Sri Lankan Tamil→English

Translate Sri Lankan Tamil to English the way locals mean it.

Sri Lankan Tamil speakers often soften requests, refusals, and teasing with local endings and idioms that a textbook reader may take too literally.

474 local dialects

What locals actually say

சரி, நீங்க பார்த்துக்கொள்ளுங்கோ.

Okay, you take care of it, please.

The sentence-final கோ softens an instruction and makes it sound courteous rather than abrupt.

பிறகு கதைக்கலாம்.

We can talk about it later.

கதைக்க is a common Sri Lankan Tamil verb for speaking or discussing, where a textbook reader may expect பேச instead.

அவனுக்கு இப்ப தலையில ஏறிடுச்சு.

He has gotten too big for his boots lately.

தலையில ஏறிடுச்சு literally means something has climbed onto his head, but colloquially signals that someone has become arrogant or overconfident.

என்னட்டை இப்ப காசு இல்லையே.

I don’t have any cash on me right now.

என்னட்டை is the Jaffna possessive-locative form meaning “with me,” marking colloquial Sri Lankan Tamil possession.

அந்த ஒழுங்கையால போங்கோ.

Go along that lane.

ஒழுங்கை is a Jaffna term for a narrow lane, while the -ங்கோ ending gives the imperative a respectful Sri Lankan Tamil form.

இண்டைக்கு கறி என்ன?

What curry are we having today?

இண்டைக்கு is a Sri Lankan Tamil colloquial form of “today,” and கறி commonly refers to the curry or side dish served with the meal.

பிள்ளையள் எல்லாம் வீட்டிலையா?

Are all the children at home?

பிள்ளையள் uses the Sri Lankan Tamil plural ending -யள், a Jaffna-style alternative to the standard plural ending -கள்.

அவர் இன்னும் வேலைக்குப் போகேல்லை.

He still hasn’t gone to work.

போகேல்லை uses the colloquial Sri Lankan negative construction ending in -ஏல்லை, meaning “hasn’t gone” or “doesn’t go.”

Notes like these come with every AIRTranslate translation, so you learn why locals phrase it that way as you go.

Sri Lankan Tamil (Jaffna conventions); more conservative vocabulary than Indian Tamil.

Every one of 474 dialects, with voice, camera, a keyboard for any app, and offline packs.