Telugu Sentence Structure: Subject, Object, Verb
How a Telugu sentence is built, with the verb at the end and describing words before the noun.
If you are used to English, Telugu word order will feel reversed.
The basic order
Telugu puts the verb at the end:
| English | Telugu |
|---|---|
| I eat rice. | నేను అన్నం తింటాను. |
| Subject, verb, object | Subject, object, verb |
Examples
- నేను తెలుగు నేర్చుకుంటున్నాను. (naenu telugu naerchukuntunnaanu) I am learning Telugu.
- ఆమె పాట పాడుతోంది. (aame paata paadutondi) She is singing a song.
- వారు ఇంటికి వెళ్లారు. (vaaru intiki vellaaru) They went home.
Postpositions
English puts words like "in" and "on" before a noun. Telugu puts them after:
- ఇంటి ముందు (inti mundu), in front of the house
- బల్ల మీద (balla meeda), on the table
- నాతో (naatho), with me
No "to be" in simple statements
Telugu often leaves out "is", "am" and "are":
- నేను విద్యార్థిని. I am a student (female).
- ఇది పుస్తకం. This is a book.
Describing words come first
Adjectives go before the noun, as in English:
- పెద్ద ఇల్లు (pedda illu), a big house
- ఎర్ర పువ్వు (erra puvvu), a red flower
Questions
A question word usually comes just before the verb:
- నువ్వు ఎక్కడికి వెళ్తున్నావు? Where are you going?
Dropping words
Because the verb ending shows the subject, Telugu often drops the pronoun:
- వెళ్తున్నాను. I'm going.
Practising
Build sentences with the verb in mind, and put everything else before it.
Tips
- Verb last.
- Postpositions follow the noun.
- Use the dictionary to check words.
English Telugu Dictionary
Offline English–Telugu dictionary with meanings in proper Telugu script
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