Relative Pronouns
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Kannada uses 'relative participles' instead of pronouns like 'who' or 'which' to describe nouns.
- Use the past or present participle form of the verb: 'Odu' (read) becomes 'Odida' (who read).
- Place the descriptive clause immediately before the noun it modifies: 'Odida huduga' (The boy who read).
- No relative pronouns like 'who' or 'that' exist; the verb ending does all the work.
Relative Participle Formation
| Verb Root | Past (-ida) | Present (-uva) | Negative (-ada) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Odu
|
Odida
|
Oduva
|
Odada
|
|
Bari
|
Bareda
|
Bareyuva
|
Bareda
|
|
Keli
|
Kelida
|
Keluva
|
Kelada
|
|
Nodu
|
Nodida
|
Noduva
|
Nodada
|
|
Hogu
|
Hogida
|
Hoguva
|
Hogada
|
|
Tinnu
|
Tinda
|
Tinnuva
|
Tinnada
|
Meanings
Kannada lacks relative pronouns like 'who' or 'which'. Instead, it uses relative participles (adjectival forms of verbs) placed before the noun.
Past Relative Participle
Describes a noun based on a completed action.
“Bareda pustaka (The book that was written)”
“Bandida vyakti (The person who came)”
Present/Habitual Relative Participle
Describes a noun based on an ongoing or habitual action.
“Oduva huduga (The boy who reads)”
“Baruva basu (The bus that is coming)”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Past
|
Root + ida + Noun
|
Odida pustaka
|
|
Present
|
Root + uva + Noun
|
Oduva huduga
|
|
Negative
|
Root + ada + Noun
|
Odada pustaka
|
|
Question
|
Root + ida + Noun?
|
Odida pustaka idena?
|
|
Plural
|
Root + ida + Noun-galu
|
Odida pustakagalu
|
|
Object
|
Root + ida + Noun-annu
|
Odida pustakavannu
|
طيف الرسمية
Agamisi-da vyakti (Describing a guest)
Banda vyakti (Describing a guest)
Banda aalu (Describing a guest)
Banda kano (Describing a guest)
Relative Clause Anatomy
Action
- Odida Read (past)
Actor
- Huduga Boy
أمثلة حسب المستوى
Oduva huduga
The boy who reads
Baruva basu
The bus that is coming
Tinnuva hannu
The fruit that is eaten
Keluva prashne
The question that is asked
Naanu nodida chitra
The movie I watched
Avaru bareda pustaka
The book they wrote
Nimma kadeyinda banda patra
The letter that came from you
Neevu kelida prashne
The question you asked
Indu adigeyada oota
The food that was not cooked today
Nanna jothe matadada vyakti
The person who did not talk to me
Kelsa mugisada vidyarthi
The student who did not finish the work
Hogada basu
The bus that did not go
Nanna tande kottida salahagalu
The advice that my father gave
Ellaru mechchida naataka
The play that everyone liked
Neevu helida haage naanu madide
I did as you said
Nanna kelsa nodida adhikari
The officer who saw my work
Idu naanu modale helida vishaya
This is the matter I mentioned earlier
Avaru nannannu nodida kshana
The moment they saw me
Namma oora janaru mechchida neta
The leader whom our village people liked
Neevu kalsida sandesha
The message you sent
Adannu kelidavaru ellaru ashcharyapattaru
Those who heard it were all surprised
Nanna jeevanadalli nadedida prathama ghatane
The first incident that happened in my life
Kelsa madidavaru matra illi barabeku
Only those who worked should come here
Neevu odidavaru idannu artha madikollabahudu
Those who have read this can understand it
سهل الخلط
Learners think all descriptive words are the same.
Trying to translate 'who' or 'which'.
Mixing up 'having done' with 'the one who did'.
أخطاء شائعة
Huduga who odida
Odida huduga
Pustaka odida
Odida pustaka
Odu huduga
Oduva huduga
Odida-alli huduga
Odida huduga
Bareda-annu pustaka
Bareda pustaka
Hogida basu
Hoda basu
Kelida-avanu prashne
Kelida prashne
Matadada-illa vyakti
Matadada vyakti
Oduva-iddaru huduga
Oduva huduga
Nodida-alli chitra
Nodida chitra
Kelidavaru-annu
Kelidavaru
Nadedida-addu ghatane
Nadedida ghatane
Helida-avaru vishaya
Helida vishaya
أنماط الجُمل
Naanu ___ pustaka odide.
___ huduga nanna snehi.
Neevu ___ prashnege uthara heli.
___ chitra ellarigu ishta.
Real World Usage
Nanu nodida chitra!
Banda basu?
Nanu madida kelsa.
Adigeyada oota.
Hoda basu.
Kelida prashne.
Think Adjective
No Pronouns
Master the Suffixes
Natural Flow
Smart Tips
Always put the action before the noun.
Use -ida for past.
Use -uva for present.
Use -ada for negative.
النطق
Participle stress
Stress the first syllable of the verb root.
Statement
Odida huduga bandanu. ↘
Falling intonation for facts.
احفظها
وسيلة تذكّر
Verb-Participle is the 'Adjective-Maker'. It turns an action into a description.
ربط بصري
Imagine a boy holding a book. The book has a tag on it that says 'Odida' (Read). The tag is stuck to the book before you even see the book.
Rhyme
Verb root plus 'ida' or 'uva', put it before the noun, you're a pro in Kannada!
Story
Ravi is a student. He read a book. In Kannada, he is the 'Odida huduga' (The read-boy). He holds the 'Odida pustaka' (The read-book).
Word Web
تحدٍّ
Write 3 sentences describing objects in your room using this rule (e.g., 'The chair I bought').
ملاحظات ثقافية
Standard usage is very common in urban settings.
Dialects may use slightly different suffixes.
Influences from Tulu can affect participle usage.
Relative participles are an ancient feature of Dravidian languages.
بدايات محادثة
Neevu odida pustaka yavudu?
Nimma manege banda atithi yaru?
Neevu mechchida chitra yavudu?
Indu kelida prashnege uthara enu?
مواضيع للكتابة اليومية
أخطاء شائعة
Test Yourself
Nanu ___ pustaka odide.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Huduga who bandanu.
Huduga odidanu. (The boy read.)
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Nanu / konda / mane
Kannada uses 'who' for relative clauses.
A: ___ chitra nodide? B: Nanu nodida chitra...
Score: /8
تمارين تطبيقية
8 exercisesNanu ___ pustaka odide.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Huduga who bandanu.
Huduga odidanu. (The boy read.)
Match: 1. Odida, 2. Oduva
Nanu / konda / mane
Kannada uses 'who' for relative clauses.
A: ___ chitra nodide? B: Nanu nodida chitra...
Score: /8
الأسئلة الشائعة (8)
Some irregular verbs have unique participle forms, but the suffix rules remain consistent.
Yes, it works for people, objects, and abstract concepts.
Use the negative participle: 'Odada huduga'.
Yes, it is the standard for both formal and informal Kannada.
Because we are used to 'who' and 'which'.
No, the relative participle is gender-neutral.
Yes, you can have multiple participles modifying one noun.
Try describing everything you see using this pattern.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Que + verb
Spanish uses pronouns; Kannada uses verb-adjectives.
Qui/Que + verb
Pronoun vs. Participle.
Der/Die/Das + verb
Case-marked pronouns vs. simple participle.
Rentai-kei (Attributive form)
Both use verb-based adjectives.
Alladhi/Allati
Pronoun vs. Participle.
De-clause
Particle 'de' vs. verb suffix.
