Describe people, places, and things
Add useful qualities and say how something looks, feels, or tastes.
By the end, you can
- Put a common descriptive word before a noun.
- Ask how something is and give a short description.
Everyday descriptions
WordsDescription before the noun
Like English, Kannada commonly places a descriptive word before the noun: ಹೊಸ ಪುಸ್ತಕ, “new book.” When the description completes the sentence, the form may change, so learn useful predicate chunks such as ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿದೆ and ದೊಡ್ಡದಾಗಿದೆ as whole expressions.
ಹೊಸ ಪುಸ್ತಕ
hosa pustaka
a new book
ದೊಡ್ಡ ಮನೆ
dodda mane
a big house
ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿದೆ.
Ee pustaka chennaagide.
This book is good.
ಆ ಮನೆ ದೊಡ್ಡದಾಗಿದೆ.
Aa mane doddadaagide.
That house is big.
Ask “How is it?”
ExamplesTalking about a meal
ಊಟ ಹೇಗಿದೆ?
Oota hegide?
How is the meal?
ತುಂಬಾ ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿದೆ. ಆದರೆ ಸಾಂಬಾರ್ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಖಾರವಾಗಿದೆ.
Tumbaa chennaagide. Aadare saambaar swalpa khaaravaagide.
It is very good. But the sambar is a little spicy.
ಇನ್ನೂ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಅನ್ನ ಬೇಕಾ?
Innoo swalpa anna bekaa?
Would you like a little more rice?
tip
Soften personal judgements
Describing food or objects directly is usually straightforward. When describing a person, choose neutral, relevant words and avoid comments on appearance that may feel intrusive. ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ, “a little,” can soften a negative description.
Add the right quality
Translate with the lesson patterns, then compare with the model.
01“a small house”›
ಸಣ್ಣ ಮನೆ — sanna mane
02“This book is good.”›
ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿದೆ. — ee pustaka chennaagide.
03Ask, “How is the meal?”›
ಊಟ ಹೇಗಿದೆ? — oota hegide?
What you can keep
- Put common descriptive words before the noun.
- Use ಹೇಗಿದೆ? to ask how something is.
- Learn sentence-ending descriptions as complete chunks.