Tamil grammar
Published 2025-03-21
Introduction
This page summarizes the grammar of spoken Tamil, specifically the informal language used in the popular media of Tamil Nadu. It also contains some notes on formal Tamil.
Think of this page as a reference sheet that you can use for quick advice. If you want to study rules in a structured program, see Jeyapandian Kottalam's Learning Tamil by Yourself or your favorite textbook. If you want an exhaustive explanation of Tamil's rules, see Thomas Lehmann's A Grammar of Modern Tamil or your favorite reference book.
Before we begin, some basics:
In Tamil, we express meaning by adding one or more suffixes to a word base. Generally, studying Tamil grammar means studying these suffixes.
Formal Tamil is based on 13th-century usage and is standard across the Tamil world. Informal Tamil is used at home and in conversation, and it can vary widely from one community to the next. Almost all written Tamil is formal, and almost all spoken Tamil is informal.
For learners, grammar is at best a supplement to the real task of engaging with interesting Tamil content. We hope this page can give you quick answers so that you can return to more interesting things.
Sounds
For advice on pronouncing these sounds, see our pronunciation guide.
Vowels
| Formal | Informal |
|---|---|
| அ | a |
| ஆ | ā |
| இ | i |
| ஈ | ī |
| உ | u |
| ஊ | ū |
| எ | e |
| ஏ | ē |
| ஐ | ai |
| ஒ | o |
| ஓ | ō |
| ஔ | au |
Consonants
| Formal | Informal |
|---|---|
| க | ka |
| ங | ṅa |
| ச | sa |
| ஞ | ña |
| ட | ʈa |
| ண | ɳa |
| த | ta |
| ந | na |
| ப | pa |
| ம | ma |
| ய | ya |
| ர | ra |
| ல | la |
| வ | va |
| ழ | ʐa |
| ள | ɭa |
| ற | ra |
| ன | na |
Other consonants
Used for loanwords, especially from Sanskrit.
| Formal | Informal |
|---|---|
| ஜ | ja |
| ஷ | ʂa |
| ஶ | sha |
| ஸ | sa |
| ஹ | ha |
| க்ஷ | kʂa |
Aytam
Used rarely, most commonly to write the "f" sound in loanwords (ஃப்).
| Formal | Informal |
|---|---|
| ஃ | h |
Nouns
Nouns are naming words like "house" and "tree." They follow this pattern:
Notes:
Base words are things like paiyan (boy), vīɖu (house), maram (tree), etc.
By default, base words express the singular and act as the subject of a sentence, as in paiyan sāppʈʈān ("The boy ate."). To express the plural or change the role of the base word in a sentence, we use extra suffixes.
Plurality
By default, nouns are singular. We add a suffix to make them plural:
| Formal | Informal | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| -கள் | -nga(ɭ) | (plural) |
Case
| Formal | Informal | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| -ஐ | -e | (direct object) |
| -ஆல் | -āle | with, by means of (instrument of action) |
| -கொண்டு | × | with, by means of (instrument of action) |
| -ஆன் | × | with, by means of (instrument of action) |
| -கு | -ku, -ki | to, for |
| -காக | -kāga | for, on behalf of |
| -உடைய | -ōɖu | of |
| -இன் | × | of |
| -அது | × | of |
| -ஓடு | -ōɖu | with, together with (accompaniment) |
| -உடன் | × | with, together with (accompaniment) |
| -இல் | -le | in, on (inanimate) |
| × | -kiʈʈe | in, on (inanimate, informal) |
| -இடம் | × | in, on (animate) |
| -இலிருந்து | -lēndu | from (inanimate) |
| -இடமிருந்து | × | from (animate) |
| × | -kiʈʈēndu | from (inanimate, informal) |
Base changes
If a case suffix is used, some bases might change:
| Base ending | With case suffix |
|---|---|
| -ɖu | -ʈʈu |
| -m | -ttu |
Thus vīɖu → vīʈʈukku and maram → marattukku.
Pronouns
Bases:
| Formal | Informal | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| நான் | nān | I |
| நாம் | nāma | we |
| நாங்கள் | nānga(ɭ) | we |
| நீ | nī | you (singular) |
| நீந்கள் | nīnga(ɭ) | you all |
| அவன் | avan | he (informal) |
| அவள் | ava(ɭ) | she (informal) |
| அவர் | avaru | he/she (formal) |
| அவர்கள் | avanga(ɭ) | they (animate) |
| அது | adu | it |
| அவை | aduga(ɭ) | they (inanimate) |
Verbs
Components
All verbs are built upon these three components:
Root — the base form of the verb, as listed in dictionaries.
Infinitive — created by adding -அ to the root. Many roots use -க instead.
Adverb — created by adding a past-tense suffix to the root.
Examples:
| Root | Infintive | Adverb |
|---|---|---|
| இரு | இருக்க | இருந்து |
| பார் | பார்க்க | பார்த்து |
| வாங்gஉ | வாங்gஅ | வாங்gஇ |
| தொடு | தொட | தொட்டு |
| சாப்பிடு | சாப்பிட | சாபிட்டு |
| நட | நடக்க | நடந்து |
Commands
| Type | Formal | Informal |
|---|---|---|
| Positive informal ("go") | (root) | (root) |
| Positive formal ("please go") | (root) + உங்gஅள் | (root) + ṅga(ɭ) |
| Negative informal ("don't go") | (infinitive) + ஆதே | (infinitive) + ādē |
| Negative formal ("please don't go") | (infinitive) + ஆதீர்gஅள் | (infinitive) + ādīnga(ɭ) |
Statements
| Type | Pattern |
|---|---|
| Positive | (root) + (tense) + (final) 1 |
| Negative (modern, non-future) | (infinitive) + இல்லை (informal லெ) |
| Negative (modern, future) | (infinitive) + மாட்ட் + (final) 2 |
| Negative (classical) | (root) + (final) |
- An exception is the neuter singular, which uses the pattern (infinitive) + உம்.
- An exception is the neuter singular, which uses the pattern (infinitive) + ஆது.
Finals
These finals are common to almost all verbs:
| Formal | Informal | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| -ஏன் | -ēn | I |
| -ஓம் | -ōm | we |
| -ஆய் | -e | you (singular) |
| -ஈர்கள் | -īnga(ɭ) | you all |
| -ஆந் | -ān | he (informal) |
| -ஆள் | -ā(ɭ) | she (informal) |
| -ஆர் | -āru | he (formal) |
| -அநர் | × | they (animate) |
| -ஆர்கள் | -ānga(ɭ) | they (animate) |
| -அது | -adu | it |
| -அன | -ānga(ɭ) | they (inanimate) |
Exceptions for the classical negative:
| Positive final | Negative final |
|---|---|
| -அது | -ஆது |
| -அன | -ஆ |
Compound verbs
| Formal | Informal | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| (adverb) + பார் | (adverb) + pāru | X and see; try to X |
| (adverb) + கொள் | (adverb) + ko | X and keep; X for oneself |
| (adverb) + விடு | (adverb) + ʈʈu | X and leave; completely X, finish doing X |
| (adverb) + கொண்டு + இரு | (adverb) + kiʈʈuru (adverb) + ɳɖiru |
X and keep and be; be doing X |
Other verb forms
| Formal | Informal | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| (root) + -ஆமல் | (root) + -āma | without doing X |
| (adverb) + -ஆல் | (adverb) + -ā | if … do |
| (adverb) + -ஆலும் | — | even if … do |
| (infinitive) + -லாம் | — | may do, might do |
| (infinitive) + -ட்டும் | — | let do, allow to do |
| (infinitive) + வேண்டும் | (infinitive) + -ɳum | should do, want to do |
| (infinitive) + வேண்டாம் | — | need not do, not want to do |
| (infinitive) + கூடாது | — | should not do, must not do |
Verbal adjectives
| Formal | Informal | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| (root) + (tense) + -அ | — | … who did / does / will do X1 |
| (infinitive) + -ஆத | — | … who did not / does not / will not do X |
- An exception is the future adjective, which uses the same form as the future neuter singular (வரும், இருக்கும், etc.).
Verbal nouns
| Formal | Informal | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| (root) + -அது | — | X-ing |
| (root) + -தல் | — | X-ing |
| (root) + -அல் | — | X-ing |
| (root) + (tense) + -அவந் | — | one who does X |
| (root) + (tense) + -ஓர் | × | those who do X (respectful) |
Other suffixes
| Suffix | Meaning |
|---|---|
| -ஆ | |
| -ஆம் | |
| -ஏ | |
| -ஓ | |
| -தாந் |
| Formal | Informal | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| -ஆன | -āna | having X (adjective) |
| -ஆக | -ā | with X, in X-like manner (adverb) |
| -ஆகிய | ? | who is X (adverb) |
| -ஆய் | × | as an X, having become an X (adverb) |
Sound rules
Coupling transformations
(In progress)
- ம் + க் → ங்g
Consonant doubling
In formal Tamil, the consonants க், c, த், and ப் double in these circumstances:
- When they follow the -ஐ suffix.
- When they follow the -கு suffix.
- When they follow the infinitive.
- Always when they follow adverbs in the following verb classes: வாங்கு, பார், சாப்பிடு
- Never when they follow adverbs in the following verb classes: பிழி, இரு, உட்கார், விழி, கொள், கொல், or செய்.
Various other minor rules also apply.