A2 · Élémentaire Chapitre 20

The Case System: Vibhakti Basics

3 Règles totales
1 min
Règles dans ce chapitre Pratique rapide

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Unlock the secrets of Telugu sentence structure by mastering the first three essential cases.

  • Identify the subject of your sentence using the Nominative case.
  • Direct your actions toward objects using the Accusative marker.
  • Express recipients and destinations using the Dative marker.
Connect your words, build your world.

Ce que tu vas apprendre

Introduction to the first four cases. Learn how to mark subjects, objects, and instruments.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: Construct basic sentences defining the subject, direct object, and indirect object.

Conseils et astuces (3)

💡

Keep it simple

Don't add suffixes to the subject. It's the easiest part of the sentence.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Nominative Case (Prathama Vibhakti)
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Use -ni for everything

In spoken Telugu, you can safely use -ni for all direct objects, human or not.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Accusative Case '-ni/-nu' (Dwitiya Vibhakti)
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Oblique base

Always check if your noun needs to change before adding -ki.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Dative Case '-ki/-ku' (Chaturthi Vibhakti)

Vocabulaire clé (5)

రాముడు (Ramudu) Rama పుస్తకం (Pustakam) Book ఇంటికి (Intiki) To the house తిన్నాడు (Tinnadu) Ate ఇచ్చాడు (Icchadu) Gave

Real-World Preview

gift

Giving a gift

Review Summary

  • Subject + Verb
  • Object + ni/nu
  • Recipient + ki/ku

Erreurs courantes

You forgot the accusative marker -nu for the object 'fruit'.

Wrong: నేను రాము తిన్నాను (Nenu Ramu tinnanu)
Correct: నేను పండును తిన్నాను (Nenu pandunu tinnanu)

You missed the dative marker -ki for the destination.

Wrong: రాముడు బడి వెళ్ళాడు (Ramudu badi velladu)
Correct: రాముడు బడికి వెళ్ళాడు (Ramudu badiki velladu)

The recipient needs the dative -ki to show they are receiving the book.

Wrong: రాముడి పుస్తకం ఇచ్చాడు (Ramudi pustakam icchadu)
Correct: రాముడికి పుస్తకం ఇచ్చాడు (Ramudiki pustakam icchadu)

Next Steps

You have mastered the building blocks of Telugu grammar. Keep practicing and you will be fluent in no time!

Practice writing 10 sentences using these cases

Continue to: Giving Orders: Imperatives

Pratique rapide (9)

Correct the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

సీతని పుస్తకం చదువుతోంది.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: సీత పుస్తకం చదువుతోంది
Remove the suffix from the subject.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Nominative Case (Prathama Vibhakti)

Fill in the correct subject.

___ అన్నం తిన్నాడు.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: రాము
The subject needs the base form.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Nominative Case (Prathama Vibhakti)

Fill in the correct suffix.

నేను ఆఫీసు___ వెళ్తున్నాను.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: కి
Destination requires Dative.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Dative Case '-ki/-ku' (Chaturthi Vibhakti)

Choose the correct form.

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ఇంటికి
Oblique base + ki.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Dative Case '-ki/-ku' (Chaturthi Vibhakti)

Choose the correct sentence.

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: కుక్క మొరిగింది
The subject should not have a suffix.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Nominative Case (Prathama Vibhakti)

Correct the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

Nenu annam tinnanu (make it specific).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nenu annam-ni tinnanu
Adding -ni makes it a specific object.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Accusative Case '-ni/-nu' (Dwitiya Vibhakti)

Fix the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

అతను ఆఫీసుని వెళ్ళాడు.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: అతను ఆఫీసుకి వెళ్ళాడు
Destination needs Dative.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Dative Case '-ki/-ku' (Chaturthi Vibhakti)

Fill in the blank with the correct suffix.

Nenu cinema ___ chusanu.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: -ni
Cinema is the direct object.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Accusative Case '-ni/-nu' (Dwitiya Vibhakti)

Choose the correct sentence.

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nenu Ramu-ni chusanu
Ramu is the direct object.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Accusative Case '-ni/-nu' (Dwitiya Vibhakti)

Score: /9

Questions fréquentes (6)

It is the base form of a noun used for the subject.
No, the Nominative case has no suffix.
Yes, in modern spoken Telugu, -ni is the standard marker for all direct objects.
-nu is the traditional literary form for inanimate objects, while -ni is the common spoken form.
Use -ki for vowel-ending nouns and -ku for many consonant-ending nouns.
Yes, many nouns change to an oblique base (e.g., Illu -> Inti).
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Looking Ahead: The Future Tense
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Giving Orders: Imperatives
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