Food and Restaurant Words in Kannada: ಊಟ, ತಿಂಡಿ and ದೋಸೆ
Kannada food vocabulary, the difference between ಊಟ and ತಿಂಡಿ, popular Karnataka dishes and phrases for ordering.
Karnataka's food is an important part of daily life and culture, and the words are easy to use in conversation.
Meals
| Kannada | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ತಿಂಡಿ (tiṇḍi) | breakfast, tiffin, a light meal or snack |
| ಊಟ (ūṭa) | a full meal |
| ಮಧ್ಯಾಹ್ನದ ಊಟ | lunch |
| ರಾತ್ರಿ ಊಟ | dinner |
| ಅಡುಗೆ (aḍuge) | cooking |
ತಿಂಡಿ and ಊಟ are not interchangeable: ತಿಂಡಿ is a lighter meal, such as idli or dosa, while ಊಟ is a meal with rice.
Staple foods and drinks
| Kannada | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ಅನ್ನ | cooked rice |
| ಸಾಂಬಾರ್ | lentil and vegetable stew |
| ರಸಂ | thin, peppery soup |
| ಮೊಸರು | curd (yogurt) |
| ಹಾಲು | milk |
| ನೀರು | water |
| ಕಾಫಿ | coffee |
| ಚಹಾ | tea |
| ರೊಟ್ಟಿ | flatbread |
| ಚಪಾತಿ | chapati |
Popular Karnataka dishes
- ಇಡ್ಲಿ (iḍli) — steamed rice cakes
- ದೋಸೆ (dōse) — thin fermented crepe
- ಮಸಾಲೆ ದೋಸೆ — dosa filled with spiced potato
- ಬಿಸಿ ಬೇಳೆ ಬಾತ್ (bisi bēḷe bhāth) — spicy rice and lentil dish
- ಉಪ್ಪಿಟ್ಟು (uppiṭṭu) — savoury semolina dish
- ರಾಗಿ ಮುದ್ದೆ (rāgi mudde) — finger millet balls, a staple in southern Karnataka
Ordering
- ಒಂದು ಕಾಫಿ ಕೊಡಿ. — Give me one coffee.
- ಎರಡು ಇಡ್ಲಿ ಕೊಡಿ. — Give me two idlis.
- ನೀರು ಕೊಡಿ. — Please give me water.
- ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ಕೊಡಿ. — Give me another.
- ಬಿಲ್ ಕೊಡಿ. — Give me the bill.
ಕೊಡಿ (koḍi) is the polite command form of "give".
Talking about food
- ನನಗೆ ಹಸಿವಾಗಿದೆ. — I am hungry.
- ನನಗೆ ಬಾಯಾರಿಕೆಯಾಗಿದೆ. — I am thirsty.
- ಊಟ ಆಯ್ತು. — The meal is done / I've eaten.
- ತುಂಬಾ ರುಚಿಯಾಗಿದೆ. — It's very tasty.
- ಖಾರ ಜಾಸ್ತಿ. — It's too spicy.
Tips
- Learn ತಿಂಡಿ vs ಊಟ early.
- Use ಕೊಡಿ to order politely.
- Use the dictionary to check dish names.
English Kannada Dictionary
Offline English–Kannada dictionary with meanings in proper Kannada script
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