿದ್ದೀರಾ?) - How are you? (Literally, Are you fine?)
- Chennagiddini (ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿದ್ದೀನಿ) - I am fine.
- Nimma hesaru enu? (ನಿಮ್ಮ ಹೆಸರು ಏನು?) - What is your name?
- Nanna hesaru [name] (ನನ್ನ ಹೆಸರು…) - My name is [name].
- Nanna ooru [city] (ನನ್ನ ಊರು [city]) - My hometown is [city].
- Oota aaytaa? (ಊಟ ಆಯ್ತಾ?) - Have you eaten? Often used casually instead of "hello."
- Kelsa (ಕೆಲಸ) - Work. "Nanu IT kelsa maadtini" means "I work in IT."
- Bartini (ಬರ್ತೀನಿ) - Goodbye. Literally means I'll be back. Culturally, Kannada speakers consider it inauspicious to say I’m going away. So you rather say that you’re coming back later.
Yes, No, and the Basics of Agreeing in Kannada
- Houdu (ಹೌದು) - Yes
- Illa (ಇಲ್ಲ) - No
- Beku (ಬೇಕು) - Want. "Coffee beku" - I want coffee.
- Beda (ಬೇಡ) - Don't want. "Sugar beda" - No sugar, please.
- Saaku (ಸಾಕು) - Enough. Useful the moment your thali starts overflowing.
- Swalpa (ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ) - A little. "Swalpa left," "swalpa wait."
- Jaasti (ಜಾಸ್ತಿ) - More, or too much. The opposite of swalpa.
- Gottilla (ಗೊತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ) - I don't know. Also used for "I don't know Kannada" - "Kannada gottilla."
Getting Around - Autos, Cabs, and Directions in Kannada
- Elli? (ಎಲ್ಲಿ?) - Where? "Metro station elli?"
- Illi (ಇಲ್ಲಿ) - Here
- Alli (ಅಲ್ಲಿ) - There
- Tagoli (ತಗೊಳ್ಳಿ) - Take. Used for directions - "left tagoli," "right tagoli" - or literally taking something, like change from a shopkeeper.
- Nilsi (ನಿಲ್ಸಿ) - Stop. "Illi nilsi" - stop here.
- Eshtu? (ಎಷ್ಟು?) - How much? Your go-to word for autos, shops, and fares.
- Hogona (ಹೋಗೋಣ) - Let's go. You'll hear this a lot around lunchtime and closing time at the office.
- Banni (ಬನ್ನಿ) - Come, or welcome. "Banni banni" is a common way to invite someone in.
Ordering Food in Kannada
- Kodi (ಕೊಡಿ) - Give. "Ondu plate idli kodi" - give me one plate of idli.
- Neeru (ನೀರು) - Water
- Beku / Beda (ಬೇಕು / ಬೇಡ) - already covered above, but these two do most of the work at a restaurant table
- Saaku (ಸಾಕು) - covered above too, and you'll use it constantly here
- Jaasti (ಜಾಸ್ತಿ) - same word, same use case - "chutney jaasti kodi" for extra chutney
Shopping and Everyday Transactions in Kannada
- Eshtu? (ಎಷ್ಟು?) - How much, again - it earns its place in two categories
- Kodi (ಕೊಡಿ) - Give, works here too - "change kodi" for your change
- Tagoli (ತಗೊಳ್ಳಿ) - Take, when someone's handing you something back
- Illa (ಇಲ್ಲ) - No, useful for declining - "change illa" (no change)
- Maadi (ಮಾಡಿ) - Do, or please do. The single most useful word on this entire list, since it turns almost any English verb into a working Kannada sentence.
Easy "Maadi" Trick in Kannada
"Maadi" deserves its own section because of how much ground it covers on its own. Add it after an English verb, and you have a polite Kannada request, instantly.
- Wait maadi (ಮಾಡಿ) - Please wait
- Call maadi (ಮಾಡಿ) - Please call
- Repair maadi (ಮಾಡಿ) - Please repair
- Adjust maadi (ಮಾಡಿ) - Please adjust
- Discount maadi (ಮಾಡಿ) - Please give a discount
- Bill maadi (ಮಾಡಿ) - Please bring the bill
- Exchange maadi (ಮಾಡಿ) - Please exchange this
Learn this one pattern well, and you effectively unlock dozens of sentences without learning a single new Kannada verb.
Speaking to Maid and Staff in Kannada
- Swalpa (ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ) - shows up constantly here too - "swalpa adjust maadi," "swalpa wait maadi"
- Kelsa (ಕೆಲಸ) - work, useful when discussing household tasks
- Nilsi (ನಿಲ್ಸಿ) - stop, works just as well indoors as on the road
- Illi / Alli (ಇಲ್ಲಿ / ಅಲ್ಲಿ) - here / there, for pointing someone toward where something needs doing
General purpose sentences in Kannada
- Enu? (ಏನು?) - What? "Enu problem?" is a phrase you'll hear and use often.
- Nanu Kannada kalita iddini (ನಾನು ಕನ್ನಡ ಕಲಿತಿದ್ದೀನಿ) - I'm learning Kannada. A better line to lead with than "Kannada gottilla," since it invites people to help you rather than shutting the conversation down.
- Dhanyavaadagalu (ಧನ್ಯವಾದಗಳು) - Thank you. If you know Hindi's "Dhanyavaad," this is the same word with "-galu" added, which just makes it plural - so it reads more like "many thanks."
How to Actually Retain These 50 Kannada Words
Reading a list once won't make any of this stick. A few things that will -
- Anchor the Kannada words to situations, not to English translations. Don't think "how do I say give" - think "at the counter, I say kodi."
- Reuse the same five or six Kannada words daily until they stop feeling like translation and start feeling automatic - eshtu, maadi, beku, beda, kodi, and elli alone will carry you through most of a day.
- Practice Kannada with people who won't judge you. Auto drivers, shopkeepers, and your building staff deal with newcomers constantly and are usually happy you're trying at all.
- Learn Kannada words by context, not alphabetically. Learn all your food words together, all your commute words together, and so on - it mirrors how you'll actually need to recall them in the moment.
Common Questions About Learning Kannada Vocabulary
Will these 50 words help me speak Kannada? For everyday, functional Kannada to get around the city, this will greatly help you be understood. More than functional reasons, it also communicates respect and the willingness to learn. It is a great place to start your Kannada learning journey.
Should I learn these in Kannada script? Start learning Kannada with Romanized or English letters. The script is a separate skill, and there's no need to learn it before you can start speaking these words out loud.
How many of these will I actually use daily? Realistically, a core set of ten to fifteen - maadi, eshtu, beku, beda, kodi, elli, illi, alli, houdu, illa, and a handful of others - will cover the bulk of your daily interactions. The rest fill in the gaps as they come up.
Is it okay to mix these words with English mid-sentence? Yes, that's the norm here, not an exception. Locals do this constantly, and it's genuinely how most casual Kannada gets spoken in the city.
How to learn Kannada fully, easily and fast
Fifty words is a strong starting vocabulary, but it's still just a starting point. If you want to move from scattered words to actual conversations, here's where to continue -
Bhashafy Kannada Learning Resources
If you're commuting by auto often, Bhashafy's guide to talking to your auto driver in Kannada builds directly on the direction and fare words covered here. And if you're newly settled into a PG or figuring out life as a young professional in the city, Bhashafy's guide to Kannada for hostel, autos, and PG life picks up right where this list leaves off.
Dhanyavaadagalu, and good luck putting these fifty words to work.
