Prepositions - 2nd type

vEtRumai - 2 (ai)
§ÅüÚ¨Á - 2 (³)

Usage: The 2nd vEtRumai is used when you apply an action on an object or person. (English does not have any explicit preposition that is used in
this context. Only some pronouns seem to follow Tamil like pattern. For example, "Call him / Call her" - note that we do not say "Call he / Call
she". However, we say "Call Raman / Call it")

Note:
1. In Tamil, the preposition is not written separately. It is invariably merged with the associated object as a suffix.
2. There are rules and conventions that may cause some additional letters to get inserted before the preposition.

±ØÐõ Ó¨È Formal §ÀîÍ ÅÆìÌ Colloquial Meaning

ÁÃõ+³ = ÁÃò¨¾ maram+ai = maraththai ÁÃò¾ maraththa
¿¸õ + ³ = ¿¸ò¨¾ ~nagam + ai = ~nagaththai ¿¸ò¾ ~nagaththa
ÀÆõ + ³ = ÀÆò¨¾ pazham + ai = pazhaththai ÀÆò¾ pazhaththa
padam + ai = padaththai padaththa
À¼õ + ³ = À¼ò¨¾ À¼ò¾
ÁÃò¨¾ ¿Î maraththai ~nadu ÁÃò¾ ¿Î maraththa ~nadu plant (the) tree
¿¸ò¨¾ ¦ÅðÎ ~nagaththai vettu ¿¸ò¾ ¦ÅðÎ ~nagaththa vettu cut (the) nail
ÀÆò¨¾ ¯Ã¢ pazhaththai uri ÀÆò¾ ¯Ã¢ pazhaththa uri peel (the) fruit
À¼ò¨¾ Á¡ðÎ padaththai mAttu À¼ò¾ Á¡ðÎ padaththa mAttu hang (the) picture

¸¡÷ + ³ = ¸¡¨Ã kAr + ai = kArai ¸¡Ã kAra

§¾÷ + ³ = §¾¨Ã thEr + ai = thErai §¾Ã thEra
¦ÀÂ÷ + ³ = ¦À¨à peyar + ai = peyarai §Àà pEra
thayir + ai = thayirai thayira
¾Â¢÷ + ³ = ¾Â¢¨Ã ¾Â¢Ã
¸¡¨Ã µðÎ kArai Ottu ¸¡Ã µðÎ kAra Ottu drive (the) car
§¾¨Ã
Ø thErai izhu §¾Ã
Ø thEra izhu pull (the) chariot
¦À¨Ãî ¦º¡ø peyaraic col §ÀÃî ¦º¡øÖ pErac collu tell (the) name
¾Â¢¨Ãì ÌÊ thayiraik kudi ¾Â¢Ã ÌÊ thayira kudi drink (the) yogurt

Last Updated: 27-May-03 Prepositions_Consolidated.doc 1

±ØÐõ Ó¨È Formal §ÀîÍ ÅÆìÌ Colloquial Meaning
Á¡Î + ³ = Á¡ð¨¼ mAdu + ai = mAttai Á¡ð¼ mAtta
ÜÎ + ³ = Ü𨼠kUdu + ai = kUttai Üð¼ kUtta
ţΠ+ ³ = ţ𨼠vIdu + ai = vIttai Å£ð¼ vItta
kAdu + ai = kAttai kAtta
¸¡Î + ³ = ¸¡ð¨¼ ¸¡ð¼
Á¡ð¨¼ì ¸ðÎ mAttaik kattu Á¡ð¼ ¸ðÎ mAtta kattu tie (the) cow
Üð¨¼ô À¡÷ kUttaip pAr Üð¼ À¡÷ kUtta pAr look (at the) nest
Å£ð¨¼ì ¸ðÎ vIttaik kattu ţ𼠸ðÎ vItta kattu build (the) house
¸¡ð¨¼ì ¸¡ôÀ¡üÚ kAttaik kAppAtRu ¸¡ð¼ ¸¡ôÀ¡òÐ kAtta kAppAththu save/protect (the) forest

ÒÄ¢ + ³ = ÒÄ¢¨Â puli + ai = puliyai ÒĢ puliya

н¢ + ³ = н¢¨Â thuNi + ai = thuNiyai н¢Â thuNiya
Å¢¨Ä + ³ = Å¢¨Ä¨Â vilai + ai = vilaiyai ¦ÅÄ velaya
kadalai + ai = kadalaiyai kadalaya
¸¼¨Ä+³= ¸¼¨Ä¨Â ¸¼ÄÂ
vadai + ai = vadaiyai vadaya
Ũ¼ + ³ = Ũ¼¨Â żÂ
ÒÄ¢¨Âô À¢Ê puliyaip pidi ÒĢ À¢Ê puliya pidi catch (the) tiger
н¢¨Â ÁÊ thuNiyai madi н¢Â ÁÊ thuNiya madi fold (the) clothes
Å¢¨Ä¨Âì §¸û vilaiyaik kEL ¦ÅÄ §¸û velaya kEL ask (the) price
¸¼¨Ä¨Âì ¸Ê kadalaiyaik kadi ¸¼Ä ¸Ê kadalaya kadi bite (the) peanut
Ũ¼¨Âò ¾¢ý vadaiyaith thin ż ¾¢ýÛ vadaya thinnu eat (the) vadai

§ÀîÍ + ³ = §À pEccu + ai = pEccai §Àîº pEcca

À¡ðÎ + ³ = À¡ð¨¼ pAttu + ai = pAttai À¡ð¼ pAtta
ÀÕôÒ + ³ = ÀÕô¨À paruppu + ai = paruppai ÀÕôÀ paruppa

§À ¿¢ÚòÐ pEccai ~niRuththu §Àîº ¿¢ÚòÐ pEcca ~niRuththu stop (the) talk
À¡ð¨¼ô À¡Î pAttaip pAdu À¡ð¼ À¡Î pAtta pAdu sing (the) song
ÀÕô¨Àî º¡ôÀ¢Î paruppaic cAppidu ÀÕôÀ º¡ôÒÎ paruppa sAppudu eat (the) lentils

Last Updated: 27-May-03 Prepositions_Consolidated.doc 2

±ØÐõ Ó¨È Formal §ÀîÍ ÅÆìÌ Colloquial Meaning
§º¡Ú + ³ = §º¡ü¨È sORu + ai = sOtRai §º¡ò¾ sOththa
¸Â¢Ú + ³ = ¸Â¢ü¨È kayiRu + ai = kayitRai ¸Âò¾ kayaththa
§ºÚ + ³ = §ºü¨È sERu + ai = sEtRai §ºò¾ sEththa
kiNaRu + ai = kiNatRai keNaththa
¸¢½Ú + ³ = ¦¸½ò¾
¸¢½ü¨È
§º¡ü¨Èô À¢¨º sOtRaip pisai §º¡ò¾ ¦Àº sOththa pesa mix (the) rice
¸Â¢ü¨È
Ø kayitRai izhu ¸Âò¾
Ø kayaththa izhu pull (the) rope
§ºü¨È Á¢¾¢ì¸¡§¾ sEtRai midhikkAdhE §ºò¾ Á¢¾¢ì¸¡¾ sEththa midhikkAdha do not step on the mud
¸¢½ü¨È ¦ÅðÎ kiNatRai vettu ¦¸½ò¾ ¦ÅðÎ keNaththa vettu dig (the) well

2 ±ØòÐ Å¡÷ò¨¾ 2 ezhuththu vArththai

ÌÈ¢ø + (ñ, ö, ø, û) kuRil + (N, y, l, L)
¸ñ + ³ = ¸ñ¨½ kaN + ai = kaNNai ¸ñ½ kaNNa
¦Àñ + ³ = ¦Àñ¨½ peN + ai = peNNai ¦Àñ½ peNNa
¦¿ö + ³ = ¦¿ö¨Â ~ney + ai = ~neyyai ¦¿ö ~neyya
kal + ai = kallai kalla
¸ø + ³ = ¸ø¨Ä ¸øÄ
kaL + ai = kaLLai kaLLa
¸û + ³ = ¸û¨Ç ¸ûÇ
¸ñ¨½ò ¾¢È kaNNaith thiRa ¸ñ½ ¦¾È kaNNa theRa open (the) eye
¦Àñ¨½ì ÜôÀ¢Î peNNaik kUppidu ¦Àñ¨½ì ÜôÀ¢Î peNNaik kUppidu call (the) woman
¦¿ö¨Âì ¸Ä ~neyyaik kala ¦¿ö ¸Ä ~neyya kala mix (the) ghee
¸ø¨Ä ¿¸÷òÐ kallai ~nagarththu ¸øÄ ¿¸òÐ kalla ~nagaththu move (the) stone
Àø¨Äò §¾ö pallaith thEy ÀøÄ §¾ö palla thEy brush (the) teeth
¸û¨Çì ÌÊ측§¾ kaLLaik kudikkAdhE ¸ûÇ ÌÊ측§¾ kaLLa kudikkAdhE do not drink wine

(3+ ±ØòÐ Å¡÷ò¨¾ (3+ ezhuththu vArththai / 2

/ 2 ±ØòÐ Å¡÷ò¨¾ ezhuththu vArththai
¦¿Êø) + (ñ, ö, ø, ~nedil) + (N, y, l, L)
û)

Last Updated: 27-May-03 Prepositions_Consolidated.doc 3

±ØÐõ Ó¨È Formal §ÀîÍ ÅÆìÌ Colloquial Meaning
«Ãñ + ³ = «Ã¨½ araN + ai = araNai «Ã½ araNa
Á¸û + ³ = Á¸¨Ç magaL + ai = magaLai Á¸Ç magaLa
¯Ãø + ³ = ¯Ã¨Ä ural + ai = uralai ¯ÃÄ urala
kAy + ai = kAyai kAya
¸¡ö + ³ = ¸¡¨Â ¸¡Â
pAl + ai = pAlai pAla
À¡ø + ³ = À¡¨Ä kAl + ai = kAlai À¡Ä kAla
¸¡ø + ³ = ¸¡¨Ä rAman + ai = rAmanai ¸¡Ä rAmana
áÁý + ³ = áÁ¨É áÁÉ
«Ã¨½ì ¸ðÎ araNaik kattu «Ã½ ¸ðÎ araNa kattu build (the) fort
Á¸¨Çì ÜôÀ¢Î magaLaik kUppidu Á¸Ç ÜôÒÎ magaLa kUppudu call (the) daughter
¯Ã¨Äò àìÌ uralaith thUkku ¯ÃÄ àìÌ urala thUkku lift (the) mortar
¸¡¨Â ¿ÚìÌ kAyai ~naRukku ¸¡Â ¿ÚìÌ kAya ~naRukku cut (the) vegetable
À¡¨Äì ÌÊ pAlaik kudi À¡Ä ÌÊ pAla kudi drink (the) milk
¸¡¨Ä Á¼ìÌ kAlai madakku ¸¡Ä Á¼ìÌ kAla madakku bend (the) leg
áÁ¨Éì ÜôÀ¢Î rAmanaik kUppidu áÁÉ ÜôÒÎ rAmana kUppudu call Raman

Word List
ÁÃõ maram 1. n. tree À¡ðÎ pAttu n. song/poem
2. n. wood
¿Î ~nadu 1. v. plant (a tree) À¡Î pAdu v. sing
2. adj. center; middle
¿¸õ ~nagam n. (finger/toe) nail ÀÕôÒ paruppu n. lentils
¦ÅðÎ vettu 1. v. cut; º¡ôÀ¢Î sAppidu v. eat
2. dig (i.e. 'cut' the
earth)
ÀÆõ pazham n. fruit §º¡Ú sORu n. cooked rice
¯Ã¢ uri 1. v. peel À¢¨º pisai v. knead; mix
2. n. skin (archaic)
À¼õ padam n. picture ¸Â¢Ú kayiRu n. rope
Á¡ðÎ mAttu 1. v. hang (a picture); §ºÚ sERu n. mud
2. v. hook up

Last Updated: 27-May-03 Prepositions_Consolidated.doc 4

µðÎ Ottu 1. v. drive Á¢¾¢ midhi v. step on
2. v. shoo away
§¾÷ thEr n. chariot ¸¢½Ú kiNaRu n. (open) well

Ø izhu v. pull ¦ÅðÎ vettu v. cut; dig

¦ÀÂ÷ peyar n. name À¡ø pAl n. milk
¦º¡ø sol 1. v. say ÜôÀ¢Î kUppidu v. call
2. n. word
¾Â¢÷ thayir n. yogurt ¸ñ kaN n. eye
ÌÊ kudi 1. v. drink ¾¢È thiRa v. open
2. n. citizen/subject
Á¡Î mAdu n. cow/cattle ¦Àñ peN n. woman; girl
¸ðÎ kattu 1. v. tie (rope, etc.); ¦¿ö ~ney n. ghee
2. v. build
3. n. bundle
ÜÎ kUdu 1. n. nest ¸Ä kala v. mix
2. v. assemble together
À¡÷ pAr 1. v. see; look ¸ø kal 1. n. stone
2. n. world 2. v. learn
ţΠvIdu 1. n. house ¿¸÷òÐ ~nagarththu v. move; shift
2. n. nirvana/mOksham
¸¡Î kAdu n. forest Àø pal n. tooth
¸¡ôÀ¡üÚ kAppAtRu v. save; protect §¾ö thEy 1. v. brush; rub
2. v. diminish / wear
out
ÒÄ¢ puli n. tiger ¸û kaL n. wine
À¢Ê pidi 1. v. catch ÌÊ측§¾ kudikkAdhE v. do not drink
2. v. like
3. n. a measure of
quantity (handful)
4. n. female elephant
(archaic)

Last Updated: 27-May-03 Prepositions_Consolidated.doc 5

н¢ thuNi 1. n. clothes «Ãñ araN n. fort
2. n. cloth
3. v. act bravely; act
decisively
4. v. cut (archaic)
ÁÊ madi 1. n. fold ¸ðÎ kattu 1. v. build
2. v. die 2. v. tie
3. n. bundle;
4. n. bandage;
Å¢¨Ä vilai n. price Á¸û magaL n. daughter
§¸û kEL 1. v. ask ¯Ãø ural n. mortar
2. v. listen
¸¼¨Ä kadalai n. peanut àìÌ thUkku 1. v. lift; raise
2. n. a vessel with a
carrying handle
3. n. hanging noose
¸Ê kadi v. bite ¸¡ö kAy 1. n. vegetable
2. n. game piece
Ũ¼ vadai n. vadai ¸¡ø kAl 1. n. leg; foot
2. n. quarter
¾¢ý thin v. eat Á¼ìÌ madakku v. bend; fold
§ÀîÍ pEccu n. talk/speech

Last Updated: 27-May-03 Prepositions_Consolidated.doc 6

 Prepositions - 3rd type (by, with)
vEtRumai - 3 (Al, Odu, udan)
§ÅüÚ¨Á - 3 (¬ø, µÎ, ¯¼ý)

Usage: The 3rd vEtRumai is used when you do something using or with an object / person.
English Some examples
This is usually 'by / using'
Sometimes, "with" is used in English. "Eat with a spoon" = "eat using a spoon".
"Eat with us" = "eat together".

Note:
3. In Tamil, the preposition is not written separately. It is invariably merged with the associated object/person as a suffix.
4. There are rules and conventions that may cause some additional letters to get inserted before the preposition.

±ØÐõ Ó¨È Formal §ÀîÍ ÅÆìÌ Colloquial Meaning

¿ Al € Ala by (i.e. by using something)

(Sometimes in English, we
use 'with' in this context)
µÎ Odu µ¼ Oda with (i.e. together);

(other meanings: run; roof

tile, etc)
¯¼ý udan µ¼ Oda along with; together;

(other meanings:
as soon as; immediately;
etc)
ÁÃõ + ¬ø = ÁÃò¾¡ø
maram + Al = maraththAl ÁÃò¾¡Ä maraththAla by the tree; by wood;
¿¸õ+¬ø = ¿¸ò¾¡ø ~nagam+Al = ~nagaththAl ¿¸ò¾¡Ä ~nagaththAla by the (finger) nail
pazham+Odu = pazhaththOdu pazhaththOda with the fruit
ÀÆõ+µÎ = ÀÆò§¾¡Î ÀÆò§¾¡¼
padam + udan = padaththudan padaththOda with the picture
À¼õ + ¯¼ý = À¼òмý À¼ò§¾¡¼
ÁÃò¾¡ø ¿¡ü¸¡Ä¢ maraththAl ~nARkAli sey ÁÃò¾¡Ä ¿¡ü¸¡Ä¢ maraththAla ~nARkAli sey make (the) chair with wood
¦ºö ¦ºö

Last Updated: 27-May-03 Prepositions_Consolidated.doc 7

±ØÐõ Ó¨È Formal §ÀîÍ ÅÆìÌ Colloquial Meaning

ó¾ ¿¡ü¸¡Ä¢ i~ndha ~nARkAli

ó¾ ¿¡ü¸¡Ä¢ i~ndha ~nARkAli this chair was made by
¸ñ½É¡ø kaNNanAl seyyappattadhu ¸ñ½É¡Ä kaNNanAla Kannan
¦ºöÂôÀð¼Ð ¦ºöÂôÀð¼Ð seyyappattadhu
¿¸ò¾¡ø ¸¢ûǢɡý ~nagaththAl kiLLinAn ¿¸ò¾¡Ä ¸¢ûǢɡý ~nagaththAla kiLLinAn (he) pinched with (his) nails
ÀÆò§¾¡Î Åó¾¡÷ pazhaththOdu va~ndhAr ÀÆò§¾¡¼ Åó¾¡÷ pazhaththOda va~ndhAr he/she (respect) came with
fruit
À¼òмý ÅÕ§Åý padaththudan varuvEn À¼ò§¾¡¼ ÅÕ§Åý padaththOda varuvEn (I) will come with the
picture

°÷ + ¯¼ý = °Õ¼ý Ur + udan = Urudan °§Ã¡¼ UrOda with the town

À¡ø + µÎ = À¡§Ä¡Î pAl + Odu = PAlOdu À¡§Ä¡¼ PalOda with milk
vAL + Al = vALAl vALAla by the sword
Å¡û + ¬ø = Å¡Ç¡ø Å¡Ç¡Ä

°Õ¼ý À¨¸ì¸¡§¾ Urudan pagaikkAdhE °§Ã¡¼ À¨¸ì¸¡¾ UrOda pagaikkAdha do not fight with the town
À¡§Ä¡Î ¾Â¢¨Ãì pAlOdu thayiraik kalakku À¡§Ä¡¼ ¾Â¢Ã ¸ÄìÌ pAlOda thayira kalakku mix yogurt with milk
¸ÄìÌ
Å¡Ç¡ø ¦ÅðÎ vALAl vettu Å¡Ç¡Ä ¦ÅðÎ vALAla vettu cut with the sword

ÌÈÎ + ¬ø = ÌÈð¼¡ø kuRadu + Al = kuRattAl ÌÈð¼¡Ä kuRattAla by the pliers

ţΠ+ µÎ = ţ𧼡ΠvIdu + Odu = vIttOdu ţ𧼡¼ vIttOda with the house
ÌÈð¼¡ø ¬½¢¨Âô kuRattAl ANiyaip ÌÈð¼¡Ä ¬½¢Â kuRattAla ANiya pull the nail with the pliers
À¢ÎíÌ pidu~nggu À¢ÎíÌ pidu~nggu
ţ𧼡Î
Õ vIttOdu iru ţ𧼡¼
Õ vIttOda iru stay with the house

¸ò¾¢ + ¬ø = ¸ò¾¢Â¡ø kaththi + Al = kaththiyAl ¸ò¾¢Â¡Ä kaththiyAla by the knife

ÅñÊ + µÎ = Åñʧ¡ΠvaNdi + Odu = vaNdiyOdu Åñʧ¡¼ vaNdiyOda with the cart
¸ò¾¢Â¡ø ¦Åð¼ kaththiyAl vetta mudiyum ¸ò¾¢Â¡Ä ¦Åð¼ kaththiyAla vetta mudiyum (one/we) can cut with knife
ÓÊÔõ ÓÊÔõ

Last Updated: 27-May-03 Prepositions_Consolidated.doc 8

±ØÐõ Ó¨È Formal §ÀîÍ ÅÆìÌ Colloquial Meaning
Åñʧ¡Π¸¡Õõ vaNdiyOdu kArum Åñʧ¡¼ ¸¡Õõ vaNdiyOda kArum the car also came with the
Åó¾Ð va~ndhadhu ÅóòÐ va~nththu cart

§ÀîÍ + ¬ø = §Àø pEccu + Al = pEccAl §Àîº¡Ä pEccAla by talk

¾ðÎ + µÎ = ¾ð§¼¡Î thattu + Odu = thattOdu ¾ð§¼¡¼ thattOda with plate
¦ÅðÊô §Àø vettip pEccAl enna lAbam? ¦ÅðÊô §Àîº¡Ä vettip pEccAla enna What is the benefit
±ýÉ Ä¡Àõ? ±ýÉ Ä¡Àõ? lAbam? (obtained) by useless talk?
¾ð§¼¡Î ¾¡ thattOdu thA ¾ð§¼¡¼ ¾¡ thattOda thA (you) give with the plate

¸Â¢Ú + ¬ø = ¸Â¢üÈ¡ø kayiRu + Al = kayitRAl ¸Âò¾¡Ä kayaththAla by the rope

§º¡Ú + µÎ = §º¡ü§È¡Î sORu + Odu = sOtROdu §º¡ü§È¡¼ sOtROda with the (cooked) rice
§º¡ü§È¡Î ¯ô¨Àì sOtROdu uppaik kala §º¡ò¾ ¯ôÀì ¸Ä sOththa uppak kala mix salt with (cooked) rice
¸Ä
¸Â¢üÈ¡ø ¸ðÎ kayitRAl kattu ¸Âò¾¡Ä ¸ðÎ kayaththAla kattu tie with (the) rope

¸ñ+¬ø = ¸ñ½¡ø kaN + Al = kaNNAl ¸ñ½¡Ä kaNNAla by the eye

¦ºí¸ø + ¬ø = se~nggal+Al = se~nggallAl ¦ºí¸øÄ¡Ä se~nggallAla by the brick
pal + Al = pallAl pallAla by the tooth/teeth
¦ºí¸øÄ¡ø ÀøÄ¡Ä
Àø + ¬ø = ÀøÄ¡ø
¸ñ½¡ø kaNNAl pArkkiROm ¸ñ½¡Ä À¡ì¸§È¡õ kaNNAla pAkkaROm we see with eyes
À¡÷츢§È¡õ
¦ºí¸øÄ¡ø ţΠse~nggallAl vIdu kattu ¦ºí¸øÄ¡Ä Å£Î ¸ðÎ se~nggallAla vIdu kattu build (the) house with
¸ðÎ bricks
ÀøÄ¡ø ¸Êì¸ pallAl kadikka mudiyum ÀøÄ¡Ä ¸Êì¸ pallAla kadikka mudiyum (one/we) can bite with teeth
ÓÊÔõ ÓÊÔõ
(«¨¾) ±ýÉ¡ø (adhai) ennAl thUkka («¾) ±ýÉ¡Ä àì¸ (adha) ennAla thUkka (it) can not be lifted by me.
àì¸ ÓÊ¡РmudiyAdhu ÓÊ¡РmudiyAdhu (i.e. I can not lift (it)).

Word List
Last Updated: 27-May-03 Prepositions_Consolidated.doc 9
¿¡ü¸¡Ä¢ ~nARkAli n. chair ÅñÊ vaNdi n. cart
¦ºö sey v. do; make; ¦ÅðÊ vetti adj. useless
¸¢ûÙ kiLLu v. pinch §ÀîÍ pEccu n. talk; speech;
°÷ Ur n. town / place where ±ýÉ enna what
people live together;
À¨¸ pagai 1. v. fight; Ä¡Àõ lAbam n. benefit; profit;
2. n. enmity
À¡ø pAl n. milk ¸¡Î kAdu forest
¸ÄìÌ kalakku v. mix ¾ðÎ thattu 1. n. plate;
2. n. shelf
3. v. tap; knock;
4. v. clap;
Å¡û vAL 1. n. sword ¾¡ thA v. give
2. adj. shiny (archaic)
ÌÈÎ kuRadu n. pliers ¯ôÒ uppu 1. n. salt;
2. v. bloat; become big
¬½¢ ANi n. nail (fastener - not ¸Ä kala v. mix
finger nail)
À¢ÎíÌ pidu~nggu v. pull ¸ðÎ kattu 1. v. build
2. v. tie
3. n. bundle;
4. n. bandage;

Õ iru v. stay; be; ¸ñ kaN n. eye

¸ò¾¢ kaththi n. knife À¡÷ pAr 1. v. see;
2. n. world
ÓÊÔõ mudiyum adv. can; it is possible ¦ºí¸ø se~nggal n. brick
ÓÊ¡РmudiyAdhu adv. can not be; it is not
possible

Last Updated: 27-May-03 Prepositions_Consolidated.doc 10

 Prepositions - 4th type
vEtRumai - 4 (ku)
§ÅüÚ¨Á - 4 (Ì)

Usage: The 4th vEtRumai is used when you do something to an object/person.

English Some examples
This is usually 'to' "Go to Madras"
However, in English, there are some instances where 'for' is used. "A sheath is needed for the sword" = "The sword needs a sheath"
Also, there are some instances where no preposition is explicitly used in "Water the plant" means "pour water to the plant".
English. "Paint the wall" means "apply paint to the wall".
"Raman wants a banana"

Note:
5. In Tamil, the preposition is not written separately. It is invariably merged with the associated object/person as a suffix.
6. There are rules and conventions that may cause some additional letters to get inserted before the preposition.

±ØÐõ Ó¨È Formal §ÀîÍ ÅÆìÌ Colloquial Meaning

Ì ku Ì ku to; for;
ÁÃõ+Ì = ÁÃòÐìÌ maram+ku = maraththukku ÁÃòÐìÌ maraththukku to the tree; to wood;
¿¸õ+Ì = ¿¸òÐìÌ ~nagam+ku = ~nagaththukku ¿¸òÐìÌ ~nagaththukku to the (finger) nail
padam + ku = padaththukku padaththukku to the picture
À¼õ + Ì = À¼òÐìÌ À¼òÐìÌ
ÁÃòÐìÌ ¿£÷ ŢΠmaraththukku ~nIr vidu ÁÃòÐìÌ ¾ñ½¢ ŢΠmaraththukku thaNNi vidu pour water to the tree (i.e.
water the tree)
¿¸òÐìÌ ¿¢Èõ ~nagaththukku ~niRam ¿¸òÐìÌ ¦¿Èõ ~nagaththukku ~neRam she painted color to the nail
⺢ɡû pUsinAL ⺢ɡ pUsinA (i.e. she put nail polish on
her nails)
À¼òÐìÌ ºð¼õ padaththukku sattam pOda À¼òÐìÌ ºð¼õ padaththukku sattam (we) need to put (a) frame
§À¡¼ §ÅñÎõ vENdum §À¡¼Ïõ pOdaNum to the picture
(i.e. we need to frame the
picture)

Last Updated: 27-May-03 Prepositions_Consolidated.doc 11

±ØÐõ Ó¨È Formal §ÀîÍ ÅÆìÌ Colloquial Meaning
°÷ + Ì = °ÕìÌ Ur + ku = Urukku °ÕìÌ Urukku to / for the town
À¡ø + Ì = À¡ÖìÌ pAl + ku = PAlukku À¡ÖìÌ PAlukku to / for milk
vAL + ku = vALukku vALukku to / for the sword
Å¡û + Ì = Å¡ÙìÌ Å¡ÙìÌ

°ÕìÌô §À¡ Urukkup pO °ÕìÌô §À¡ Urukkup pO go to town

À¡ÖìÌî º÷츨à pAlukkuc carkkarai À¡ÖìÌ ºì¸¨Ã pAlukku sakkarai vENum need sugar for milk
§ÅñÎõ vENdum §ÅÏõ (i.e. milk needs sugar)
Å¡ÙìÌ ¯¨È vALukku uRai thEvai Å¡ÙìÌ ´È §¾Å vALukku oRa thEva sheath needed for sword
§¾¨Å (i.e. sword needs a sheath)

§¾¡Î+Ì = §¾¡ðÎìÌ thOdu + ku = thOttukku §¾¡ðÎìÌ thOttukku to / for the ear ring
ţΠ+ Ì = Å£ðÎìÌ vIdu + ku = vIttukku Å£ðÎìÌ vIttukku to / for the house
§¾¡ðÎìÌò ¾í¸õ thOttukkuth tha~nggam §¾¡ðÎìÌò ¾í¸õ thOttukkuth tha~nggam need gold for the ear ring
§ÅñÎõ vENdum §ÅÏõ vENum
Å£ðÎìÌ Ü¨Ã ¯ñÎ vIttukku kUrai uNdu Å£ðÎìÌ Üà ¯ñÎ vIttukku kUra uNdu there is roof to the house
(i.e. the house has roof)

¸ò¾¢ + Ì = ¸ò¾¢ìÌ kaththi + ku = kaththikku ¸ò¾¢ìÌ kaththikku to / for the knife

ÅñÊ + Ì = ÅñÊìÌ vaNdi + ku = vaNdikku ÅñÊìÌ vaNdikku to / for the cart
¸ò¾¢ìÌì Ü÷¨Á kaththikkuk kUrmai ¸ò¾¢ìÌì Ü÷¨Á kaththikkuk kUrmai sharpness needed for the
§ÅñÎõ vENdum §ÅÏõ vENum knife. (i.e. the knife needs
sharpness)
ÅñÊìÌ Á¡Î vaNdikku mAdu illai ÅñÊìÌ Á¡Î
øÄ vaNdikku mAdu illa there is no bull for the cart

ø¨Ä

§ÀîÍ + Ì = §ÀîÍìÌ pEccu + ku = pEccukku §ÀîÍìÌ pEccukku to / for talk

¾ðÎ + Ì = ¾ðÎìÌ thattu + ku = thattukku ¾ðÎìÌ thattukku to / for plate
±ý §ÀîÍìÌ ¿øÄ en pEccukku ~nalla ±ý §ÀîÍìÌ ¿øÄ en pEccukku ~nalla there was great applause for
¨¸¾ð¼ø kaidhattal ¨¸¾ð¼ø kaidhattal my speech

Last Updated: 27-May-03 Prepositions_Consolidated.doc 12

±ØÐõ Ó¨È Formal §ÀîÍ ÅÆìÌ Colloquial Meaning
¾ðÎìÌ ±ýÉ thattukku enna vilai? ¾ðÎìÌ ±ýÉ ¦ÅÄ? thattukku enna vela? what is the price for the
Å¢¨Ä? plate?

¸Â¢Ú + Ì = ¸Â¢üÚìÌ kayiRu + ku = kayitRukku ¸Â¢üÚìÌ kayitRukku to / for the rope

§º¡Ú + Ì = §º¡üÚìÌ sORu + ku = sOtRukku §º¡üÚìÌ sOtRukku to / for the (cooked) rice
§º¡üÚìÌô Àïºõ sOtRukkup pa~njjam §º¡òÐìÌô Àïºõ sOththukkup pa~njjam scarcity exists for food (i.e.
food is scarce)
¸Â¢üÚìÌ ±ýÉ kayitRukku enna kuRai? ¸ÂòÐìÌ ±ýÉ kayaththukku enna koRa? what shortcoming exists for
̨È? ¦¸¡È? the rope? (i.e. what is wrong
with this rope?)

¸ñ + Ì = ¸ñÏìÌ kaN + ku = kaNNukku ¸ñÏìÌ kaNNukku to / for the eye

¸ñÏìÌ ÁÕóÐ kaNNukku maru~ndhu ¸ñÏìÌ ÁÕóРŢΠkaNNukku maru~ndhu pour medicine to the eye
ŢΠvidu vidu

Word List
¿£÷ ~nIr 1. n. water Ü÷¨Á kUrmai n. sharpness
2. n. you (respect)
(archaic)
ŢΠvidu 1. v. pour; Á¡Î mAdu 1. n. cattle / cow / bull
2. v. leave; 2. n. wealth (archaic)
3. v. release
¸¢ûÙ kiLLu v. pinch
ø¨Ä illai v. there is no / it does
not have
¿¢Èõ ~niRam n. color ¿øÄ ~nalla adj. good
âÍ pUsu v. apply by spreading ¨¸ kai n. hand
(paint, etc)
ºð¼õ sattam 1. n. frame; ¨¸¾ð¼ø kaidhattal n. applause
2. n. law;

Last Updated: 27-May-03 Prepositions_Consolidated.doc 13

§À¡Î pOdu 1. v. put; Å¢¨Ä vilai n. price
2. v. drop;
3. v. to make (noise,
etc.)
§À¡ pO v. go Àïºõ pa~njjam n. scarcity; famine;
º÷츨à sarkkarai n. sugar Ì¨È kuRai 1. n. shortcoming;
2. n. flaw; defect;
3. v. to reduce /
decrease
¯¨È uRai 1. n. cover; sheath; ÁÕóÐ maru~ndhu 1. n. medicine;
2. v. freeze 2. n. immortal nectar
3. v. live/stay (archaic)
§¾¨Å thEvai n. need / want
§¾¡Î thOdu n. ear ring
¾í¸õ tha~nggam n. gold
ܨà kUrai n. roof
¯ñÎ uNdu v. there is / it has

Last Updated: 27-May-03 Prepositions_Consolidated.doc 14

 Prepositions - 5th type
vEtRumai - 5 (il, in, ai vida, inindRu, iliru~ndhu)
§ÅüÚ¨Á - 5 (
ø,
ý, ³ Å¢¼,
É¢ýÚ,
Ä¢ÕóÐ)

Usage: The 5th vEtRumai is used when you compare something to another. It is also used when something is separated from another.
English Some examples
than
from

Note:
³ Å¢¼).
7. The preposition for comparison in current usage is "ai vida" (³ Å¢¼

Ä¢ÕóÐ).

Ä¢ÕóÐ
8. The preposition for 'from' in current usage is "iliru~ndhu" (
Ä¢ÕóÐ

±ØÐõ Ó¨È Formal §ÀîÍ ÅÆìÌ Colloquial Meaning

ø,
ý il, in
ø,
ý il, in than (comparison)

Ä¢ÕóÐ iliru~ndhu ¯§ÄóÐ ulE~ndhu from

³ Å¢¼ ai vida « Å¢¼ a vida than (comparison)
¸¢Õ‰½É¢ý kirushNanin periyavan ¸¢Õ‰½É¢ý ¦ÀâÂÅý kirushNanin periyavan Raman is older than
¦ÀâÂÅý áÁý rAman áÁý rAman Krishnan
¸¢Õ‰½¨É Å¢¼ô kirushNanai vidap ¸¢Õ‰½É Å¢¼ kirushNana vida periyavan Raman is older than
¦ÀâÂÅý áÁý periyavan rAman ¦ÀâÂÅý áÁý rAman Krishnan
â¨É¢ý ÅÄ¢ÂÐ pUnaiyin valiyadhu ~nAy â¨É¢ý ÅÄ¢ÂÐ ¿¡ö pUnaiyin valiyadhu ~nAy (the) dog is stronger than
¿¡ö (the) cat
â¨É¨Â Å¢¼ ÅÄ¢ÂÐ pUnaiyai vida valiyadhu â¨É Ţ¼ ÅÄ¢ÂÐ pUnaiya vida valiyadhu (the) dog is stronger than
¿¡ö ~nAy ¿¡ö ~nAy (the) cat

ÁÃõ+
Ä¢ÕóÐ = maram+ iliru~ndhu = ÁÃòЧÄóÐ maraththulE~ndhu from the tree
ÁÃò¾¢Ä¢ÕóÐ maraththiliru~ndhu
ÁÃò¾¢Ä¢ÕóÐ ¸£§Æ maraththiliru~ndhu kIzhE ÁÃòЧÄóÐ ¸£Æ maraththulE~ndhu kIzha get down from the tree

ÈíÌ iRa~nggu ±ÈíÌ eRa~nggu

Last Updated: 27-May-03 Prepositions_Consolidated.doc 15

±ØÐõ Ó¨È Formal §ÀîÍ ÅÆìÌ Colloquial Meaning
°÷ +
Ä¢ÕóÐ = Ur + iliru~ndhu = °÷§ÄóÐ UrlE~ndhu from the town
°Ã¢Ä¢ÕóÐ Uriliru~ndhu À¡ø§ÄóÐ PAllE~ndhu from milk
À¡ø +
Ä¢ÕóÐ = pAl + iliru~ndhu =
PAliliru~ndhu
À¡Ä¢Ä¢ÕóÐ
°Ã¢Ä¢ÕóÐ À¡ðÊ Uriliru~ndhu pAtti °÷§ÄóÐ À¡ðÊ UrlE~ndhu pAtti va~ndhA Grandma came from (her)
Åó¾¡÷ va~ndhAr Åó¾¡ town.
À¡Ä¢Ä¢ÕóÐ pAliliru~ndhu veNNey À¡ø§ÄóÐ ¦Åñ½ pAllE~ndhu veNNa (we) get butter from milk
¦Åñ¦½ö kidaikkum ¦¸¨¼ìÌõ kedaikkum
¸¢¨¼ìÌõ

§¾¡Î +
Ä¢ÕóÐ = thOdu + iliru~ndhu = §¾¡ðΧÄóÐ thOttulE~ndhu from the earring
§¾¡ðÊÄ¢ÕóÐ thOttiliru~ndhu Å£ðΧÄóÐ vIttulE~ndhu from the house
ţΠ+
Ä¢ÕóÐ = vIdu + iliru~ndhu =
vIttiliru~ndhu
Å£ðÊÄ¢ÕóÐ
§¾¡ðÊÄ¢ÕóÐ Á½¢ thOttiliru~ndhu maNi §¾¡ðΧÄóÐ Á½¢ thOttulE~ndhu maNi the gem fell from the
Å¢Øó¾Ð vizhu~ndhadhu Å¢ØóòÐ vizhu~nththu earring
Å£ðÊÄ¢ÕóÐ §¸¡Â¢ø vIttiliru~ndhu kOyil ARu Å£ðΧÄóÐ §¸¡Å¢ø vIttulE~ndhu kOvil ARu the temple is six miles from
¬Ú ¨Áø mail ¬Ú ¨Áø mail the house

ÅñÊ +
Ä¢ÕóÐ = vaNdi + iliru~ndhu = Åñ˧ÄóÐ vaNdIlE~ndhu from the cart
ÅñÊ¢ĢÕóÐ vaNdiyiliru~ndhu
ÅñÊ¢ĢÕóÐ vaNdiyiliru~ndhu mAttai Åñ˧ÄóÐ Á¡ð¼ vaNdIlE~ndhu mAtta avu untie the bull from the cart
Á¡ð¨¼ «Å¢ú avizh «×

§ÀîÍ +
Ä¢ÕóÐ = pEccu + iliru~ndhu = §ÀîͧÄóÐ pEcculE~ndhu from the speech
§ÀĢÕóÐ pEcciliru~ndhu ¾ðΧÄóÐ thattulE~ndhu from the plate
¾ðÎ +
Ä¢ÕóÐ = thattu + iliru~ndhu =
thattiliru~ndhu
¾ðÊÄ¢ÕóÐ

Last Updated: 27-May-03 Prepositions_Consolidated.doc 16

±ØÐõ Ó¨È Formal §ÀîÍ ÅÆìÌ Colloquial Meaning
«Å÷ §ÀĢÕóÐ avar pEcciliru~ndhu enna «Å÷ §ÀîͧÄóÐ avar pEcculE~ndhu enna What did you learn from
±ýÉ theri~ndhukoNdAy? ±ýÉ ¦¾Ã¢ïÍñ¼? theri~njjuNda? his/her (respect) speech?
¦¾Ã¢óЦ¸¡ñ¼¡ö?
¾ðÊÄ¢ÕóÐ thattiliru~ndhu parukkai ¾ðΧÄóÐ ÀÕì¸ thattulE~ndhu parukka (a) morsel of rice fell down
ÀÕ쨸 ¸£§Æ kIzhE vizhu~ndhadhu ¸£Æ Å¢ØóòÐ kIzha vizhu~nththu from the plate
Å¢Øó¾Ð

¸¢½Ú +
Ä¢ÕóÐ = kiNaRu + iliru~ndhu = ¸¢½òЧÄóÐ kiNaththulE~ndhu from the well
¸¢½üȢĢÕóÐ kiNatRiliru~ndhu
¸¢½üȢĢÕóÐ kiNatRiliru~ndhu ¸¢½òЧÄóÐ kiNaththulE~ndhu draw and pour water from
¾ñ½£¨Ã
¨È thaNNIrai iRai ¾ñ½¢Â ±È thaNNiya eRa the well

¸ñ +
Ä¢ÕóÐ = kaN + iliru~ndhu = ¸ñϧÄóÐ kaNNulE~ndhu from the eye
¸ñ½¢Ä¢ÕóÐ kaNNiliru~ndhu
¸ñ½¢Ä¢ÕóÐ kaNNiliru~ndhu kaNNIr ¸ñϧÄóÐ ¸ñ½£÷ kaNNulE~ndhu kaNNIr tears flow from the eye
¸ñ½£÷ ÅÆ¢¸¢ÈÐ vazhigiRadhu ÅÆ¢ÂÈÐ vazhiyaRadhu

Word List
¸£§Æ kIzhE below; §¸¡Â¢ø kOyil n. temple

ÈíÌ iRa~nggu v. get down; climb «Å¢ú avizh v. untie

down
À¡ðÊ pAtti n. grandmother ÀÕ쨸 parukkai n. morsel of rice
¦Åñ¦½ö veNNey n. butter ¸¢½Ú kiNaRu n. (water) well
Á½¢ maNi 1. n. jewel; gem
¨È iRai 1. v. draw and pour;
2. n. hour / time bale out;
2. n. lord / god
Å¢Ø vizhu v. fall ¸ñ½£÷ kaNNIr n. tears

Last Updated: 27-May-03 Prepositions_Consolidated.doc 17

 Prepositions - 6th type
vEtRumai - 6 (adhu, Adhu, a, udaiya)
§ÅüÚ¨Á - 6 («Ð, «Ð, ¬Ð, «, ¯¨¼Â) ¯¨¼Â
th
Usage: The 6 vEtRumai is used to indicate possession / ownership / association.
English Some examples
of height of that tree
----'s (mine, his, etc) that tree's height

Note:
¯¨¼Â,
Û¨¼Â).
9. The preposition for possession/ownership in current spoken usage is "udaiya" and "inudaiya" (¯¨¼Â,
Û¨¼Â

±ØÐõ Ó¨È Formal §ÀîÍ ÅÆìÌ Colloquial Meaning

«Ð (
ÉÐ) adhu (inadhu) adhu (inadhu) adhu (inadhu) of (indicates ownership and
possessiveness) - singular
« a a a of (indicates ownership and
possessiveness) - plural
¯¨¼Â (
Û¨¼Â) udaiya (inudaiya) udaiya (inudaiya) udaiya (inudaiya) of
(indicates ownership and
possessiveness)
ÁÃõ+ ¯¨¼Â = maram+ udaiya = tree's
ÁÃò¾¢Û¨¼Â maraththinudaiya
«ó¾ ÁÃò¾¢Û¨¼Â a~ndha maraththinudaiya a~ndha maraththOda a~ndha maraththOda what is the height of that
¯ÂÃõ ±ýÉ? uyaram enna? oyaram enna? oyaram enna? tree?

À¡ø+ ¯¨¼Â = pAl+ udaiya = PAlinudaiya PAlOda PAlOda milk's

À¡Ä¢Û¨¼Â
À¡Ä¢Û¨¼Â ¿¢Èõ PAlinudaiya ~niRam PAlOda ~neRam veLLai PAlOda ~neRam veLLai milk's color is white
¦Åñ¨Á veNmai

Ð ±ýÛ¨¼Â ¨À idhu ennudaiya pai idhu ennOda pai idhu ennOda pai this is my bag

Å£Î+¯¨¼Â = vIdu+udaiya = vIttinudaiya vIttOda vIttOda house's

Å£ðÊÛ¨¼Â

Last Updated: 27-May-03 Prepositions_Consolidated.doc 18

±ØÐõ Ó¨È Formal §ÀîÍ ÅÆìÌ Colloquial Meaning
Å£ðÊÛ¨¼Â ±ñ vIttinudaiya eN enna? vIttOda eN enna? vIttOda eN enna? what is the house's number?
±ýÉ?

ÅñÊ¢ۨ¼Â «îÍ vaNdiyinudaiya accu vaNdiyOda accu vaNdiyOda accu the cart's axle broke
ÓÈ¢ó¾Ð muRi~ndhadhu muRi~njjudhu muRi~njjudhu

«ÅÛ¨¼Â §ÀîÍ ºÃ¢ avanudaiya pEccu sari illai avanOda pEccu sari illa avanOda pEccu sari illa his speech is not proper

ø¨Ä
«Å÷¸Ù¨¼Â ţΠavargaLudaiya vIdu ava~nggaLOda vIdu ava~nggaLOda vIdu their house is large
¦ÀâÂÐ periyadhu perusu perusu

±ýÛ¨¼Â ¦ÀÂ÷ ennudaiya peyar rAman ennOda pEr rAman ennOda pEr rAman my name is Raman
áÁý
±ÉÐ ¦ÀÂ÷ áÁý enadhu peyar rAman en pEr rAman en pEr rAman my name is Raman
¸¢½üÈ¢Û¨¼Â ¬Æõ kiNatRinudaiya Azham keNaththOda Azham keNaththOda Azham the depth of the well is
«¾¢¸õ adhigam adhigam adhigam great (i.e. it is a deep
well)
º÷츨âۨ¼Â sarkkaraiyinudaiya vilai sakkarai enna vela? sakkarai enna vela? What is the price of sugar?
Å¢¨Ä ±ýÉ? enna?

Word List
«ó¾ a~ndha that ¦Àâ periya adj. big
¯ÂÃõ uyaram n. height ¦ÀÂ÷ peyar n. name
¦Åñ¨Á veNmai n. white ¬Æõ Azham n. depth
¨À pai n. bag «¾¢¸õ adhigam big/great/a lot
±ñ eN n. number º÷츨à sarkkarai n. sugar
ºÃ¢ sari adv. proper; Å¢¨Ä vilai n. price
appropriate; OK

Last Updated: 27-May-03 Prepositions_Consolidated.doc 19

 Prepositions - 7th type
vEtRumai - 7 (il, idaththil, kaN, mEl, kIzh)
§ÅüÚ¨Á - 7 (il, idaththil, kaN, mEl, kIzh)
Usage: The 7th vEtRumai is used to indicate location.
English Some examples
in in my house
on on the table
above / over above the clouds; over the fence;
below / under / beneath below the surface; under the table;
among, amongst
inside

±ØÐõ Ó¨È Formal §ÀîÍ ÅÆìÌ Colloquial Meaning

ø il ¯Ä ula in

¼ò¾¢ø idaththil ±¼òÐÄ edaththula in

§Áø (
ý§Áø) mEl (inmEl) §ÁÄ (Ì §ÁÄ) mEla (ku mEla) on
¸£ú (
ý¸£ú) kIzh (inkIzh) ¸£Æ (Ì ¸£Æ) kIzha (ku kIzha) below
¯û (Ì ¯û = Ìû) uL (ku uL = kuL) ¯ûÇ (Ì ¯ûÇ = uLLa (ku uLLa = kuLLa) inside
ÌûÇ)
«Ê¢ø (Ì «Ê¢ø. adiyil (ku adiyil. in adiyil) Ì «ËÄ ku adIla under, beneath

ý «Ê¢ø)

ÁÃõ+
ø = ÁÃò¾¢ø maram+ il = maraththil
Á¡ÁÃò¾¢ø ÀÆí¸û mAmaraththil Á¡ÁÃòÐÄ ÀÆõ mAmaraththula pazham there are fruits on the

Õ츢ýÈÉ pazha~nggaL
ÕìÌ irukku mango tree
irukkindRana

À¡Ä¢ø º÷츨à pAlil sarkkarai pOdu À¡øÄ ºì¸Ã §À¡Î pAlla sakkara pOdu put sugar in the milk
§À¡Î

Last Updated: 27-May-03 Prepositions_Consolidated.doc 20

±ØÐõ Ó¨È Formal §ÀîÍ ÅÆìÌ Colloquial Meaning
ÁÃò¾¢ý¸£ú maraththinkIzh ÁÃòÐìÌ ¸£Æ maraththukku kIzha (he) sat under the tree
¯ð¸¡÷ó¾¡ý utkAr~ndhAn ´ì¸¡ó¾¡ý okkA~ndhAn
Òò¾¸ò¾¢ý «Ê¢ø puththagaththin adiyil ÒŠ¾¸òÐìÌ «ËÄ pusthagaththukku adIla (the) pencil is under (the)
¦Àýº¢ø
Õó¾Ð pensil iru~ndhadhu ¦Àýº¢ø
ÕóòÐ pensil iru~nththu book

ÍÅâý§Áø À¼õ suvarinmEl padam ¦º×òÐ §ÁÄ À¼õ sevuththu mEla padam (I) drew a picture on the
ŨÃó§¾ý varai~ndhEn ÅÃ狀ý vara~njjEn wall

¨¸Â¢ø ¸¡Í kaiyil kAsu irukkiRadhu ¨¸Ä ¸¡Í

ÕìÌ kaila kAsu irukku (I) have money in (my)

Õ츢ÈÐ hand

Á¨Ä¢ý§Áø ²È malaiyinmEl ERa Á¨Ä §ÁÄ ²È ÓÊÂÄ malai mEla ERa mudiyala (I) could not climb on the
ÓÊÂÅ¢ø¨Ä mudiyavillai hill

¯í¸Ç¢ø ¡÷ u~nggaLil yAr aNNan? ¯í¸ûÇ Â¡Õ u~nggaLLa yAru aNNA? Who amongst you is (the)
«ñ½ý? «ñ½¡? older brother?
¯í¸ÙìÌû ±ýÉ u~nggaLukkuL enna ´í¸ÙìÌûÇ ±ýÉ o~nggaLukkuLLa enna What is (the) fight among
ºñ¨¼? saNdai? ºñ¼? saNda? you?

¸¢½üÈ¢ø ÀóÐ kiNatRil pa~ndhu ¦¸½òÐÄ ÀóÐ keNaththula pa~ndhu (The) ball fell in the well
Å¢Øó¾Ð vizhu~ndhadhu Å¢ØóòÐ vizhu~nththu
âÅ¢ø ÅñÎ pUvil vaNdu moykkum â×Ä ÅñÎ pUvula vaNdu moykkum Bees buzz in (the) flowers
¦Á¡öìÌõ ¦Á¡öìÌõ

Word List
Á¡ÁÃõ mAmaram n. mango tree «ñ½ý aNNan n. older brother
ÀÆõ pazham n. fruit ºñ¨¼ saNdai n. fight
¯ð¸¡÷ utkAr v. sit ÀóÐ pa~ndhu n. ball
Last Updated: 27-May-03 Prepositions_Consolidated.doc 21
ÍÅ÷ suvar n. wall â pU n. flower
Ũà varai v. draw; paint ÅñÎ vaNdu n. bee; beetle;
n. mountain
¸¡Í kAsu n. money ¦Á¡ö moy v. to flock in large
number
笀 malai n. hill; mountain;
v. amaze; shock
²Ú ERu v. climb
n. bull; lion;

Last Updated: 27-May-03 Prepositions_Consolidated.doc 22

 Prepositions - 8th type (calling someone)
vEtRumai - 8 (thani urubu kidaiyAdhu)
§ÅüÚ¨Á - 8 (¾É¢ ¯ÕÒ ¸¢¨¼Â¡Ð)

Usage: The 8th vEtRumai is used when you call someone. Depending on whether the person is near or far, the last vowel in the name may be short
or long. If the name has any masculine suffix like 'an', then the 'n' will be dropped. If the name has respectful ending like 'ar', 'gaL', then a long
vowel 'E' is appended.
English Some examples
In English, the word 'O' is added before the name. O lord!
But, normally we just call out the name with some extra stress and
loudness

Note:
10. In Tamil, the preposition is not written separately. It is invariably merged with the associated object/person as a suffix.
11. There are rules and conventions that may cause some additional letters to get inserted before the preposition.

±ØÐõ Ó¨È Formal §ÀîÍ ÅÆìÌ Colloquial Meaning

áÁ¡,
í§¸ Å¡. rAmA, i~nggE vA. áÁ¡,
í¸ Å¡ rAmA, i~ngga vA Raman, come here.
ÄŒÁ£! ¿£ ±í§¸ lakshmI! ~nI e~nggE ÄŒÁ£! ¿£ ±í¸ lakshmI! ~nI e~ngga O Lakshmi, where are you?

Õ츢ȡö? irukkiRAy?
Õì¸? irukka?
ÌÕ츧Ç,
í§¸ gurukkaLE, i~nggE ÌÕ츧Ç,
í¸ gurukkaLE, i~ngga O gurukkaL, come (respect)
Å¡Õí¸û vAru~nggaL Å¡í§¸¡ (/ Å¡í¸) vA~nggO (/ vA~ngga) here.

Last Updated: 27-May-03 Prepositions_Consolidated.doc 23