الضمائر الشخصية في الكانادا: أنا، أنت، هو، هي (naanu, neevu)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Kannada personal pronouns replace names to identify who is speaking, being spoken to, or being discussed.
- Use 'Naanu' (I) for first person singular: Naanu vidyarthi (I am a student).
- Use 'Neevu' (You - formal/plural) or 'Neenu' (You - informal) for second person.
- Use 'Avanu' (He), 'Avalu' (She), or 'Adu' (It) for third person singular.
نظرة عامة
Meanings
Personal pronouns in Kannada function as substitutes for nouns, identifying the speaker, the listener, or the person/thing being discussed.
First Person
Referring to the speaker.
“Naanu hoguttene.”
“Naavu baruttheve.”
Second Person
Referring to the listener.
“Neenu yaaru?”
“Neevu hegiddiri?”
Third Person
Referring to someone else.
“Avanu barutthane.”
“Avalu odutthaale.”
Personal Pronouns Overview
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Person | Naanu (I) | Naavu (We) |
| 2nd Person (Inf) | Neenu (You) | Neevu (You all) |
| 2nd Person (Formal) | Neevu (You) | Neevu (You all) |
| 3rd Person (M) | Avanu (He) | Avaru (They/He-formal) |
| 3rd Person (F) | Avalu (She) | Avaru (They/She-formal) |
| 3rd Person (N) | Adu (It) | Avugalu (They-things) |
Reference Table
| Person | Kannada | English | Politeness/Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Singular | naanu | I | Neutral |
| 1st Plural | naavu | We | Neutral/Inclusive |
| 2nd Singular | neenu | You | Informal (friends/kids) |
| 2nd Plural/Formal | neevu | You | Formal/Respectful |
| 3rd Masc (Remote) | avanu | He | Informal/Younger |
| 3rd Fem (Remote) | avalu | She | Informal/Younger |
| 3rd Polite (Remote) | avaru | He/She/They | Formal/Respectful |
| 3rd Neuter (Remote) | adu | It | Objects/Animals |
طيف الرسمية
Neevu hegiddiri? (Greeting)
Hegiddira? (Greeting)
Hegiddeya? (Greeting)
Hegidya? (Greeting)
The Kannada Pronoun Universe
1st Person
- naanu I
- naavu We
2nd Person
- neenu You (Casual)
- neevu You (Respectful)
Distance: This vs. That
Which 'You' should I use?
Are they older than you?
Are they a close friend?
Third Person Breakdown
Male
- • avanu
- • ivanu
Female
- • avalu
- • ivalu
Polite/Plural
- • avaru
- • ivaru
Non-human
- • adu
- • idu
أمثلة حسب المستوى
Naanu vidyarthi.
I am a student.
Neenu yaaru?
Who are you?
Avanu nan thamma.
He is my younger brother.
Avalu nanna snehite.
She is my friend.
Naavu Bengaluru-ge hoguttheve.
We are going to Bengaluru.
Neevu elli iddira?
Where are you?
Avaru nanna shikshakaru.
He/They is/are my teacher.
Adu nanna pustaka.
That is my book.
Avaru nanna jothege baruthiddaru.
He was coming with me.
Nimma hesaru enu?
What is your name?
Nanna mane alli ide.
My house is there.
Namma desha bharatha.
Our country is India.
Naanu hoguvudilla.
I will not go.
Neevu heliddu sari.
What you said is correct.
Avaru baruvudilla endu helidaru.
They said they would not come.
Adu nanage ishta.
I like that.
Avaru bareda pustaka idu.
This is the book he wrote.
Naavu ellaru ondagi irabeku.
We must all be together.
Nimma abhipraya enu?
What is your opinion?
Avalu bareda kavana channagide.
The poem she wrote is good.
Avaru kanda kanasu nannadagide.
The dream he saw has become mine.
Naanu nanna karthavyavannu maduttene.
I will perform my duty.
Neevu namma jothege iruvudu namage santosha.
It is our pleasure that you are with us.
Adu namma samskrutiya pratheeka.
That is a symbol of our culture.
سهل الخلط
Learners mix up informal and formal.
Avaru is plural or honorific.
Subject vs Possessive.
أخطاء شائعة
Naanu barutthi.
Naanu baruttene.
Neenu hogiri.
Neenu hogu.
Avanu barutthaale.
Avanu barutthane.
Adu nanna.
Adu nannadu.
Naavu hoguttene.
Naavu hoguttheve.
Avaru barutthane.
Avaru barutthaare.
Neevu baruthiya.
Neevu barutheera.
Avaru nanna jothe barutthane.
Avaru nanna jothe barutthaare.
Nanna mane alli.
Nanna mane alli ide.
Naanu nanna kelsa maduttene.
Naanu nanna kelasa maduttene.
Avaru bareda pustaka nannadu.
Avaru bareda pustaka nannadu.
Naanu hoguvudilla anta helidaru.
Naanu hoguvudilla endu helidaru.
أنماط الجُمل
Naanu ___ iddene.
Neenu ___ hoguthiya?
Avaru ___ barutthaare.
Naavu ___ maduttheve.
Real World Usage
Naanu photo hakiddene.
Neenu elli?
Neevu nanna anubhava kelabahudu.
Naavu bus-ge hoguttheve.
Naanu order madiddene.
Avaru shikshakaru.
The Avaru Safety Net
avaru. It is the most versatile and safest pronoun for adults.The 'Adu' Insult
adu. It implies they are an object or an animal and is considered very offensive.Plurality equals Respect
neevu, avaru) is the primary way to show respect, even for a single person.Smart Tips
Always use 'Neevu'.
Use 'Avaru'.
Use 'Neenu'.
Include the pronoun.
النطق
Vowel length
Long vowels are held twice as long.
Question
Neenu baruthiya? ↑
Rising pitch at the end.
احفظها
وسيلة تذكّر
Naanu is 'I' (sounds like 'now'), Neenu is 'you' (sounds like 'knee').
ربط بصري
Imagine pointing at yourself saying 'Naanu', then pointing at a friend saying 'Neenu'.
Rhyme
Naanu is I, Neenu is you, Avanu is he, that is true.
Story
Naanu went to the market. I saw Neenu there. Avanu was also there with Avalu. We all bought apples.
Word Web
تحدٍّ
Write 5 sentences about your family using these pronouns.
ملاحظات ثقافية
Respect for elders is paramount. Always use 'Neevu'.
Kannada pronouns evolve from Proto-Dravidian roots.
بدايات محادثة
Nimma hesaru enu?
Neevu elli iddira?
Neevu enu maduttheera?
Nimma abhipraya enu?
مواضيع للكتابة اليومية
Test Yourself
___ (You - formal) coffee kudiyuttheera?
neevu is the respectful form of 'you' used with elders or strangers.Choose the correct pronoun for a superior:
avaru is the honorific third-person pronoun used for both men and women in formal contexts.Find and fix the mistake:
Adu nanna tande (He is my father).
adu (it) for your father. Use avaru to show respect.Score: /3
تمارين تطبيقية
8 exercisesNaanu ___ iddene.
___ barutthaare (He-formal).
Find and fix the mistake:
Neenu hogiri.
iddene / Naanu / vidyarthi
I am a teacher.
Naanu - I, Neenu - You, Avanu - He
Naanu (hogu) -> ?
Use 'Naavu' and 'hogu'.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
10 exercises___ (I) Bengaluru nalli iddeene.
We are friends.
pustaka / idu / ondu
Match the following:
Which word means 'She' (informal, standing right here)?
Adu baruttiddare (They are coming).
___ (That) nanna mane.
Which 'You' is appropriate for a 5-year-old?
He (polite) is a doctor.
elli / neevu / ?
Score: /10
الأسئلة الشائعة (8)
Kannada distinguishes between informal 'Neenu' and formal 'Neevu'.
Use it for plural 'they' or singular honorific 'he/she'.
Yes, native speakers often drop them when the verb is clear.
No, 'Adu' is for things or animals.
Use 'Nanna'.
It is plural, but also used for singular formal.
Kannada verbs agree with the pronoun's person and number.
Use 'Avaru' as a neutral/respectful form.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Yo, Tú, Él/Ella
Kannada is agglutinative.
Je, Tu, Il/Elle
Kannada verb endings are more complex.
Ich, Du, Er/Sie/Es
Kannada is not Indo-European.
Watashi, Anata, Kare/Kanojo
Kannada uses verb suffixes for honorifics.
Ana, Anta/Anti, Huwa/Hiya
Arabic is Semitic.
Wo, Ni, Ta
Chinese is isolating.
