🟡 Kannada for beginners · Chapter 7

Asking questions and directions

Google Maps knows the road; it doesn't know the gate is closed and you have to go round by the temple. Eight question words and four direction words get you the local answer.

Study this lesson free in the app →

The basics

Questions in Kannada come in two kinds: yes/no questions, made by adding -aa to the last word (ಬರ್ತೀರಾ? will you come?), and information questions, made with a question word — ಏನು (what), ಎಲ್ಲಿ (where), ಯಾವಾಗ (when), ಯಾಕೆ (why), ಹೇಗೆ (how), ಯಾರು (who), ಎಷ್ಟು (how much), ಯಾವ (which).

The problem it solves: in your first months you ask far more than you tell — where's the metro, which bus, how far, what's this. And directions in Bengaluru are given by landmark and signal ('second cross, right after the temple'), which no app reads out.

The mental model: the question word stays where the answer would go, exactly like Hindi: aapka naam kya hai? = ನಿಮ್ಮ ಹೆಸರು ಏನು? (your name what?). Nearly all question words start with ಯ- (y) or ಎ- (e) — the 'question sounds'. For directions you need ಬಲ (right), ಎಡ (left), ನೇರ (straight) plus -ಕ್ಕೆ (to) and ತಿರುಗಿ (turn).

Explained

ಮೆಟ್ರೋ ಸ್ಟೇಷನ್ ಎಲ್ಲಿದೆ?     meTroo sTeeshan ellide?     Where's the metro station?
ಎಷ್ಟು ದೂರ?               eshTu duura?                How far?
ನೇರವಾಗಿ ಹೋಗಿ, ಸಿಗ್ನಲ್ ಹತ್ರ ಬಲಕ್ಕೆ.   neeravaagi hoogi, signal hatra balakke.   Go straight, right at the signal.

Three lines. That's the whole conversation, every day, for the first month.

The eight question words

ಏನು      eenu      what        ನಿಮ್ಮ ಹೆಸರು ಏನು?    your name what?
ಯಾರು     yaaru     who         ಅವರು ಯಾರು?         who is he/she?
ಎಲ್ಲಿ      elli      where       ಬಸ್ ಸ್ಟಾಪ್ ಎಲ್ಲಿ?       where's the bus stop?
ಯಾವಾಗ    yaavaaga  when        ಬಸ್ ಯಾವಾಗ ಬರುತ್ತೆ?    when will the bus come?
ಯಾಕೆ      yaake     why         ಯಾಕೆ ಲೇಟ್?          why late?
ಹೇಗೆ      heege     how         ಹೇಗೆ ಹೋಗಬೇಕು?       how do I go?
ಎಷ್ಟು      eshTu     how much    ಇದು ಎಷ್ಟು?          how much is this?
ಯಾವ      yaava     which       ಯಾವ ಬಸ್?           which bus?

They stay in place, like Hindi kya / kaun / kahaan. With -ge (to): ಎಲ್ಲಿಗೆ? (ellige?) = to where? With ಇದೆ: ಎಲ್ಲಿದೆ? (ellide?) = where is it?

Yes/no: add -aa to the last word: ಈ ಬಸ್ ಮೆಜೆಸ್ಟಿಕ್‌ಗೆ ಹೋಗುತ್ತಾ? (ii bas mejesTikge hooguttaa? — does this bus go to Majestic?)

Directions, Bengaluru style

                ಮುಂದೆ (munde) — ahead
                      ↑
ಎಡಕ್ಕೆ (eDakke) ←   YOU   → ಬಲಕ್ಕೆ (balakke)
  left                ↓                right
                ಹಿಂದೆ (hinde) — behind

ನೇರವಾಗಿ ಹೋಗಿ        neeravaagi hoogi       go straight
ಬಲಕ್ಕೆ ತಿರುಗಿ        balakke tirugi         turn right
ಸಿಗ್ನಲ್ ಹತ್ರ          signal hatra           near the signal
ಎರಡನೇ ಕ್ರಾಸ್          eraDanee kraas         second cross (road)
ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನದ ಹತ್ರ       deevasthaanada hatra    near the temple
ಇಲ್ಲೇ / ಅಲ್ಲೇ          ille / alle            right here / right there

Bengaluru addresses run on Main and Cross roads — '4th Cross, 2nd Main'. Ordinals add -ನೇ (-nee): ಮೊದಲನೇ (1st), ಎರಡನೇ (2nd), ಮೂರನೇ (3rd).

Understanding the answer

Asking is easy; the answer comes fast. Listen for four anchors and ignore the rest:

1. A direction word: ಬಲ / ಎಡ / ನೇರ / ಹಿಂದೆ.
2. A landmark: ಸಿಗ್ನಲ್, ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನ (temple), ಪೆಟ್ರೋಲ್ ಬಂಕ್, ಬೇಕರಿ, ಸರ್ಕಲ್.
3. A distance: ಹತ್ರ (near), ದೂರ (far), ಐದು ನಿಮಿಷ (5 minutes), ಒಂದು ಕಿಲೋಮೀಟರ್.
4. A verb at the end: ಹೋಗಿ (go), ತಿರುಗಿ (turn), ಸಿಗುತ್ತೆ (sigutte — you'll find it).

ಸಿಗುತ್ತೆ is the magic end-word: ಎಡಕ್ಕೆ ಸಿಗುತ್ತೆ = 'you'll find it on the left'.

Then check back: ಬಲಕ್ಕಾ? (balakkaa?) — to the right? They'll say ಹೌದು or correct you. If lost: ಮತ್ತೊಮ್ಮೆ ಹೇಳಿ (say again) or ತೋರಿಸಿ (toorisi) — please show me.

Question words start with ಯ- or ಎ-. Put them where the answer goes. Add -aa for yes/no.

• ಎಲ್ಲಿ (elli) — 'Ellie, where are you?'
• ಯಾಕೆ (yaake) — 'yak? why a yak?'
• ಯಾರು (yaaru) — 'yaar, who's that?' — Hindi yaar = friend; Kannada yaaru = who.
• ಯಾವಾಗ (yaavaaga) — 'why wag — when will the dog stop?'
• ಹೇಗೆ (heege) — 'hey, how?'
• ಬಲ (bala) = right = bal, strength — your strong hand.
• ಎಡ (eDa) = left — the other one.

Mistakes newcomers make

• Putting the question word first, English-style. ಎಲ್ಲಿ ಮೆಟ್ರೋ? is understood, but natural is ಮೆಟ್ರೋ ಎಲ್ಲಿದೆ? — thing first, question word last, like Hindi metro kahaan hai?
• Using ಇದು instead of ಈ before a noun. Does this bus go? = ಈ ಬಸ್ … not ಇದು ಬಸ್ (that's 'this is a bus').
• Forgetting -ಕ್ಕೆ / -ಗೆ on places. 'To Majestic' = ಮೆಜೆಸ್ಟಿಕ್‌ಗೆ, 'to the right' = ಬಲಕ್ಕೆ. Without it, the sentence sounds unfinished.
• *Mixing ಯಾರು (who) with Hindi yaar. ಯಾರು?* is a question, not 'buddy'.
• Over-using ಯಾಕೆ. A bare ಯಾಕೆ? (why?) can sound like a challenge. Soften it: ಯಾಕೆ, ಏನಾಯ್ತು? (why, what happened?).
• Reading ಬಲ and ಎಡ the wrong way in the moment. Point with your hand as you say it — the other person will correct you before you walk off.

Wednesday, 6:20 PM, outside Indiranagar metro

Arjun from Chandigarh is looking for a friend's flat. He asks a man at a juice stall.

Arjun: ಅಣ್ಣ, ಹನ್ನೆರಡನೇ ಮೇನ್ ಎಲ್ಲಿದೆ? (aNNa, hanneraDanee meen ellide? — Brother, where's 12th Main?) Man: ನೇರವಾಗಿ ಹೋಗಿ. ಎರಡನೇ ಸಿಗ್ನಲ್ ಹತ್ರ ಎಡಕ್ಕೆ ತಿರುಗಿ. (neeravaagi hoogi. eraDanee signal hatra eDakke tirugi. — Go straight. Turn left at the second signal.) Arjun: ಎಡಕ್ಕಾ? ಎಷ್ಟು ದೂರ? (eDakkaa? eshTu duura? — Left? How far?) Man: ಹೌದು, ಎಡಕ್ಕೆ. ಹತ್ತು ನಿಮಿಷ ನಡೆದರೆ ಸಿಗುತ್ತೆ. (houdu, eDakke. hattu nimisha naDedare sigutte. — Yes, left. Ten minutes' walk, you'll find it.) Arjun: ಸರಿ, ಧನ್ಯವಾದಗಳು! (sari, dhanyavaadagaLu!)

He caught three anchors: ಎಡಕ್ಕೆ (left), ಎರಡನೇ ಸಿಗ್ನಲ್ (2nd signal), ಹತ್ತು ನಿಮಿಷ (10 min). ನಡೆದರೆ (naDedare) = 'if you walk' — he didn't know it, and didn't need to.

Words to know

In two minutes

• Yes/no questions: add -aa to the last word — ಬರ್ತೀರಾ?, ಇದೆಯಾ?, ಹೋಗುತ್ತಾ?
• Eight question words: ಏನು what, ಯಾರು who, ಎಲ್ಲಿ where, ಯಾವಾಗ when, ಯಾಕೆ why, ಹೇಗೆ how, ಎಷ್ಟು how much, ಯಾವ which.
• Question words stay where the answer goes, like Hindi: ಮೆಟ್ರೋ ಎಲ್ಲಿದೆ? = metro kahaan hai?
• Directions: ಬಲಕ್ಕೆ right, ಎಡಕ್ಕೆ left, ನೇರವಾಗಿ straight, ತಿರುಗಿ turn, ಮುಂದೆ ahead, ಹಿಂದೆ behind.
• Bengaluru answers use landmarks and numbers: signal, cross, main, temple, 'five minutes'.
• Listen for four anchors: direction, landmark, distance, final verb (often ಸಿಗುತ್ತೆ, 'you'll find it').
• Confirm by echoing with -aa: ಎಡಕ್ಕಾ? — left?

Test yourself

There are 9 questions, 3 puzzles and 5 recall cards for this lesson in the app — the recall cards come back on later days, just before you would forget.