7 Best Ways To Learn Kannada (Like a Pro)

Kannada language is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in the southwestern region of India. The language is also spoken by linguistic minorities in the states of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Kerala, and Goa; and also by Kannadigas abroad. The language had roughly 43 million native speakers by 2011. Kannada is also spoken as a second and third language by over 12.9 million non-native speakers in Karnataka, which adds up to 56.9 million speakers. It is one of the scheduled languages of India and the official and administrative language of the state of Karnataka. Kannada was the court language of some of the most powerful empires of South and Central India, such as the Chalukya dynasty, the Rashtrakuta dynasty, the Vijayanagara Empire, and the Hoysala Empire.

Learning Kannada is a good choice if you are interested in learning a new language or you have some other reason like you decide to move to Karnataka. You decide to live long in Karnataka, it’s always good to learn a local language. Learning at least a few rudimentary basics can take you a long way and help you connect with the local culture.

1) Master the Kannada Alphabet

If you want to know how to learn Kannada, the alphabet is the best place to start. The Kannada alphabet is not that easy to learn because it’s very phonetic.

Kannada alphabet has forty-nine characters in its alphasyllabary and is phonemic.

it may seem unfamiliar at first. However, The Kannada character set is almost identical to that of other Languages of India|Indian languages.

          The characters are classified into three categories: swaras (vowels), vyanjans (consonants) and Yogavaahakas (part vowel, part consonants).

• There are fourteen vowels (swaras).
• There are Two types of consonants are identified in Kannada: the structured consonants and the unstructured consonants. The structured consonants are classified according to where the tongue touches the palate of the mouth and are classified accordingly into five structured groups.

• The Yogavaahaka’s (part-vowel, part consonant) include two letters:
  • The anusvara: ಅಂ (am)
  • The visarga: ಅಃ (aha)

 On the other hand,

 There are really only a few new sounds that need to be learned, but the rules of Kannada pronunciation are simple. With a few exceptions, you typically pronounce words as they’re spelled and spell them as they’re pronounced. 

 

2) Learn Common Kannada Words First

common words Every language has words that are more commonly used than others, so it’s helpful to learn these first as they’ll come in handy during daily conversation. Start by learning the words listed below.

• Namaskara.  (Hello)
• Channagidinni   (I am fine)
• Baruthe.  (I know/Will come)
• Ninu/Nim/Ni.  (You)
• Kelsa.  (Work)
• Banni/Baraa/Barappa.  (Come)
• Hogu/Horadu.  (Go)
• Yelli.  (Where)
• Nimsha.  (minute)

If you’re learning Kannada for a specific purpose, such as travel or business, there will be a set of vocabulary terms that you should work to memorize first. Be sure to let your Kannada teacher know your goals, and he or she will help you learn the most useful vocabulary right away.

 

3) Pick up basic question words.

Even if you don’t understand everything someone is asking you in Kannada, you may be able to get a general idea if you recognize the basic question words. Then you’ll at least understand what type of question they’re asking, and you might be able to infer the rest from context. The basic question words in Kannada are:

• Yaaru (who)
• Yaake (why)
• Yaavaga (when)
• Elli (where)
• Enu (which)
• Hege (how)

 

4) Practice double consonants.

 In addition to the individual consonants, Kannada has 6 double consonants. For the most part, these aren’t pronounced the way you’d expect the same combination of letters to be pronounced in English. However, there are near-equivalents that you can use to practice.

• The “kh” sound, ఖ, sounds similar to the “ch” in the Scottish word “loch” or the “ch” sound in German.
• The “gh” sound, ఘ, sounds similar to the “gh” in the name of the country “Ghana.”
• The “jh” sound, ఝ, sounds similar to the “ge” and “h” sounds in the English phrase “bridge hop.”
• The “dh” sound, ఢ and ధ, sounds similar to the “d” and “h” sounds in the English phrase “speed hump.”

 

5) Watch Kannada movies with subtitles.

With Kannadiga films, you have an opportunity to hear people having natural dialogue in the language. Turning on English subtitles will help you understand what’s going on and what the characters are saying. If you want to learn the script, you can turn on subtitles in Kannada script so you can hear the words being spoken.

• Avoid using English subtitles as a crutch. Remember that translation is an interpretation of the meaning of the words, not literally what the characters are saying.
• Even if you pick up some new phrases from a movie, be cautious about the context in which you use them until you understand the full meaning of the phrase.

 

6) Listen to Kannada radio stations. 

In and around Bangalore, you should be able to pick up radio stations broadcasting in Kannada and playing Kannadiga music. The repetition of music lyrics is a good way to learn a language.

• Listening to Kannadiga music also gives you some insight into the values and culture of the native people of the area.

 

7) Learn From a Kannada Teacher

Private lessons from an experienced Kannada teacher are the best way to learn Kannada – whether you take in-person or online lessons. A professional speaker can provide a structured learning plan that is tailored to your individual needs and goals.

If you want to learn Kannada like a pro then there is an online language learning course available at Multibhashi. They have highly professional teachers. You can interact with them personally or group-wise.

So, basically, the above-provided ways are the best way to learn Kannada. Also, you can enroll in Multibhashi to be perfect in your Kannada learning.