Directions & Getting Around
വഴികളും യാത്രയും
Asking for and giving directions is a natural place to meet the imperative mood for the first time — commands like 'turn' and 'continue' — before its full grammar is covered later.
Grammar Comparison
വ്യാകരണ താരതമ്യം
A first taste of the imperative for directions
Tournez à gauche. (Turn left.) — Continuez tout droit. (Keep going straight.)
ഇടത്തോട്ട് തിരിയുക — നേരെ പോകുക
These direction-giving commands are examples of the imperative mood, formed here from the vous-conjugation with the pronoun simply dropped: (vous) tournez → Tournez !. Malayalam builds its polite command the same basic way, by taking the verb and dropping the subject entirely — തിരിയുക/തിരിയണം both work as polite commands without ever stating 'you'. Full imperative rules for all persons come in a later lesson — for now, just recognize and use these as fixed direction phrases.
Vocabulary
വാക്കുകൾ
- Malayalam
- ഇടത്തോട്ട് തിരിയുകidathottu thiriyuka
- English
- turn left
- Malayalam
- വലത്തോട്ട് തിരിയുകvalathottu thiriyuka
- English
- turn right
- Malayalam
- നേരെnere
- English
- straight ahead
- Malayalam
- ...എവിടെയാണ്?...evideyaanu?
- English
- where is...?
- Malayalam
- ഇത് ദൂരെയാണ്ithu dooreyaanu
- English
- it's far
- Malayalam
- ഇത് അടുത്താണ്ithu aduthaanu
- English
- it's near
- Malayalam
- തെരുവ്theruvu
- English
- the street
- Malayalam
- കവലkavala
- English
- the intersection
- Malayalam
- സിഗ്നൽsignal
- English
- the traffic light
- Malayalam
- എതിർവശത്ത്ethirvashathu
- English
- across from, opposite
- Malayalam
- അടുത്ത്aduthu
- English
- next to