Señalar cosas: esto y aquello (idu, adu)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Kannada uses 'i' for things close by and 'a' for things further away.
- Use 'idu' (this) for objects near you: 'Idu pustaka' (This is a book).
- Use 'adu' (that) for objects further away: 'Adu mane' (That is a house).
- Use 'ivanu/avanu' for people: 'Ivanu nanne gelaya' (This is my friend).
Overview
Meanings
Demonstrative pronouns identify the location of an object or person relative to the speaker.
Proximal (Close)
Refers to items within reach or near the speaker.
“Idu nanna pen.”
“Idu nanna ooru.”
Distal (Far)
Refers to items at a distance.
“Adu nanna car.”
“Adu avara mane.”
Demonstrative Pronoun Grid
| Category | Proximal (Close) | Distal (Far) |
|---|---|---|
| Object | Idu | Adu |
| Male | Ivanu | Avanu |
| Female | Ivalu | Avalu |
| Plural/Honorific | Ivaru | Avaru |
| Adjective (This/That) | Ee | Aa |
| Place | Illi | Alli |
Reference Table
| Category | Proximal (Near/This) | Distal (Far/That) |
|---|---|---|
| Neuter (Thing) Singular | idu (ಇದು) | adu (ಅದು) |
| Masculine (Man) Singular | ivanu (ಇವನು) | avanu (ಅವನು) |
| Feminine (Woman) Singular | ivalu (ಇವಳು) | avalu (ಅವಳು) |
| Human Plural / Respectful | ivaru (ಇವರು) | avaru (ಅವರು) |
| Neuter Plural (Things) | ivu (ಇವು) | avu (ಅವು) |
Espectro de formalidad
Idu nanna mane. (General)
Idu nanna mane. (General)
Idu nanna mane. (General)
Idhu nanna mane. (General)
The Power of the First Letter
Proximal (I-Series)
- idu This
- ivanu This man
Distal (A-Series)
- adu That
- avanu That man
Human vs. Neuter Pronouns
Choosing the Right Pronoun
Is it close to you?
Is it a human?
The Suffix Cheat Sheet
Masculine
- • -vanu
Feminine
- • -valu
Neuter
- • -du
Respect/Plural
- • -varu
Ejemplos por nivel
Idu nanna mane.
This is my house.
Adu nanna car.
That is my car.
Idu pustaka.
This is a book.
Adu mane.
That is a house.
Ivanu nanna gelaya.
This is my friend (male).
Idu nanna pen alla.
This is not my pen.
Adu nimmade?
Is that yours?
Ivalu nanna tangi.
This is my younger sister.
Ee pustaka nannadu.
This book is mine.
Aa mane bahala doddu.
That house is very big.
Ivaru namma shikshakaru.
These are our teachers (honorific).
Avaru illi baruttare.
They are coming here.
Ee vishayada bagge matadana.
Let's talk about this topic.
Aa samayakke naanu alli idde.
At that time, I was there.
Ivarannu nimmage parichaya madikoduttene.
I will introduce them to you.
Adu nanna nirdhara.
That is my decision.
Ee sthitiyalli, naavu enu madabahudu?
In this situation, what can we do?
Aa ghatane nanna jeevanavanne badalayisitu.
That event changed my life.
Ivaru heliddu nija.
What they said is true.
Adu nanna kalpaneya palita.
That is the result of my imagination.
Ee kramavannu anusarisuvudu avashyaka.
Following this procedure is necessary.
Aa kalada sahitya bahala vividhavagittu.
The literature of that period was very diverse.
Ivaru namma paramparayannu ulisidaru.
They preserved our tradition.
Adu namma samaja kanda mahatvada badalavane.
That is the significant change our society witnessed.
Fácil de confundir
Learners mix up the pronoun and adjective.
Learners forget honorifics.
Mixing up object and place.
Errores comunes
Adu nanna kai (holding it)
Idu nanna kai
Idu avaru
Ivaru avaru
Idu pustaka?
Idu pustakana?
Adu nanna mane alla
Adu nanna mane alla
Idu nanna gelaya
Ivanu nanna gelaya
Adu nanna tangi
Avalu nanna tangi
Ee pustaka nanna
Ee pustaka nannadu
Idu pustaka nannadu
Ee pustaka nannadu
Avaru nanna tande
Ivaru nanna tande
Adu nanna mane
Aa mane nannadu
Idu nanna vishaya
Ee vishayada bagge
Avaru bandaru
Ivaru bandaru
Adu nanna nirdhara
Adu nanna nirdhara
Patrones de oraciones
Idu ___.
Adu ___ alla.
Ee ___ nannadu.
Ivaru ___.
Real World Usage
Idu eshtu?
Adu nanna photo.
Ivaru nanna tande.
Adu elli?
Ee sthala bahala chanda.
Idu nanna order.
The 'I-A' Rule
Don't 'It' Your Friends
The Power of 'Ivaru'
Smart Tips
Always check gender and respect level.
Use Ee/Aa before the noun.
Add 'aa' to the end.
Use 'alla' at the end.
Pronunciación
Vowel length
Keep 'i' and 'a' short.
Question
Idu pustakana? ↑
Rising intonation for questions.
Memorízalo
Mnemotecnia
I is for In-hand, A is for Away.
Asociación visual
Imagine holding a pen near your nose (I-du) and pointing at a bird in the sky (A-du).
Rhyme
Close is 'i', far is 'a', use these words every day.
Story
I am holding a book. 'Idu pustaka'. I see a tree far away. 'Adu mara'. My friend is here. 'Ivanu nanna gelaya'.
Word Web
Desafío
Point at 5 things in your room and say 'Idu [name]' for each.
Notas culturales
Using honorifics like 'ivaru' for elders is mandatory.
Derived from ancient Dravidian roots.
Inicios de conversación
Idu nimmade?
Ivanu yaru?
Ee pustaka nimmada?
Ivaru namma shikshakara?
Temas para diario
Test Yourself
____ nanna mane (This is my house).
Choose the most polite sentence:
Find and fix the mistake:
ivalu nanna snehitha (This man is my friend).
Score: /3
Ejercicios de practica
8 exercises___ nanna mane (close).
___ nanna tande (respect).
Find and fix the mistake:
Idu nanna gelaya.
mane / nannadu / ee
Match: Idu, Adu, Ivanu, Ivalu
___ pustaka nannadu (far).
Idu pustakana ___?
Find and fix the mistake:
Adu nanna tangi.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
10 exercises____ yaaru?
Those are mine.
Match the following:
Choose the correct option:
ivu nanna thande.
mane / adu / doddadu
____ nanna pustakagalu.
Choose the correct option:
He is my brother.
Match the prefixes:
Score: /10
Preguntas frecuentes (8)
Idu is a pronoun; Ee is an adjective.
Yes, it is polite.
Yes, Ivu.
Use 'Ivu'.
Yes, for people.
Use the neutral 'Idu'.
Yes, relative to the speaker.
Only if informal/rude.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
este/ese/aquel
Kannada is strictly binary.
ce/cette
Kannada uses suffixing.
dieser/jener
Kannada uses agglutinative suffixes.
kore/sore/are
Kannada is binary.
hatha/thalika
Kannada gender is limited to people.
zhe/na
Chinese has no gender suffixes.
