Tamil Transliteration Guide: Emotions
To express emotions in Tamil transliteration, compare the degree words in each complete statement: the happy form differs from the very happy form, while the sad form differs from the a little sad form. Use the angry statement separately, and treat each entry as a whole sentence rather than an isolated emotion word.
Start with these expressions
| English | Transliteration | Native script |
|---|---|---|
| I feel happy | enakku santhoshamaa irukku | எனக்கு சந்தோஷமா இருக்கு |
| I am very happy | enakku romba santhoshama irukku | எனக்கு ரொம்ப சந்தோஷமா இருக்கு |
| No, I feel sad. | illa, enakku sogamaa irukku. | இல்ல, எனக்கு சோகமா இருக்கு. |
| Yes, I feel a little sad. | aamaa, enakku konjam sogamaa irukku. | ஆமா, எனக்கு கொஞ்சம் சோகமா இருக்கு. |
| I feel angry | enakku kobamaa irukku | எனக்கு கோபமா இருக்கு |
Compare the feeling and its intensity
Start with the complete statement meaning “I feel happy”, then compare it with the statement meaning “I am very happy”. The practical difference is intensity: the second English gloss adds “very”, so it describes a stronger feeling rather than a different emotion.
Apply the same check to sadness. One statement means “I feel sad”, while another means “I feel a little sad”, so “a little” reduces the degree. The angry statement gives you a separate feeling to recognise. Learn these as complete expressions, not as loose vocabulary: a Tamil teaching passage presents a full feeling statement together with its English meaning, rather than only an isolated word [3]. The transliterations here are supplied for comparison; focus first on matching the English meaning and degree accurately.
[3] Source: tamilcourse.uchicago.edu.
Try it
After receiving excellent news, which expression means “I am very happy”?
Choose your answer before reading on.
Check your answer:
Use expression 2 in the table above.
Choose the expression whose English meaning includes “very happy”. That wording marks stronger happiness than the basic happy statement, so it fits excellent news better than the unmodified form.
Cover the English meanings and test yourself in pairs: happy versus very happy, then sad versus a little sad. Check that you can identify the degree before practising the complete transliterated expression aloud or in writing.
Practise speaking with Bhol. Learn words and sentences written in English letters.
