Pronoun

In Kannada, as in other Dravidian languages, personal pronouns have the number distinction but do not have gender reference. The demonstrative pronouns indicate both gender and number.

Personal pronouns

SingularPlural
ನಾನುnānuIನಾವುnāvuwe
ನೀನುnīnuyouನೀವುnīvuyou (pl.)

Reflexive pronoun

SingularPlural
ತಾನುtānuhimself/herselfತಾವುtāvu(yourself-honorific)

The reflexive plural is used in second person to address a respectable person. The singular is used to refer third person masculine or feminine.

Demonstrative pronouns

Remote

SingularPlural
ಅವನುavanuheಅವರುavaruthose persons
ಅವರುavaru he (honorific)
ಆತātaheಅವರುavaruthose persons
ಅವಳುavaḷusheಅವರುavaruthose persons
ಆಕೆāke sheಅವರುavaruthose persons
ಅದುaduit ಅವುavuthose things

Proximate

SingularPlural
ಇವನುivanuthis person (male)ಇವರುivaruthese persons
ಇವರುivaruthis person (honorific)
ಈತītathis person (male)ಇವರುivaru these persons
ಇವಳುivaḷuthis person (female)ಇವರುivaruthese persons
ಈಕೆīkethis person (female)ಇವರುivaruthese persons
ಇದುiduthis thingಇವು ivuthese things

Different forms of third person are used to express gradations or respect.

'avanu', 'ivanu' are used for children, friends or persons of inferior status.
'āta', 'īta' are used for persons of equal or slightly lesser status.
'avaru', 'ivaru' are used for respectable persons (singular, masculine and feminine).
'adu', 'idu' are used for children or persons of inferior status.
'avaḷu', 'ivaḷu' are generally used for persons of inferior status and strangers.
'āke', 'īke' are used for persons of equal status and strangers.

Interrogative pronouns

ಯಾವನುyāvanuwho (masculine)
ಯಾವಳುyāvaḷuwho (feminine)
ಯಾರುyāruwho (plural)
ಏನುēnuwhat

'yāvanu', and 'yāvaḷu' are grammatically possible. But the plural form 'yāru' is used generally in the sense of 'who' unless to indicate disgust or anger.

1. Write the following in Kannada script.

Pampa
kuvempu
kavirājamaarga
karṇāṭabhāṣābhūṣaṇaṃ
giḷimātu
kaṇṇina tondare
śrīkṛṣṇadēvarāya
vijayanagara sāmrājya
beḷdiṅgaḷa bāle
maleya mādēśvara
maṇṭēsvāmi kāvya
māsti veṇkaṭēśa ayyaṇgār

2. Write the plural forms of the following verbs.

ಬಾಗು ……………
ಇರು ……………
ಮುಚ್ಚು ……………
ಕುಟ್ಟು ……………
ಹಂಚು ……………
ಹೋಗು ……………
ಏಳು ……………
ಪಠಿಸು ……………
ಕೊಡು ……………
ನಡೆ ……………

3. Give the singular forms of the following.

ನಾವು ……………
ಅವರು ……………
ಅವು ……………
ನೀವು ಯಾರು? ……………
ಇವರು (masculine) ……………

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