Kannada Demonstratives in Transliteration: This, That, These and Those
For beginner object questions, use the four-way grid: singular versus plural, then this versus that. The singular questions correspond to “What is this?” and “What is that?”, while the plural questions correspond to “What are these?” and “What are those?” Keep noun phrases such as “this bag” separate: they name an object but do not ask a question.
Start with these expressions
| English | Transliteration | Native script |
|---|---|---|
| What is this? | idu enu | ಇದು ಏನು |
| What is that? | adu enu | ಅದು ಏನು |
| What are these? | ivu enu | ಇವು ಏನು |
| What are those? | avu enu | ಅವು ಏನು |
| This bag | ee byaag | ಈ ಬ್ಯಾಗ್ |
| That bag | aa byaag | ಆ ಬ್ಯಾಗ್ |
| This cup | ee kap | ಈ ಕಪ್ |
| That bag is there. | aa byaag alli ide | ಆ ಬ್ಯಾಗ್ ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಇದೆ. |
Use two checks: number and sentence type
Start with number. The two question entries with singular English meanings refer to one object; the two with plural English meanings refer to more than one. Then check the contrast between this and that, or these and those. This gives you a reliable way to select the transliteration without treating all four forms as interchangeable.
The dictionary evidence supports the underlying lexical contrast: one entry identifies the near demonstrative as “this” or “it,” while another identifies the distant demonstrative as “that” or “it” [1][3]. The question word meaning “what” is also documented [2]. These passages support the component meanings, but they do not by themselves prove every complete modern question in the table, so use the canonical English glosses for these specific learning examples rather than extending them into a complete Kannada demonstrative grammar.
Next, separate a question from a noun phrase. “This bag,” “that bag,” and “this cup” identify things, but they do not contain a question. A complete statement such as “That bag is there” gives information instead. This distinction matters when you are speaking: choose a question when you need identification, and a statement or command when you are directing or describing an object.
[1] Source: dsal.uchicago.edu.
[2] Source: dsal.uchicago.edu.
[3] Source: dsal.uchicago.edu.
Try it
Someone points across the room and you want to say that the bag is there. Which supplied entry matches this complete statement?
Choose your answer before reading on.
Check your answer:
Use expression 8 in the table above.
Choose the entry whose English meaning is “That bag is there.” It fits because the situation calls for a complete statement about a bag, not a question asking what an object is and not a short noun phrase naming the bag.
Cover the English glosses and recall the four question meanings from the grid. Then identify whether each remaining example is a question, noun phrase, command or statement before checking your answer.
Practise speaking with Bhol. Learn words and sentences written in English letters.
