Telugu Language: Detailed 30-Day Study Plan for Beginners

A comprehensive, beginner-friendly guide for conversational Telugu, through English

Welcome to your 30-day roadmap for conversational Telugu. Telugu is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, and it's the language of Hyderabad, India's pharma and tech hub, Vishakhapatnam, a major port city on India's East Coast, and Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh's brand new greenfield capital city. There are many unique features that make Telugu different in some ways and similar in many ways to other languages like English or Hindi, so it helps to know the landscape you're getting into. We'll begin by understanding how Telugu is structured, and then move on to 30 days of detailed study material for conversational Telugu.

This free, Telugu lesson plan is based on Bhashafy's language learning methodology, which has helped thousands of students around the world through our highly rated Complete Telugu Course for Beginners, as well as our live Telugu classes.

The 3 Core Pillars of Telugu Grammar

Pillar 1 - Telugu relies on suffixes

One of the most important things you'll notice is the key role suffixes play in Telugu. Instead of adding separate helper words, Telugu glues small endings onto the end of a word. This is different from English or Hindi, and it's the reason Telugu words can get quite long. The good news is that these suffixes are very logical and easy to predict.

To give you an example, the core verb for "do" is Chēyi. You attach suffixes like -anḍi for politeness and -waddu for "don't":

Chēyi means "Do"
Chēyanḍi means "Please do"
Chēya-waddu means "Don't do"
Chēya-wadd-anḍi means the polite "Please don't do"

These suffixes stack together like building blocks to expand the meaning of your original verb!

Pillar 2 - Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) structure

Telugu sentences place the verb at the very end, similar to other Indian languages, but different than English. So the order is "I-coffee-drink", instead of "I drink coffee".

English: I do Yoga (S-V-O)
Telugu: Nēnu Yōga chēstānu (S-O-V). "Nēnu" is I, and the verb "chēstānu" (do) comes at the end.
Hindi: Main Yoga karta hoon (S-O-V). The verb "karta hoon" comes at the end.

Notice how perfectly the Telugu and Hindi examples match up in order. They both end with the action, unlike English, where the verb "do" sits in the middle of the sentence.

Pillar 3 - Vowel sounds merge or liaise across words

When a Telugu word ending in a vowel is followed by a word starting with a vowel, the two sounds tend to merge in everyday speech. Grammarians call this joining of sounds sandhi. A few examples:

Mī pēru ēnṭi? (What is your name?) is usually said as Mī pēr-ēnṭi?
Veḷḷi vastānu (I'll go and come back) becomes Veḷḷostānu. Here the "va" or "wa" behaves almost like a vowel, and it merges too.
Nuvvu ekkaḍiki veḷtunnāvu? (Where are you going?) becomes Nuvv-ekkaḍikk-eḷtunnāvu?

This is why, as a beginner, Telugu sentences can often sound like one long string of sounds. It's due to this merging of vowel sounds, on top of the long suffixes from Pillar 1. With enough listening practice, you'll learn to pick out where one word ends and the next begins. And when you're speaking, saying the words separately is perfectly fine. You'll be understood, and that is the first stepping stone before you can start merging your words together and sound like a native Telugu speaker.

Now you're ready to get started on the actual Telugu lessons. Let's go!

Week 1: Core Telugu Foundation, Pronouns and Action Verbs

Week 1 sets up the grammatical foundation of Telugu: personal pronouns, introductions, possessives, family relationships, essential numbers, and commands.

Day 1: Pronouns in Telugu

In Telugu, personal pronouns change based on formality and respect.

First Person Pronouns:

Nēnu (నేను): I
Mēmu (మేము): We (not including the person you're talking to)
Manam (మనం): We (including the person you're talking to)

Second Person Pronouns:

Nuvvu (నువ్వు): You (informal) - for friends, children and younger siblings
Mīru (మీరు): You (formal / plural) - for elders, strangers, and any group of people

Third Person Pronouns:

Atanu (అతను): He (neutral)
Āme (ఆమె): She (neutral)
Āyana / Āvida (ఆయన / ఆవిడ): He / She (respectful, for elders)
Vāḍu (వాడు): He (very informal - only for close friends or kids, and it can sound rude to a stranger)
Adi (అది): She (very informal - only for close friends or kids, and it can sound rude to a stranger)
Vāḷḷu (వాళ్ళు): They (both masculine and feminine)
Vāru (వారు): They, or a very respectful he / she (mostly used for Gods and Royalty)
Idi / Adi (ఇది / అది): This / That (it) - non-human singular
Ivi / Avi (ఇవి / అవి): These / Those - non-human plural

Three things to notice. First, Telugu has two words for "we": "mēmu" leaves out the person you're talking to, and "manam" includes them.

Secondly, observe that Telugu has a unique gender system. The singular pronouns follow a masculine vs non-masculine distinction. So, feminine and inanimate nouns share the pronoun "Idi / Adi". In other words, "She" and "It" use the same pronouns in the singular. However, in plural pronouns like "They", men and women are clubbed together under "Vāḷḷu". The "Idi / Adi" pronoun is used mostly for little girls. For slightly older girls, the pronoun "Tanu" (తను) is used instead.

Lastly, the pronouns that start with "a" point to something far away, and the ones that start with "i" point to something close by. These are the demonstrative pronouns in Telugu:

Atanu / Itanu (అతను / ఇతను) - that man / this man
Āme / Īme (ఆమె / ఈమె) - that woman / this woman
Āyana / Īyana (ఆయన / ఈయన) - that respected man / this respected man
Adi / Idi (అది / ఇది) - that thing / this thing

Day 2: How Do You Greet and Introduce Yourself in Telugu?

Telugu doesn't need a separate word for "am" or "is". But when you describe yourself, Telugu adds a small -ni ending to the word, which does the job of "am".

Self-introduction formulas and examples:

I am a [Profession / Nationality] = Nēnu [Profession / Nationality]-ni
- I am a doctor = Nēnu doctor-ni
- I am an engineer = Nēnu engineer-ni
- I am Indian = Nēnu Indian-ni
- I am American = Nēnu American-ni
My name is [Name] = Nā pēru [Name]
- My name is Anjali = Nā pēru Anjali
- My name is Robert = Nā pēru Robert
My age is [Number] = Nā vayasu [Number]
- My age is 20 = Nā vayasu iravai
- My age is 30 = Nā vayasu muppai
I am from [Place] = Nēnu [Place] nunchi vachchānu
- I am from Hyderabad = Nēnu Hyderabad nunchi vachchānu
- I am from London = Nēnu London nunchi vachchānu
- I am from France = Nēnu France nunchi vachchānu
How are you? = Mīru ela unnāru? (formal / polite)
I am doing well = Nēnu bāgunnānu

Important greetings and words:

Namaskāram (నమస్కారం) - Hello / Greetings (universal and polite)
Dhanyavādālu (ధన్యవాదాలు) - Thank you
Pēru (పేరు) - Name
Avunu (అవును) - Yes
Kādu (కాదు) - No, it isn't (for saying something is not true)
Lēdu (లేదు) - No, there isn't / didn't (for saying something doesn't exist or didn't happen)

Day 3: Possessive Pronouns in Telugu - How To Say My, Your and Our in Telugu?

Nēnu (I) → Nā (నా) - My - Nā illu (My house)
Mēmu (We) → Mā (మా) - Our (not including the listener) - Mā ūru (Our hometown)
Manam (We) → Mana (మన) - Our (including the listener) - Mana ūru (Our town)
Nuvvu (You) → Nī (నీ) - Your (casual) - Nī pēru ēnṭi? (What is your name?)
Mīru (You) → Mī (మీ) - Your (formal) - Mī pēru ēnṭi? (What is your name?)
Atanu (He) → Atani (అతని) - His - Atani pani (His work)
Āme (She) → Āme (ఆమె) - Her - Āme pustakam (Her book)
Vāḷḷu (They) → Vāḷḷa (వాళ్ళ) - Their - Vāḷḷa illu (Their house)
Adi (It) → Dāni (దాని) - Its - Dāni dhara enta? (How much is its price?)

Here's a lovely quirk: Telugu speakers very often say mā (our) where English would say "my", especially for family and home. So you'll hear "mā amma" (our mother) and "mā ūru" (our town), even from someone talking only about themselves. And mana (our, including you) is used to create a warm sense of belonging, as in "mana Telugu bhasha" (our "shared" Telugu language).

Day 4: Family Relationship Names in Telugu

Kinship terms in Telugu carry cultural importance, with different words depending on relative age and which side of the family someone is on.

Parents:

Mother - Amma / Talli (అమ్మ / తల్లి)
Father - Nanna / Tandri (నాన్న / తండ్రి)

Brothers:

Older brother - Anna (అన్న) or Annaiyya
Younger brother - Thammudu (తమ్ముడు)

Sisters:

Older sister - Akka (అక్క)
Younger sister - Chelli (చెల్లి)

Spouses:

Husband - Bharta / Moguḍu (భర్త / మొగుడు)
Wife - Bhārya / Peḷḷām (భార్య / పెళ్ళాం)

Bharta and Bhārya are the formal words. Moguḍu and Peḷḷām are the everyday, casual ones you'll hear at home and in movies.

In-laws:

Mother-in-law - Atta / Attagaru (అత్త / అత్తగారు)
Father-in-law - Maama / Maamagaru (మామ / మామగారు)

Grandparents:

Grandfather - Thatha (తాత)
Grandmother - Ammamma (mother's mother) / Nayanamma (father's mother) (అమ్మమ్మ / నాయనమ్మ)

Mother's side:

Mother's brother and his wife - Maama and Atta (మామ / అత్త)
Mother's elder sister and her husband - Peddamma and Peddananna (పెద్దమ్మ / పెద్దనాన్న)
Mother's younger sister and her husband - Pinni and Babai (పిన్ని / బాబాయి)

Father's side:

Father's sister and her husband - Atta and Maama (అత్త / మామ)
Father's elder brother and his wife - Peddananna and Peddamma (పెద్దనాన్న / పెద్దమ్మ)
Father's younger brother and his wife - Babai and Pinni (బాబాయి / పిన్ని)

Friends:

Friend - Snēhituḍu (male) / Snēhituralu (female)
Friends - Snēhitulu (plural). In everyday speech, plenty of people simply say "friend".

Children:

Son - Koduku (కొడుకు)
Daughter - Kuturu (కూతురు)
Children - Pillalu (పిల్లలు)

Cultural tip - add -gāru for respect: In Telugu, adding -gāru after a kinship term or a person's name instantly makes it respectful. It's a lot like adding "ji" in Hindi, and it's the polite way to address or talk about elders:

Ammagaru (అమ్మగారు) - Mother
Nannagaru (నాన్నగారు) - Father
Thathagaru (తాతగారు) - Grandfather
Attagaru / Maamagaru (అత్తగారు / మామగారు) - Mother-in-law / Father-in-law
Ramesh gāru, Lakshmi gāru - Names work the same way

When you're not sure how to address an elder, adding -gāru is always a safe, polite choice.

Day 5: Numbers, Quantities and Bargaining Words in Telugu

Numbers and quantities are essential for commuting, shopping and everyday transactions.

Numbers 1-10:

Okaṭi (ఒకటి)

Renḍu (రెండు)

Mūḍu (మూడు)

Nālugu (నాలుగు)

Aidu (ఐదు)

Āru (ఆరు)

Ēḍu (ఏడు)

Enimidi (ఎనిమిది)

Tommidi (తొమ్మిది)

Padi (పది)

Quantity words:

Koncham - A little / Some
Chālā - Very / A lot
Ekkuva - More / Too much
Takkuva - Less
Enta? - How much? (for amounts and prices)
Enni? - How many? (for things you can count)

Practical examples:

Koncham nīḷḷu ivvanḍi. (Please give a little water.)
Dhara chālā ekkuva-gā undi. (The price is very high.)
Koncham tagginchanḍi. (Please reduce it a little.)
Renḍu cup coffee ivvanḍi. (Give two cups of coffee.)

Day 6: Action Verbs in Telugu - How Do You Make Polite Requests?

The basic dictionary form or root form of a Telugu verb is the informal command. To turn it into a polite, respectful request, add -anḍi to the end.

Most verbs: add -anḍi

Chēyi (Do) → Chēyanḍi - Pani chēyanḍi. (Please do the work.)
Chūḍu (See / Look) → Chūḍanḍi - Ikkaḍa chūḍanḍi. (Please look here.)
Ivvu (Give) → Ivvanḍi - Bill ivvanḍi. (Please give the bill.)
Veḷḷu (Go) → Veḷḷanḍi - Inṭiki veḷḷanḍi. (Please go home.)
Cheppu (Tell / Say) → Cheppanḍi - Maḷḷī cheppanḍi. (Please say it again.)
Tāgu (Drink) → Tāganḍi - Coffee tāganḍi. (Please drink some coffee.)
Naḍu (Walk) → Naḍavanḍi - Tvaragā naḍavanḍi. (Please walk fast.)

Verbs ending in -kō: add -nḍi

Kūrchō (Sit) → Kūrchōnḍi - Ikkaḍa kūrchōnḍi. (Please sit here.)
Tīsukō (Take) → Tīsukōnḍi - Left tīsukōnḍi. (Please take a left.)

One irregular verb to remember:

Rā (Come) → Ranḍi - Lōpaliki ranḍi. (Please come inside.)

Day 7: Negative Commands and Requests in Telugu

To tell someone not to do something, add the negative suffix to the verb:

Informal: Verb + -waddu - for friends and children
Polite: Verb + -wadd-anḍi - the standard polite form

Examples:

Chēyi (Do) → Casual: Chēy-waddu | Polite: Chēy-wadd-anḍi - Please don't do it
Veḷḷu (Go) → Casual: Veḷḷ-waddu | Polite: Veḷḷ-wadd-anḍi - Please don't go
Rā (Come) → Casual: Rā-waddu | Polite: Rā-wadd-anḍi - Please don't come
Cheppu (Tell) → Casual: Chepp-waddu | Polite: Chepp-wadd-anḍi - Please don't tell
Tiṭṭu (Scold) → Casual: Tiṭṭ-waddu | Polite: Tiṭṭ-wadd-anḍi - Please don't scold

We've written these with hyphens so you can see the suffix. In fast speech, remember Pillar 3: the sounds merge, so you'll often hear "chēyoddu" and "veḷḷoddu" - so when used as a suffix, the "wa" of "waddu" is not pronounced.

Week 2: Mastering the Telugu Tense System (The Suffix Engine)

Telugu verb conjugations are highly systematic. Once you learn the personal endings, you can conjugate almost any regular verb across all three core tenses.

The suffix engine of Telugu is based on P-N-G (Person, Number, Gender).

Tense Suffix: Every tense has its own suffix you attach to the root verb.
Person, Number and Gender Suffix: The verb conjugated with a suffix that tells you who is performing the action (person), how many (singular/plural) and their gender (masculine/feminine/neuter) - it is usually the last syllable of the pronoun its based on (-nu, -vu, -mu, -ḍu etc). So in Telugu sentences you don't always need to state the pronoun as the suffix conveys all the information you need.

Day 8: Present Continuous Tense in Telugu ("I am doing")

The present continuous describes actions happening right now. Telugu packs it all into one word, with no separate helper verb like the English "am".

Formula for Nēnu (I): [Root Verb] + -tunnā-nu

Chēyi (Do) → Chēs-tunnā-nu (I am doing)
Tāgu (Drink) → Tāgu-tunnā-nu (I am drinking)
Chaduvu (Read / Study) → Chaduvu-tunnā-nu (I am reading)

Examples:

Nēnu coffee tāgutunnānu. (I am drinking coffee right now.)
Nēnu Telugu nērchukunṭunnānu. (I am learning Telugu.)

Day 9: Present Continuous Tense in Telugu (All Pronouns)

The PNG suffix ending changes to match the person doing the action:

Nēnu (I): -tunnā-nu → Chēs-tunnā-nu - I am doing
Mēmu / Manam (We): -tunnā-mu → Chēs-tunnā-mu - We are doing
Nuvvu (You, informal): -tunnā-vu → Chēs-tunnā-vu - You are doing
Mīru (You, formal): -tunnā-ru → Chēs-tunnā-ru - You are doing
Atanu (He): -tunnā-ḍu → Chēs-tunnā-ḍu - He is doing
Āme (She): -tōn-di → Chēs-tōn-di - She is doing
Vāḷḷu / Āyana / Āvida (They / respectful): -tunnā-ru → Chēs-tunnā-ru - They are doing / He or she is doing
Adi (It): -tōn-di → Chēs-tōn-di - It is doing

Notice that "she" and "it" share the same verb ending in Telugu. That's just how Telugu grammar works, and it's nothing disrespectful. For respect, use Āvida with the -āru ending instead.

Day 10: Simple Present and Future Tense in Telugu

In conversational Telugu, the habitual present ("I do regularly") and the simple future ("I will do") share the exact same verb form. Time words tell you which one is meant.

Habitual time words: Rōjū (Every day), Sādhāraṇangā (Usually), Eppuḍū (Always)
Future time words: Rēpu (Tomorrow), Vachchē vāram (Next week), Taruwāta (Later)

Same suffix (-tā-nu), different context:

Habitual: Nēnu rōjū gym ki veḷtānu. (I go to the gym every day.)
Future: Nēnu rēpu gym ki veḷtānu. (I will go to the gym tomorrow.)

Examples across verbs (I):

Chēyi (Do) → Chēs-tā-nu
- Habitual: Nēnu rōjū pani chēstānu. (I work every day.)
- Future: Nēnu rēpu pani chēstānu. (I will work tomorrow.)
Cheppu (Tell / Say) → Chep-tā-nu
- Habitual: Nēnu rōjū pillalaki kathalu cheptānu. (I tell the kids stories every day.)
- Future: Nēnu rēpu mīku cheptānu. (I will tell you tomorrow.)
Veḷḷu (Go) → Veḷ-tā-nu
- Habitual: Nēnu rōjū office ki veḷtānu. (I go to the office every day.)
- Future: Nēnu vachchē vāram office ki veḷtānu. (I will go to the office next week.)
Rā (Come) → Vas-tā-nu (note the irregular change from rā- to vas-)
- Habitual: Nēnu rōjū office ki vastānu. (I come to the office every day.)
- Future: Nēnu rēpu office ki vastānu. (I will come to the office tomorrow.)
Tāgu (Drink) → Tāgu-tā-nu
- Habitual: Nēnu rōjū coffee tāgutānu. (I drink coffee every day.)
- Future: Nēnu rēpu coffee tāgutānu. (I will drink coffee tomorrow.)

Day 11: Simple Present and Future Tense in Telugu (All Pronouns)

Nēnu: -tā-nu → Chaduvu-tā-nu (I read / will read) | Veḷ-tā-nu (I go / will go)
Mēmu / Manam: -tā-mu → Chaduvu-tā-mu (We read) | Veḷ-tā-mu (We go)
Nuvvu: -tā-vu → Chaduvu-tā-vu (You read) | Veḷ-tā-vu (You go)
Mīru: -tā-ru → Chaduvu-tā-ru (You read) | Veḷ-tā-ru (You go)
Atanu: -tā-ḍu → Chaduvu-tā-ḍu (He reads) | Veḷ-tā-ḍu (He goes)
Āme: -tun-di → Chaduvu-tun-di (She reads) | Veḷ-tun-di (She goes)
Vāḷḷu: -tā-ru → Chaduvu-tā-ru (They read) | Veḷ-tā-ru (They go)
Adi: -tun-di → Chaduvu-tun-di (It reads) | Veḷ-tun-di (It goes)

Day 12: Simple Past Tense in Telugu ("I did" and "didn't")

For Nēnu (I), the past tense ending is -ā-nu:

Chēyi (Do) → Chēs-ā-nu (I did)
Veḷḷu (Go) → Veḷḷ-ā-nu (I went)
Rā (Come) → Vachch-ā-nu (I came) - irregular
Tinu (Eat) → Tinn-ā-nu (I ate)
Cheppu (Tell) → Chepp-ā-nu (I told)

The universal past negative (-lēdu): To say "didn't", attach -lēdu to the verb. This ending never changes, no matter who did or didn't do the action!

Nēnu pani chēyalēdu. (I didn't work.)
Atanu rālēdu. (He didn't come.)
Mēmu movie chūḍalēdu. (We didn't watch the movie.)

Day 13: Simple Past Tense in Telugu (All Pronouns)

Nēnu: -ā-nu → Chēs-ā-nu (I did)
Mēmu / Manam: -ā-mu → Chēs-ā-mu (We did)
Nuvvu: -ā-vu → Chēs-ā-vu (You did)
Mīru: -ā-ru → Chēs-ā-ru (You did, formal)
Atanu: -ā-ḍu → Chēs-ā-ḍu (He did)
Āme: -in-di → Chēs-in-di (She did)
Vāḷḷu: -ā-ru → Chēs-ā-ru (They did)
Adi: -in-di → Chēs-in-di (It did)

Once again, "she" and "it" share the same ending.

Day 14: Verb Conjugation Cheat Sheet for All Telugu Tenses

Review how core verbs change across the past, continuous and habitual / future tenses (for Nēnu, I):

Chēyi - To do: Past: Chēs-ā-nu | Continuous: Chēs-tunnā-nu | Habitual / Future: Chēs-tā-nu
Tāgu - To drink: Past: Tāg-ā-nu | Continuous: Tāgu-tunnā-nu | Habitual / Future: Tāgu-tā-nu
Veḷḷu - To go: Past: Veḷḷ-ā-nu | Continuous: Veḷ-tunnā-nu | Habitual / Future: Veḷ-tā-nu
Rā - To come: Past: Vachch-ā-nu | Continuous: Vas-tunnā-nu | Habitual / Future: Vas-tā-nu
Tinu - To eat: Past: Tinn-ā-nu | Continuous: Tin-ṭunnā-nu | Habitual / Future: Tin-ṭā-nu
Cheppu - To tell / say: Past: Chepp-ā-nu | Continuous: Chep-tunnā-nu | Habitual / Future: Chep-tā-nu

Week 3: Intermediate Grammar and Additional Vocabulary

Week 3 moves into natural speech: existence and possession, describing things, asking questions, and practical everyday scenarios.

Day 15: Existence and Possession ("To Be" and "To Have")

In Telugu, existence is expressed with undi (exists), unnāru (people exist, or respectful), lēdu (doesn't exist) and lēru (people aren't there).

Location and existence:

Coffee vēḍigā undi. (The coffee is hot.)
Manager cabin-lō unnāru. (The manager is in the cabin.)
Akkaḍa evarū lēru. (Nobody is there.)

Possession ("to have"): Telugu doesn't have a separate verb for "have". Instead, use [Person] + daggara (near / with) + undi (exists):

Nā daggara car undi. (I have a car. Literally: Near me, a car exists.)
Nā daggara cash lēdu. (I don't have cash.)
Mī daggara pen undā? (Do you have a pen?)

Day 16: Adjectives and Adverbs (-gā)

To turn an adjective or noun into an adverb (like "beautiful" → "beautifully"), add the suffix -gā. Words ending in -am change to -angā.

Andam (Beauty) → Andan-gā (Beautifully) - Illu andangā undi. (The house is beautiful.)
Tvara (Quick) → Tvara-gā (Quickly) - Tvaragā ranḍi! (Come quickly!)
Bāgu (Good) → Bā-gā (Well) - Pani bāgā chēyanḍi. (Do the work well.)
Kōpam (Anger) → Kōpan-gā (Angrily) - Atanu kōpangā māṭlāḍāḍu. (He spoke angrily.)
Sulabham (Easy) → Sulabhan-gā (Easily) - Telugu sulabhangā nērchukōnḍi. (Learn Telugu easily.)

Day 17: Yes or No Questions - Just Add "ā"

In Telugu, you can turn almost any statement into a yes / no question by adding -ā to the end. No change in word order, and no extra question word needed. The "-ā" alone tells everyone it's a question.

Formula: [Statement] + ā = [Yes / No question]

Mīru doctor. (You are a doctor.) → Mīru doctor-ā? (Are you a doctor?)
Atanu bāgunnāḍu. (He is doing well.) → Atanu bāgunnāḍ-ā? (Is he doing well?)
Mīru vastāru. (You will come.) → Mīru vastār-ā? (Will you come?)
Mīku Telugu vachchu. (You know Telugu.) → Mīku Telugu vachch-ā? (Do you know Telugu?)
Idi bāgundi. (This is good.) → Idi bāgund-ā? (Is this good?)

Notice that the statement itself doesn't change at all. You're just adding "-ā" to the last word.

Day 18: Question Words - What, Who, Where, Why and How

What: Ēmi / Ēnṭi (ఏమి / ఏంటి) - Mī pēru ēnṭi? (What is your name?)
Who: Evaru (ఎవరు) - Akkaḍa evaru unnāru? (Who is there?)
When: Eppuḍu (ఎప్పుడు) - Train eppuḍu vastundi? (When will the train come?)
Which: Ē (ఏ) - Mīku ē hotel ishṭam? (Which hotel do you like?)
Where: Ekkaḍa (ఎక్కడ) - Mī illu ekkaḍa undi? (Where is your house?)
To where: Ekkaḍiki (ఎక్కడికి) - Mīru ekkaḍiki veḷtunnāru? (Where are you going?)
Why: Enduku (ఎందుకు) - Ippuḍu enduku vachchāru? (Why did you come now?)
How: Ela (ఎలా) - Charminar ki ela veḷḷāli? (How do I get to Charminar?)
How much / How many: Enta / Enni (ఎంత / ఎన్ని) - Dīni dhara enta? (How much is this?)

Day 19: Time and Routine Words

Poddunna - Morning
Madhyāhnam - Afternoon
Sāyantram - Evening
Rātri - Night
Ippuḍu - Now
Ganṭa - Hour / O'clock
Īrōju - Today
Rēpu - Tomorrow
Ninna - Yesterday
Ellunḍi - Day after tomorrow
Tarwāta - Later / Afterwards
Nimisham - Minute

Practice more words like these using Bhashafy's free Telugu vocabulary and flashcards tool, with word lists and audio to help you learn and review them.

Day 20: Household and Daily Essential Vocabulary

Places and work: Illu (House), Pani (Work / Job), Rōḍḍu (Road), Koṭṭu (Shop)
Food and drink: Bhōjanam (Meal), Tiffin (Breakfast / Snack), Nīḷḷu (Water), Pālu (Milk)
Objects: Pustakam (Book), Ḍabbulu (Money), Talupu (Door), Kiṭikī (Window)

Everyday cultural phrases: In Telugu homes, a check-in often revolves around food rather than the weather:

Bhōjanam ayindā? = Have you eaten? (A very common, affectionate check-in, often said as "bōn chēsārā?")
Tiffin ayindā? = Have you had breakfast?
Ayindi. = Yes, done.
Inkā lēdu. = Not yet.

Day 21: Practice Scenarios - Commuting and Dining Out

Scenario 1: An auto rickshaw ride in Hyderabad

Commuter: Ameerpet Metro ki vastārā? (Will you come to Ameerpet Metro?)
Driver: Vastānu, ranḍi. Meter mīda 20 rūpāyalu ekkuva ivvanḍi. (I'll come, get in. Give 20 rupees above the meter.)
Commuter: Sare. Koncham tvaragā veḷḷanḍi. (Okay. Please go a little fast.)
Commuter (at the destination): Ikkaḍa āpanḍi. Enta ayindi? (Stop here. How much did it come to?)

Scenario 2: Ordering at a restaurant or cafe

Customer: Oka plate masala dosa, oka Irani chāy ivvanḍi. (One plate of masala dosa and one Irani chai, please.)
Server: Chāy-lō chakkera ekkuva kāvālā? (Do you want extra sugar in the chai?)
Customer: Waddu, koncham takkuva vēyanḍi. Tarwāta bill ivvanḍi. (No, put in a little less. Bring the bill later.)

Week 4: Intermediate Grammar - Modals, Connectors and Script

Week 4 bridges the gap between single sentences and connected, flowing speech, with postpositions, modals, connectors and longer thoughts.

Day 22: Postpositions (Part 1: Location and Direction)

English uses prepositions placed before nouns ("in Hyderabad", "to the office"). Telugu attaches them as suffixes to the end of the noun.

-lō (In / At / Inside) - Illu (House) → Inṭlō - Nēnu inṭlō unnānu. (I am at home.)
-lō (In / At) - Hyderabad → Hyderabad-lō - Vāḷḷu Hyderabad-lō unnāru. (They are in Hyderabad.)
-ki / -ku (To / Towards) - Office → Office-ki - Nēnu office ki veḷtānu. (I go to the office.)
-ki (For) - Bhōjanam (Meal) → Bhōjanāniki - Bhōjanāniki ranḍi. (Come for the meal.)

Notice that illu (house) changes to inṭi- before a suffix: inṭlō (at home), inṭiki (to the house).

Day 23: Postpositions (Part 2: Origin and Accompaniment)

Origin: nunchi (నుంచి) = From

Inṭi nunchi: From home | America nunchi: From America
Example: Nēnu office nunchi vachchānu. (I came from the office.)

Means of transport: -lō = By

Bus-lō: By bus | Train-lō: By train
Example: Nēnu train-lō vachchānu. (I came by train.)

Accompaniment: -tō (తో) = With

Nātō: With me | Mītō: With you | Friends-tō: With friends
Example: Nātō ranḍi. (Come with me.)

Kāvāli (కావాలి) - Want - Nīḷḷu kāvāli. (I want water.)
-āli - Must / Have to - Nēnu veḷḷ-āli. (I must go.)
Waddu (వద్దు) - Don't want / Must not - Coffee waddu. (I don't want coffee.) | Akkaḍiki veḷḷa-waddu. (Don't go there.)
-wachchu (వచ్చు) - Can / May - Mīru rāwachchu. (You may come.) | Manam chēyawachchu. (We can do it.)

Day 25: Conjunctions (Connecting Your Thoughts)

And: Mariyu (మరియు) - Coffee mariyu tea (Coffee and tea). In everyday speech, people often just add -ū to each item instead: coffee-ū, tea-ū.
But: Kānī (కానీ) - Nēnu vastānu, kānī late avutundi. (I will come, but it will be late.)
Or: Lēdā (లేదా) - Dosa lēdā idli kāvālā? (Do you want dosa or idli?)
Because: Endukanṭē (ఎందుకంటే) - Nēnu rālēdu, endukanṭē pani undindi. (I didn't come, because there was work.)

Day 26: Expressing Likes (Ishṭam / Ishṭam Lēdu)

In Telugu, liking something is expressed from the point of view of the thing being liked. So the person takes the ending -ku (to me, to you).

Formula: [Person + ku] + [Noun / Activity] + anṭe + ishṭam / ishṭam lēdu

Nāku masala dosa anṭe chālā ishṭam. (I like masala dosa very much.)
Nāku tea anṭe ishṭam lēdu. (I don't like tea.)
Mīku ē pāṭa ishṭam? (Which song do you like?)
Vāḷḷaku Telugu māṭlāḍaṭam anṭe ishṭam. (They like speaking Telugu.)

Day 27: Emotions and Feelings

Feelings in Telugu also use the -ku ending, with the feeling + -gā undi (it is, to me):

Happy: Santōsham → Nāku chālā santōshangā undi. (I am feeling very happy.)
Sad: Bādha → Nāku bādhagā undi. (I am feeling sad.)
Bored: Nāku bore koḍutōndi. (I am feeling bored.)
Hungry: Ākali → Nāku ākaligā undi. (I am feeling hungry.)
Thirsty: Dāham → Nāku dāhangā undi. (I am feeling thirsty.)
Angry: Kōpam → Āyanaki kōpam vachchindi. (He got angry. Literally: Anger came to him.)

Day 28: Conditional Sentences ("If... then" with -tē)

To say "if", attach the suffix -tē to the verb.

Chēyi (Do) → Chēstē (If you do) - Pani chēstē ḍabbulu vastāyi. (If you do the work, you'll get money.)
Rā (Come) → Vastē (If you come) - Mīru vastē nēnu kūḍā vastānu. (If you come, I'll come too.)
Varsham (Rain) → Varsham vastē (If it rains) - Varsham vastē manam bayaṭiki veḷḷam. (If it rains, we won't go out.)
Samayam (Time) → Samayam unṭē (If there is time) - Samayam unṭē nāku call chēyanḍi. (If there's time, please call me.)

Day 29: Putting It All Together - A Daily Narrative

Read the passage below. It ties together the past, present and future tenses, modals and postpositions:

"Namaskāram! Nā pēru Vikram. Nēnu Hyderabad-lō unṭānu. Rōjū nēnu poddunna 7 ganṭalaki lēstānu. Tarwāta coffee tāgi, 9 ganṭalaki bus-lō office ki veḷtānu. Ninna office-lō chālā pani undindi, kānī rēpu nāku selavu. Rēpu nā friends-tō kalisi cinema ki veḷtānu. Telugu māṭlāḍutunṭē nāku chālā santōshangā unṭundi!"

Translation: "Hello! My name is Vikram. I live in Hyderabad. Every day I wake up at 7 o'clock in the morning. After having coffee, I go to the office by bus at 9 o'clock. Yesterday there was a lot of work at the office, but tomorrow is a holiday for me. Tomorrow I will go to a movie with my friends. I feel very happy when I speak Telugu!"

Day 30: Your Fluency Blueprint

Congratulations on finishing the 30-day foundation plan! Fluency is a muscle built through daily habit:

Habit 1: The 5-verb daily drill. Conjugate five common verbs (Rā, Veḷḷu, Ivvu, Tīsukō, Chēyi) across all three tenses every morning.
Habit 2: Replace your daily English triggers. Switch everyday requests to Telugu when you're ordering at a restaurant or at a shop (for example, "Nīḷḷu ivvanḍi", "Enta ayindi?", "Tvaragā ranḍi").
Habit 3: Embrace imperfect speech. Shopkeepers, auto drivers and colleagues across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh will warmly appreciate your effort to speak Telugu. Never hesitate over small errors.
Habit 4: Listen a lot. Watch Telugu content, or your favourite Hollywood or Bollywood movies dubbed in Telugu. You already know the story, so you'll follow the Telugu dialogue far more easily. Regular listening is also what trains your ear to pick out individual words when the sounds merge (remember Pillar 3).

At this stage, you are also ready to take on the Telugu script, as you now know the basics of how to speak Telugu. This way when you do pick up the vowels and consonants and put them together as words and sentences, you know what you are reading and not merely saying the sounds. You can first practice reading the script and then learn writing optionally. Check out our Guide on the Telugu script to explore the script more.

Good Luck Learning Telugu!

You're now genuinely ready to begin using and practicing Telugu.

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Thank you, or as we say in Telugu - Dhanyavādālu!