If you are visiting Bengaluru for a work trip, planning a vacation, or moving to the city permanently, you might be wondering what language is spoken in Bengaluru - and if there is more than one? And which one you should learn to best adjust to the new city.
Bengaluru is an incredibly diverse and cosmopolitan city. The primary local language of Bengaluru is Kannada, a Dravidian language spoken by over 50 million people in the state of Karnataka. If you had to pick just one language to learn when in Bengaluru, Kannada is the obvious first choice.
English is also widely spoken and understood, with its own Bangalore English dialect. Alongside Kannada and English, many other languages are spoken in Bengaluru due to its history and geography. Parts of the city used to be in the Madras Presidency, and it sits close to Telugu-speaking Andhra Pradesh and Tamil-speaking Tamil Nadu. So Telugu and Tamil are widely spoken too, by a local population with their own distinct Bengaluru Telugu and Bengaluru Tamil dialects which are heavily influenced by Kannada. Additionally, Muslims in the Deccan Plateau region (which includes Karnataka) speak a unique dialect of Urdu known as Dakhini or Deccani Urdu. Dakhini is mutually intelligible with Standard Hindi and Urdu but features significant Kannada influence in its vocabulary and accent.
Today, with Bengaluru's growth as an IT capital, many young people from North India have brought Hindi to the city - so Hindi is widely understood and spoken in many IT-heavy areas of the city. Beyond this, you'll find speakers of virtually every major Indian language in Bengaluru, from Malayalam to Marathi to Bengali and more.
Here is a breakdown of the linguistic landscape of Bengaluru to help you navigate the city better.
What Is Bengaluru's Main Local Language?
Kannada is the predominant local language of Bengaluru. It's the official language of the state of Karnataka. Kannada is an ancient language with a rich history and heritage, classified as one of the classical languages of India by the Government of India. It belongs to the Dravidian family of languages, alongside Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam. It also has a literary history of over 1,500 years, and was the royal language of the Vijayanagara Empire, the Kadambas, the Chalukyas, the Hoysalas, and more.
Bengaluru's oldest Kannada inscription - the Kannada hero stone found in North Bengaluru - refers to the locality of Hebbal and dates back to as early as 750 CE. Kannada is widely taught in schools as the state language. It also functions as a link language for the many diverse communities in Bengaluru - Telugu, Tamil, and Urdu speakers among them - many of whom have lived in the city for generations.
How to Speak Kannada: Essential Words and Phrases for Getting Around Bengaluru
A small set of everyday words and phrases covers most of what you'll need as a visitor.
How to greet people in everyday Kannada?
- Namaskara - Hello or Greetings
- Chennagiddira? - How are you?
- Chennagiddini - I'm fine
- Dhanyavaada / Dhanyavaadagalu - Thank you
How to get around in Bengaluru using Kannada
- Eshtu? - How much? (Final price eshtu? - Useful for bargaining)
- Elli? - Where? ("Metro station elli?" - Where is the metro station?)
- Anna - Brother (Default polite word for calling a man - to an auto driver, bus driver, waiter, etc)
- Akka - Sister (Default polite word for calling a woman)
- Illi - Here
- Alli - There
How to speak to Uber/Ola/Rapido/Auto drivers in Kannada
- [Location]-ge bartira? - Will you come to [Location]? (Essential for auto rickshaws)
- Meter haaki - Please turn on the meter
- Eshtu aagatte? - How much will it cost?
- Ille nillisi - Please stop right here
- Left tagoli / Right tagoli - Take a left / Take a right
- OTP heli - Tell the OTP
Ordering Food in Kannada
- Kodi - Give "Ondu plate idli kodi" (Give me one plate of idli)
- Beku - Want
- Beda - Don't want
- Saaku - Enough
At a Hotel or With Staff
- Maadi - Do (Attach it to common English verbs to express a request)
- Wait maadi - Please wait
- Call maadi - Please call
- Houdu - Yes
- Illa - No
Is English Widely Spoken in Bengaluru?
Due to centuries of British influence and a large number of English-medium convent schools in the erstwhile British cantonment area, English is widely understood and spoken in Bengaluru. It's perhaps more so than in any other large city in India. Bengaluru also has its own unique dialect of English, called Bangalore English, that's genuinely fun to explore.
Bangalore English Quirks
Bengaluru has historically hosted a large, old British cantonment area with numerous English-medium convent schools. This gave English a lot of space and time to evolve a unique flavour and slang, different from anywhere else in the world. Bangalore English's underlying syntax is heavily based on Kannada (and sometimes Tamil), with the words on top being in English. A few examples -
Only - Placed emphatically after nouns or verbs for precision. It's a translation of the Kannada suffix "-e/-ne/-de." "That day only we met," or "He is still there only."
It seems - Attached to the end of a sentence to denote secondhand information or hearsay - a direct translation of the Kannada "anthe," used the same way. "The manager is resigning, it seems."
And all - A frequently used suffix meaning "and other things," or "etcetera." "We drank coffee, tea, and all."
Off - A commonly used emphasis word, attempting to translate the Kannada emphasis suffix "-bid-/-bitt-," as in "hog-bidu" (go off) or "tin-bidu" (eat off). Standard English doesn't have a clean equivalent, so Bangaloreans follow the verb with "off" for emphasis instead. "Do off your homework," or "Eat off the biryani."
Putting scene - Hanging out and doing a fun activity, usually an outing with friends. "Come, let's put some scene tonight!"
Check out Bhashafy's Guide on Bengaluru Local Slang to learn some more local Bangalore expressions.
Is Hindi Spoken in Bengaluru?
Hindi is widely spoken in the North of India, but in South India, each state has its own distinct language that's given more importance locally. Kannada is the main state language of Karnataka, the state Bengaluru is the capital of. That said, there's been a large amount of migration of young employees from Hindi-speaking parts of the country to Bengaluru for IT jobs and education. So in many IT-job and college-heavy neighbourhoods of Bengaluru - Whitefield, Koramangala, HSR Layout, Marathahalli, and others - Hindi is understood and spoken by the relatively large North Indian population. It's also understood and spoken by many of the locals in these areas. Some of the local population in Bengaluru speak Dakhini Urdu, which is mutually intelligible with Hindi, so they can speak Hindi too.
Knowing Hindi can help in some neighbourhoods and circumstances, and it's genuinely useful if your visit involves traveling across India, including North India. But if you're picking a new language to learn specifically for Bengaluru, Hindi is not the language of choice. Especially if your goal is exploring local Bengaluru culture, or if your work or travel is limited to South India. However, If you already know Hindi, it can serve as a link language in PGs, hostels and in certain parts of the city.
Is Tamil Spoken in Bengaluru?
Tamil is spoken by a sizable minority in Bengaluru, thanks to the city's proximity to the Tamil Nadu border and its history as part of the Madras Presidency. Several neighbourhoods are Tamil-dominant, like Frazer Town, Cox Town, Indiranagar, and Electronic City. You'll commonly hear slang like "Macha" around the city - Tamil slang for "dude". Tamil also has its own Bengaluru Tamil dialect with Kannada influences, since many Tamilians in the city aren't recent migrants but have been here for generations. Most Bengaluru Tamilians speak fluent Kannada as well.
If you're Tamilian and moving to Bengaluru, there are several neighbourhoods where you'll face less of a language barrier. However, if you're picking a new language to learn specifically for Bengaluru, Tamil will only help you in some neighbourhoods and communities.
Is Telugu Spoken in Bengaluru?
Telugu is spoken across Bengaluru by a large Telugu population, thanks to the city's proximity to the Andhra Pradesh border and its shared history. Telugu speakers are spread across the city rather than concentrated in one area. Telugu also has its own Bengaluru Telugu dialect with Kannada influences, since many Telugu speakers in the city aren't recent migrants but have been here for generations. Most Bengaluru Telugus speak Kannada fluently as well.
If you're a Telugu speaker moving to Bengaluru from Telangana or Andhra Pradesh, there are some neighbourhoods where you'll face less of a language barrier. Further, Telugu’s script is very similar to Kannada’s and that will give you a head start in Kannada too. However, if you're picking a new language to learn specifically for Bengaluru, Telugu will only help you in some neighbourhoods and communities.
So, What Language Should You Actually Learn?
If you're visiting or moving to Bengaluru and want a language that genuinely helps you across the whole city - not just one neighbourhood or community - Kannada remains the clear answer. It's the state's official language and the city's historical and cultural backbone. It's also the one language that connects every community here, since so many long-settled Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu speakers in the city speak fluent Kannada themselves. English will get you by almost anywhere, and Hindi or Tamil or Telugu might help in specific pockets of the city - but Kannada is what actually opens up Bengaluru as a whole.
A few phrases here and there will get you through your day, but real progress comes from a bit of structure behind it. Setting aside even ten minutes to go through a proper lesson, instead of picking up words randomly, is what actually turns "I know a few Kannada words" into "I can hold a conversation in Kannada". That bit of effort will inevitably lead you to make new and lasting connections.
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