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
| Singular | Plural | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ನಾನು | nānu | I | ನಾವು | nāvu | we |
| ನೀನು | nīnu | you | ನೀವು | nīvu | you (pl.) |
Reflexive pronoun
| Singular | Plural | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ತಾನು | tānu | himself/herself | ತಾವು | tāvu | (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
| Singular | Plural | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ಅವನು | avanu | he | ಅವರು | avaru | those persons |
| ಅವರು | avaru | he (honorific) | |||
| ಆತ | āta | he | ಅವರು | avaru | those persons |
| ಅವಳು | avaḷu | she | ಅವರು | avaru | those persons |
| ಆಕೆ | āke | she | ಅವರು | avaru | those persons |
| ಅದು | adu | it | ಅವು | avu | those things |
Proximate
| Singular | Plural | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ಇವನು | ivanu | this person (male) | ಇವರು | ivaru | these persons |
| ಇವರು | ivaru | this person (honorific) | |||
| ಈತ | īta | this person (male) | ಇವರು | ivaru | these persons |
| ಇವಳು | ivaḷu | this person (female) | ಇವರು | ivaru | these persons |
| ಈಕೆ | īke | this person (female) | ಇವರು | ivaru | these persons |
| ಇದು | idu | this thing | ಇವು | ivu | these 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
| ಯಾವನು | yāvanu | who (masculine) |
| ಯಾವಳು | yāvaḷu | who (feminine) |
| ಯಾರು | yāru | who (plural) |
| ಏನು | ēnu | what |
'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) ……………
Send your completed homework by email to klcjnu@gmail.com
Learn Basics - Grammar Modules
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