How to Learn Telugu

Co-authored by Christopher M. Osborne, PhD

Last Updated: March 16, 2023 References Approved

Telugu is spoken primarily by people who hail from the Andhra Pradesh region of India. With its wide array of pronunciations, vowels, and consonant sounds, Telugu can seem intimidating to learn. However, if you set clear learning goals, dedicate yourself to a daily learning program, and get your hands on helpful resources, you can learn to converse and/or write in Telugu.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Practicing Common Telugu Words

1
Work on some common Telugu nouns. By mastering essential everyday terms like "food" and "water," you’ll begin to identify the subject matter of Telugu conversation or writing. Use Telugu workbooks or websites build a list of common nouns, such as the following:^{[1]
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- He - అతడు (athadu)
- She - ఆమె (aame)
- Boy - అబ్బయి (abbayi)
- Girl - అమ్మయి (ammayi)
- House - ఇల్లు (illu)
- Water - నీరు/నీళ్ళు (neeru / neelu)
- Food - తిండి/కూడు/అన్నం (tindi / koodu / annam)
2
Add some common Telugu verbs to your vocabulary. Learning commonly-used verbs will help you to identify the action being described in Telugu sentences. Combine this with your growing vocabulary of common nouns, and you’ll be on your way to understanding basic Telugu. For instance:^{[2]
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- Go - వెళ్ళు (vellu)
- Talk - మాట్లాడు (maatlaadu)
- Know - తెలుసు (telusu)
- Give / Respond - ఇవ్వు (ivvu)
- Take - తీసుకో (teesuko)
- Eat - తినడానికి (tinadaniki)
- Drink - పానీయం (paniyam)
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3
Keep adding basic words for communicating in Telugu. For instance, the following are useful in recognizing or asking questions:^{[3]
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- Where - ఎక్కడ (ekkada)
- Why - ఎందుకు (enduku)
- What - ఏంటి (ēnti)
- How - ఎలా (ela)
- When - ఎప్పుడు (eppudu)
- Which - ఏది (ēdi)
4
Practice common phrases in Telugu. Along with picking up individual words in Telugu, start working on common phrases as well. Begin with common phrases that will help you ask basic questions and engage in rudimentary conversation in Telugu. For instance:^{[4]
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- Hello - నమస్కారం (namaskārām)
- How are you? - మీరు ఏలా ఉన్నారు ? (meeru aelaa unnaaru?)
- My name is… - నా పేరు ... (naa paeru ...)
- Goodbye - వెళ్ళొస్తాను (vellostaanu)
- I don’t understand - నాకు అర్ధం కాలేదు (naaku ardhaṅ kaalaedhu)
- Do you speak English? - మీరు(నువ్వు) ఆంగ్లం(ఆంగ్ల భాష) మాట్లాడగలరా(వా)? (meeru (nuvvu) aanglam (aangla bhasha) matladagalara(va)?)
- Thank you - ధన్యవాదములు (dhanyavaadhamulu)

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Working on Telugu Writing and Grammar

1
Practice writing the individual Telugu vowels and consonants. The Telugu alphabet (వర్ణమాల (varnamaala)) is syllabic in nature, and all consonants have an inherent vowel. Vowels are written independently only when they begin a syllable. Start learning how to write in Telugu by focusing on the individual letters first.^{[5]
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- The individual vowels (అచ్చులు - acchulu) are: అ ఆ ఇ ఈ ఉ ఊ ఋ ౠ ఎ ఏ ఐ ఒ ఓ ఔ అం అః , pronounced respectively as a, aa, i (as in pit), ii (as in meet), u (as it put), uu (as in root), ru ( as in prude), ruu (as in crude), e (as in peck), ae (as in cake), ai (as in my), o (as in show), O (as in row), ou (as in cow), am (as in mum) and aha.
- The individual consonants (హల్లులు - hallulu) are: క, ఖ, గ, ఘ, ఙ -ka, kha, ga, gha; చ, ఛ, జ, ఝ, ఞ- cha, chha, ja, jha, nya; ట ఠ డ ఢ ణ - Ta, Tha, Da, Dha, Na; త థ ద ధ న- tha, thha, da, dhha, na; ప ఫ బ భ మ- pa, pha, ba, bha, ma; య, ర, ల , వ, శ, ష- ya, ra, la, va, Sa, sha; స హ ళ క్ష, ఱ- sa, ha La, ksha, Ra
2
Work on writing the conjunct consonants and vowel diacritics. Conjunct consonants are special symbols used when certain consonants are combined. There are 34 of these conjunct consonants in Telugu. Additionally, there are 14 vowel diacritics—these symbols appear above, below, or after a consonant in order to change the consonant’s inherent vowel.^{[6]
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- You can find a listing of these symbols at https://www.omniglot.com/writing/telugu.htm.
3
Set aside time to write in Telugu script daily. If you’re used to writing in Latin script, Telugu lettering may appear impossibly difficult. However, with daily practice, you’ll get the hang of the letter formations more quickly than you might expect. The important thing is to dedicate yourself to learning by keeping your ultimate goal in mind.^{[7]
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- Grab some Telugu-language books and copy the script you see in them. Eventually, test yourself by translating texts from Latin script to Telugu script.
4
Identify the parts of speech in Telugu grammar. To master Telugu grammar (వ్యాకరణ - vyaakarana), you’ll probably need the help of a Telugu tutor or a Telugu writing class. However, you can begin by identifying the parts of speech (భాషాభాగాలు - bhaashaabhaagaalu) of Telugu words. The parts of speech are:^{[8]
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- నామవాచకం - Noun (naamavaachakam)
- సర్వనామం - Pronoun (sarvanaamam)
- క్రియ- Verb (kriya)
- విశేషణం - Adjective (visaeshanam)
- అవ్యయం - Adverb (avyayam)
5
Practice Telugu grammar rules for prepositions, negations, and questions. Once you become comfortable writing in Telugu script and identifying the parts of speech (nouns, verbs, etc.), move on to more challenging grammatical practice. For instance, work on identifying and placing prepositions, negations, and questions in Telugu writing.^{[9]
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- Examples of prepositions: He came with his small dog - తన చిన్న కుక్క వచ్చిన - (Tana cinna kukka vaccina); I eat without a knife - నేను కత్తి లేకుండా తినడానికి - (Nēnu katti lēkuṇḍā tinaḍāniki)
- Examples of negation (compare the following): I understand you - నేను మీరు అర్థం - (Nēnu mīru arthaṁ); I don’t understand you - నేను మీరు అర్ధం కాదు - (Nēnu mīru ardhaṁ kādu)
- Examples of questions: What is your name? - మీ పేరు ఏమిటి? - (Mī pēru ēmiṭi?); How much is this? - ఈ ఎంత ఉంది? - (Ī enta undi?)

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Learning Telugu through Daily Immersion

1
Set your specific goal for learning Telugu. Start by asking yourself why you want to learn Telugu—is it to get in touch with your heritage, prepare for a trip, impress someone, or just to broaden your horizons? Once you’ve established your goal, build your plan around achieving it.^{[10]
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- For instance, say you’re taking a trip to Andhra Pradesh in 3 months and want to manage basic communication in Telugu. In this case, focus on learning the most common conversational words and phrases.
2
Memorize 30 common Telugu words per day. The idea here is that, after 90 days, you’ll have learned 2,700 of the most common Telugu words. And, as with most languages, knowing the most common 2,700 words will make you familiar with about 80% of the words used in Telugu writing or conversation.^{[11]
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- This 90-day plan may not be ideal in every situation, depending on your specific goals for learning Telugu. However, it is a broadly-useful way to learn the basics of a language in a fairly short amount of time.
3
Schedule 30-60 minutes for your daily list of 30 Telugu words. It’s important to make your plan and stick to it. To get your word list, draw from vocabulary lists found in Telugu language-learning books or websites. Or, draw from a list of the most common words in English (or your native language) and use an online tool such as Google Translate.^{[12]
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- While they may seem old-fashioned, flash cards are a tried-and-true way to pick up words in a new language.
4
Work with a tutor or use a Telugu language program. You may manage just fine by going it alone and learning your 30 words per day. However, many people find it helpful to work with a tutor or invest in a language-learning program.^{[13]
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- There are numerous Telugu language-learning programs available online. Explore several options and choose one that suits your goals for learning the language.
- Hiring a Telugu tutor may be a pricier option, and it may be hard to find a Telugu tutor where you live. However, some people learn more quickly through one-on-one interaction.
5
Integrate Telugu into your home life and daily activities. Sprinkle the language into your day-to-day activities once your vocabulary begins to grow. For example, label things in your house with their Telugu names, put on Telugu-language music as you make dinner, or practice reading kids’ books in Telugu.^{[14]
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- Eventually, you might want to give yourself a greater test by switching your phone over to Telugu.
6
Immerse yourself more fully in Telugu after about 60 days. If you’re learning 30 words per day, you’ll have a vocabulary of about 1,800 words after 2 months. At this point, you’ll be able to “dive in” to Telugu conversations and pick up on at least some of what the Telugu speakers are saying.^{[15]
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- If you have friends who speak Telugu, ask them to carry on a conversation while you follow along--and even join in.
- Alternatively, watch online videos in Telugu and turn the subtitles off when you’re ready to test yourself.
7
Listen and watch native speakers use Telugu. When observing others speaking Telugu, focus not only on the words they use but their inflections, facial and hand gestures, body language, and so forth. This type of close watching and listening is very helpful in becoming conversant in everyday Telugu.^{[16]
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8
Brush off your mistakes and keep practicing your Telugu. People often think kids are better at learning new languages because their brains are different. However, the real reason may be that they tend to be less self-conscious about trying things out, making mistakes, and trying again. So, free your inner child while you learn Telugu!^{[17]
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- If you mangle your words or ask a nonsensical question, laugh it off and try again. Most Telugu speakers, like native speakers of languages around the world, are happy when non-natives try to speak their language. Instead of being insulted that you messed up, they’ll likely be eager to help you out.