Hyderabad runs fine in English and some Hindi. You can order food, book a cab, close a business deal, and make friends without ever needing much Telugu. That's part of what makes the city so easy to move to. But there's a difference between just getting by in Hyderabad and actually feeling at home in it. You don't need fluency for this. You don't need so much grammar that you can write poetry in the language. It is just about intentionally going the extra mile, or even just an extra blog post, to learn some basic phrases in Telugu and have a positive mindset of understanding the real local culture a little more. You just need a few phrases at the right moments, and the city will give back in ways that you wouldn't even have imagined!
You don't need "proper" Telugu - Tenglish works perfectly fine!
This is the first thing to get out of your head: nobody expects you to speak textbook Telugu. Honestly, if you tried, you'd probably sound less like a local and more like you memorized a phrasebook. What works great in Hyderabad for beginners is Tenglish, i.e., Telugu and English mixed together, freely and casually. Let me explain.
- Unlock the "chēyanḍi" trick. Just one word, "Chēyanḍi", does most of the heavy lifting in a beginner's Telugu vocabulary. Chēyanḍi means "please do", and you can stick it onto almost any English verb to instantly make a Telugu sentence. "Repair chēyanḍi", "Call chēyanḍi", "Wait chēyanḍi". Simple, no? If you know the English word, you already know the Telugu sentence, sort of.
- Effort >>>> Fluency. Say "Namaskāram" to your watchman or "Koncham wait chēyanḍi" to an auto driver, and nobody's judging your pronunciation. What they notice is that you tried. That's usually all it takes to go from "outsider" to "one of us" in a shopkeeper's eyes.
- Aim for practicality, not poetry. The goal here isn't to sound like a poet. It's to get things done, like ordering your chai, negotiating your auto fare, and asking for directions. Treat these words as tools, not as a language exam, and you'll be surprised how far they take you.
Telugu phrasebook for navigating Hyderabad better
1. Namaskāram (నమస్కారం) – Hello
Pronounced Na-mas-kā-ram, and said with a hands-closed "Namaste" gesture. Simple, friendly, and safe to use anywhere.
Example: "Namaskāram uncle, namaskāram aunty!"
2. Bhōjanam ayindā? (భోజనం అయిందా?) – Have you had lunch?
A friendly check-in you'll often hear, especially from older neighbours and relatives. "Bhōjanam" means meal, and "ayindā" means "is it done?".
Example: "Namaskāram sir! Bhōjanam ayindā?"
3. Chēyanḍi (చేయండి) – Please do
The most powerful Telugu word for survival! Add Chēyanḍi to any English word to turn it into Telugu.
Example: "Discount chēyanḍi", "Wait chēyanḍi", "Bill chēyanḍi", "Email chēyanḍi", "Call chēyanḍi", "Exchange chēyanḍi", "Repair chēyanḍi", "Adjust chēyanḍi".
4. Enta? (ఎంత?) – How much?
Pronounced En-ta. Perfect for shopping, autos, and buses.
Example: "Anna, Bisleri water bottle enta?"
5. Ela unnāru? (ఎలా ఉన్నారు?) – How are you?
The standard polite way to say "How are you" in Telugu.
Example: "Namaskāram uncle! Ela unnāru?"
6. Bāgunnānu (బాగున్నాను) – I am fine
Standard reply to "How are you" in Telugu.
Example: "Bāgunnānu, thank you."
7. Mī pēru ēnṭi? (మీ పేరు ఏంటి?) – What is your name?
Pronounced Mee pay-ru ay-nti.
Example: "Mī pēru ēnṭi madam?"
8. Nā pēru Mukesh (నా పేరు ముకేశ్) – My name is Mukesh
Replace Mukesh with your own name. Pronounced Nā pē-ru.
Example: "Namaskāram! Nā pēru Ritu. Mī pēru ēnṭi?"
9. Tīsukōnḍi (తీసుకోండి) – Take
Universal word for taking something, including taking a turn when giving directions.
Example:
To an auto driver: "Left tīsukōnḍi, right tīsukōnḍi, next signal."
Or at a shop: "Aunty, 5 rupees change tīsukōnḍi."
10. Ivvanḍi (ఇవ్వండి) – Give
Very useful while shopping or at a restaurant.
Example: "1 plate masala dosa ivvanḍi"
11. Veḷḷi vastānu / Veḷḷostānu (వెళ్ళి వస్తాను) – Bye, or I will go and come back
"Veḷḷi vastānu", often pronounced as "Veḷḷostānu" or shortened to "Vastānu" literally means "I'll go and come back", which is the friendly way to say goodbye in Telugu. You never really just leave, rather you promise to return later.
Example: "Okay boss, veḷḷostānu!"
12. Ēnṭi (ఏంటి) – What
Useful for clarifications.
Example: "Ēnṭi problem sir?"
13. Ekkaḍa (ఎక్కడ) – Where
Very useful for directions.
Example: "Anna, metro station ekkaḍa?"
14. Ranḍi (రండి) – Please come in, or Welcome
Means "Please come", but often used like "Welcome".
Example: "Ranḍi ranḍi... bhōjanam chēyanḍi!" (Come, come, have lunch!)
15. Āpanḍi (ఆపండి) – Stop
To stop an auto or bus.
Example: "Anna, left side āpanḍi."
16. Avunu (అవును) – Yes
Standard way to say "Yes" in Telugu.
Example: "Avunu, GPay ayindi." ("Yes, GPay done")
17. Ledu (లేదు) – No / There isn't
A very common way to say "No" in Telugu, as in "there isn't any". You'll also hear Kādu for "No, it isn't".
Example: "Change ledu, Google Pay chēyanḍi."
18. Kāvāli (కావాలి) – Want
Useful when talking to the waiter, or at a shop.
Example: "Extra sambar kāvāli"
19. Waddu (వద్దు) – Don't want
Useful at a restaurant, or while shopping.
Example: "1 chāy, sugar waddu."
20. Chālu (చాలు) – Enough
Keep this word in mind when you order that unlimited meals.
Example: "Anna, rice chālu!"
21. Teliyadu (తెలియదు) – I don't know
When someone asks you directions to a place you are not familiar with, you can say "Teliyadu", or you will be told "Teliyadu" if a person you are enquiring doesn't know the information. Also used in the context of "Hindi teliyadu", "Telugu teliyadu", etc.
Example: "New to Hyderabad. Telugu teliyadu."
22. Telugu nērchukunṭunnānu (తెలుగు నేర్చుకుంటున్నాను) – I'm learning Telugu
People love hearing this! Much better option than "Telugu teliyadu" - Hyderabadis really appreciate the gesture.
Example: "Nēnu Telugu nērchukunṭunnānu."
23. Nā ūru Delhi (నా ఊరు ఢిల్లీ) – My hometown is Delhi
"Ūru" means hometown or town, as in "Mīdi yē ūru?" (Which town are you from?). Replace Delhi with your hometown.
Example: "Nā ūru Kolkata."
24. Pani (పని) – Work
Useful word that means "work" as a noun.
Example: "Nēnu IT lō pani chēstunnānu" ("I work in IT")
25. Koncham (కొంచెం) – A little
You'll hear this everywhere. Very useful Telugu word in everyday situations.
Example: "Koncham left", "Koncham wait chēyanḍi", "Koncham adjust chēyanḍi", "Koncham koncham Telugu vachchu".
26. Ekkuva (ఎక్కువ) – More
Opposite of takkuva (less).
Example: "Rice ekkuva kāvāli", or "AC ekkuva chēyanḍi."
27. Nīḷḷu (నీళ్ళు) – Water
It is always useful to know the word for water in Telugu. Keep it handy at messes, PGs and restaurants.
Example: "Oka glass nīḷḷu"
28. Ikkaḍa (ఇక్కడ) – Here; Akkaḍa (అక్కడ) – There
Important for directions. "Ikkaḍa" and "akkaḍa" are siblings, just like here and there.
Example: "Auto anna, ikkaḍa right, akkaḍa left."
29. Veḷdām (వెళ్దాం) – Let's go
You'll hear this often around lunch break or at the end of office hours. The entire office usually buzzes with the sound of "Veḷdām" when it's time to leave!
Example: "Ranḍi, canteen ki veḷdām!" (Come, let's go to the canteen)
30. Dhanyavādālu (ధన్యవాదాలు) – Thank you
This word is long but its meaning is quite simple. It's just "Thank you". North Indians may be familiar with "Dhanyavād". This is the same word with a plural ending added, so Dhanyavādālu is like saying "Many thanks".
Frequently Asked Questions New Migrants Have About Telugu
Is Telugu hard to learn?
No. The spoken Telugu used in Hyderabad is very simple. You can manage most conversations with simple Telugu words and phrases with some English and Hindi mixed in.
Do I need to learn the script?
Not at first for daily life. Romanized Telugu is enough for survival while you are learning. Learning the script after learning some spoken language can help you with signboards and shop boards and directions, especially outside the main city centre.
How long before I can understand people?
Usually 1 to 2 months of intentional and thought out exposure, to understand the absolute basics necessary for city life. Fluency, however, is something that comes with a lot of practice over 1 to 2 years of listening and practicing, while following a guide like Bhashafy's Bestseller Telugu Course that thousands of learners have used to learn to speak Telugu.
Will people judge me if I speak broken Telugu?
Absolutely not. People appreciate effort. Even a little Telugu brings a smile to locals, and opens up your own cultural horizon.
Is Telugu different in other parts of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh?
Yes. Telugu has regional dialects across Telangana, coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema, and even some border dialects in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. But standard Telugu that we teach in our course is beginner friendly and widely understood across cities and in pop culture like movies, TV shows and songs.
Where to go from here
These 30 words will carry you through most day-to-day situations in Hyderabad. But to progress further, you need the support of well made learning material.
If you want to progress from phrases and words to having real conversations in Telugu, a bit of structure makes a big difference. Start with Bhashafy's Complete Telugu Course for Beginners and see how far a little consistency can take you.
Bhashafy has over 20,000 satisfied learners across 100+ countries and millions of minutes of lessons taught. Bhashafy's courses are some of the most widely used, highly rated and bestselling courses for Indian languages across the world.
Thank you, or as we say in Telugu - Dhanyavādālu!
