வணக்கம்! (Vaṇakkam!) Welcome to your first Tamil lesson! This course is designed for English speakers who want to learn pure Tamil (தமிழ்ச்சொல்) without Sanskrit influences. You will learn to speak, read, and write Tamil step by step.
🔹 Lesson 1: Basic Tamil Sounds & Writing (எழுத்துக்கள்)
Tamil has 12 vowels (உயிரெழுத்துக்கள்), 18 consonants (மெய்யெழுத்துக்கள்), and 216 syllables (உயிர்மெய்யெழுத்துக்கள்).
1️⃣ Tamil Vowels (உயிரெழுத்துக்கள்)
These are the basic sounds in Tamil.
| Tamil Letter | Pronunciation | Example Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| அ | A (as in “Apple”) | அன்னை (Aṇṉai) | Mother |
| ஆ | AA (as in “Father”) | ஆடு (Āṭu) | Goat |
| இ | I (as in “Ink”) | இலை (Ilai) | Leaf |
| ஈ | EE (as in “Tree”) | ஈகை (Īkai) | Kindness |
| உ | U (as in “Put”) | உரல் (Ural) | Grinding stone |
| ஊ | UU (as in “Food”) | ஊர் (Ūr) | Village |
| எ | E (as in “End”) | எறும்பு (Erumpu) | Ant |
| ஏ | EE (as in “Air”) | ஏணி (Ēṇi) | Ladder |
| ஐ | AI (as in “Ice”) | ஐயா (Aiyā) | Respectful term for men |
| ஒ | O (as in “Orange”) | ஒலி (Oli) | Sound |
| ஓ | OO (as in “Open”) | ஓடு (Ōṭu) | Run |
| ஔ | AU (as in “Out”) | ஔவை (Auvai) | A great Tamil poetess |
👉 Practice: Write these letters on paper five times each. Speak them aloud as you write.
2️⃣ Tamil Consonants (மெய்யெழுத்துக்கள்)
Tamil has 18 consonants, which are unique sounds.
| Tamil Letter | Pronunciation | Example Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| க | KA (as in “Car”) | கடல் (Kaḍal) | Sea |
| ங | NGA (as in “Sing”) | ஙனம் (Ngaṉam) | Pride |
| ச | SA (as in “Sun”) | சகோதரன் (Sakōtaraṉ) | Brother |
| ஞ | NYA (as in “Canyon”) | ஞாயிறு (Ñāyiṟu) | Sunday |
| ட | TA (as in “Tap”) | தடம் (Taṭam) | Mark |
| ண | NA (as in “Gun”) | மாணவன் (Māṇavaṉ) | Student |
| த | THA (as in “Thumb”) | தமிழ் (Tamiḻ) | Tamil |
| ந | NA (as in “Nail”) | நதி (Nati) | River |
| ப | PA (as in “Pan”) | பூ (Pū) | Flower |
| ம | MA (as in “Man”) | மழை (Maḻai) | Rain |
| ய | YA (as in “Yard”) | யானை (Yāṉai) | Elephant |
| ர | RA (as in “Rat”) | இரவு (Iravu) | Night |
| ல | LA (as in “Love”) | இலங்கை (Ilaṅkai) | Sri Lanka |
| வ | VA (as in “Van”) | வசந்தம் (Vasandam) | Spring season |
| ழ | ZHA (as in “Pleasure”) | பழம் (Paḻam) | Fruit |
| ள | LLA (as in “Tall”) | பள்ளி (Paḷḷi) | School |
| ற | RRA (strong rolling R) | சிற்றூர் (Siṟṟūr) | Small village |
| ன | NA (as in “Net”) | கண் (Kaṇ) | Eye |
👉 Practice: Read and write each consonant five times while pronouncing it aloud.
3️⃣ Forming Words (சொற்கள் உருவாக்குதல்)
Now, let’s form simple words using vowels and consonants.
🔹 அம்மா (Am’mā) → Mother
🔹 தீ (Tī) → Fire
🔹 மரம் (Maram) → Tree
🔹 பழம் (Paḻam) → Fruit
🔹 மண் (Maṇ) → Soil
4️⃣ Speaking & Writing Practice (பேசுதல் மற்றும் எழுதுதல் பயிற்சி)
📝 Writing Exercise: Write 10 Tamil words and read them aloud.
🗣️ Speaking Practice: Try to say simple Tamil words three times each until you feel confident.
5️⃣ Home Practice & Learning Approach
✅ Write daily – Start with vowels, then consonants, then simple words.
✅ Listen & Speak – Repeat the sounds every day for better pronunciation.
✅ Use Flashcards – Create flashcards with Tamil letters and their English meanings.
✅ Watch & Read Tamil – Listen to Tamil songs, read Tamil stories, and practice daily.
🌟 What’s Next? (அடுத்த பாடம்)
In Lesson 2, we will learn how to form sentences, introduce ourselves, and ask basic questions in Tamil. Keep practicing and enjoy learning Tamil! 😊
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