Kannada Numbers and Everyday Practical Phrases
Practical Kannada vocabulary for numbers, shopping, and everyday situations, useful for both learners and visitors to Karnataka.
Numbers and a handful of practical everyday phrases cover a disproportionate share of real, daily communication needs — worth learning solidly and early, whether you're a language learner, a visitor, or reconnecting with Kannada-speaking family.
Kannada numerals
Kannada numerals have their own distinct visual forms, separate from Devanagari, Telugu, and Western Arabic numerals — worth learning to recognise directly, since they appear constantly on price tags and everyday printed material across Karnataka.
Counting basics
Ondu (1), eradu (2), muru (3), nalku (4), aidu (5), aru (6), ellu (7), entu (8), ombattu (9), hattu (10) — the foundation for prices, quantities, and everyday counting.
Shopping and market phrases
Idhu enu? (what is this?), bele eshtu? (what's the price?), bele kammi maadi (please reduce the price) — genuinely practical phrases for shopping and markets.
Telling time
Ivaga eshtu gante? (what time is it now?), alongside basic time-of-day vocabulary: belagge (morning), madhyahna (afternoon), sanje (evening), ratri (night).
Everyday courtesy in practical situations
Kshamisi (excuse me/sorry), sahaya maadthira? (will you help me?) — practical phrases for navigating everyday situations politely, beyond the basic greetings covered in our starter vocabulary article.
Why this vocabulary deserves early, deliberate focus
Numbers and practical everyday phrases show up in nearly every real interaction — shopping, travel, daily errands — far more frequently than many other early vocabulary categories, making them a high-value area to prioritise.
A quick practice approach
Rather than memorising numbers in isolation, practice them attached to real quantities — prices you see, times on a clock — so the vocabulary anchors to something concrete rather than floating as an abstract list.
Look up numbers and everyday phrases instantly with English Kannada Dictionary →
English Kannada Dictionary
Offline English–Kannada dictionary with meanings in proper Kannada script
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