r/tamil

Born in Sri Lanka, moved to the UK before my 2nd birthday. I understand tamil perfectly. I even went to tamil school and can read as well. But for some reason I dont know how to speak. Its like I know what to say in my head, but I cant pronounce the words out loud to make a coherent sentence. My question is, why? Its not like other bilinguals have to study their language, they just pick it up from the parents. Why couldn't I do the same?

Want to share a thirukkural today for my fellow tamilans

கூழுங் குடியும் ஒருங்கிழக்கும் கோல்கோடிச்

சூழாது செய்யும் அரசு.

அதிகாரம் - கொடுங்கோன்மை

குறள் 554.

Couplet 554 explanation:

The king, who, without reflecting (on its evil consequences), perverts justice, will lose at once both his wealth and his subjects.

I am finding it really hard to pronounce words with “ழ” properly, and honestly it gets to me sometimes. My friends do make fun of it, not in a mean way, but I still end up feeling a bit inferior about it.

The thing is, I was brought up completely in the North, so I have spoken Hindi way more than Tamil for most of my life, even though Tamil is my mother tongue. Now that I am pursuing my college in Tamil Nadu, I am realizing how much I struggle with pronunciation and it is making me feel a little out of place.

I know language is something that can improve with practice, but right now it does feel difficult and awkward. Has anyone gone through something similar? How did you get better at it without feeling conscious all the time?

Suggest some unique tamil names for a girl which starts with Mi (மி)

What is the Tamil word for 'diplomatic'?

Eg. He was quite diplomatic while speaking.

Not sure if this is the right sub, but pls redirect me if this isn't.

I'm not a native tamilian, but I am familiar with the language (neighbour here). On an Indian sub, someone referred to the Meenakshi temple as "Meenakshi Maa" temple, and it felt off, so another person corrected them and said that Amman should be used. I added to this comment and said that Amman is a specific term used for the mother goddess in Tamil, so it would be culturally inappropriate to replace it with Maa. But there was some push back.

I don't want to respond to them with misinformation, so can someone confirm if I'm wrong? Thank you!

I gave money to my close friend on a trust basis but it's been more than 2 years but he didn't return my money. Now he is not picking up my phone and he changed his location as well. Is there any other way to find out the location or get back my money

I'll keep this short. I was born in Sri Lanka and moved to the UK when I was 9.

I've always struggled to fully fit into Tamil spaces here. The UK-born Tamils have their own vibe and experiences that I can't always relate to, and the international Tamil students don't always get what it's like to grow up straddling two cultures either.

I recently learned the term 1.5 generation : basically people who were born in one country and moved to another as children/teenagers. And honestly? It clicked. That's exactly what I am.

To add some context, back in Sri Lanka I went to English medium school, so I never really got the chance to study Tamil formally. I speak it at home with family and friends, but I can't read or write it well, and I don't know much literature either. So I sometimes feel like I don't even fully "qualify" as Tamil in that sense, which adds another layer to the in-between feeling.

I've been wondering, is there anyone else out there who feels the same? Like you're not quite "from here" but not quite "from there" either?

If there were a space for 1.5 gen Tamils, nothing formal, just a chill community for things like game nights, picnics, learning tamil, or even just venting as well as finding friend/connection, would that be something you'd be interested in? What would you want from it?

Honestly, I'm just putting this out there to see if anyone else feels the same, just curious 😅

Be honest, if this doesn't resonate or you think it wouldn't work, tell me that too. I'd rather know.

And if you're not 1.5 gen but know someone who is, feel free to tag or share this with them 🙏

What are the informal/slang Tamil and medical Tamil terms.

What do people usually say for:
Penis
Vagina
Foreskin
Scrotum
Pubic hair
Having sex

Are there common casual words people use at home/friends, and what are the proper medical terms if you talk to doctors ? Please share

"vanakkam" / "vanthanam" means "bow" so I can't use this word to greet someone for religious reasons. What are some alternative Tamil words I can use instead.
Currently I am using good morning / Salam alaikum

currently it is mostly used for meat. But we also say kAikaRi (காய்கறி) which is used for vegetables. I have also heard the word Kari to refer to vegetable pieces in a stew or even to cooked vegetables.

So, I’m curious what’s the historical meaning of this word.

Hi!

I‘ve been searching for this for quite a while. Is there a singular they equivalent in Tamil to refer to people of unspecified or nonbinary gender? I’m aware that I could use “அவர்”, which in சுத்தத்தமிழ் doesn’t specify gender, but in colloquial Tamil (the variety I speak at least), அவர் implies a man. I’m aware of அவர்கள்/அவங்க, but that appears to be colloquial only and not a full solution (and implies a woman from what I can tell).

So my friend recently passed her exams, and I want to collect handwritten congratulation messages for her in different languages.

Just a simple “Congratulations on your success” written on a piece of paper would be more than enough.

I think this small gesture could mean a lot to her and make her really happy.

Thank you in advance to anyone willing to help

https://preview.redd.it/xb9ik6bs6o9h1.png?width=836&format=png&auto=webp&s=7458d0993bc16735f3d9527310cfb5b7fe2e9c88