Lesson 1: Asking and Answering Questions

Welcome to the first lesson of Module 4! In this lesson, we'll learn how to ask and answer basic questions in Tamil. This is a crucial skill for engaging in conversations and gathering information.

We'll cover:

• Common question words in Tamil
• Forming yes/no questions
• Providing appropriate responses

Let's start with the most common question words in Tamil:

These question words typically come at the beginning of a sentence in Tamil.

a. Using Question Words

To form a question using these words, follow this structure:

Question Word + Subject + Verb

Examples:

• என்ன செய்கிறீர்கள்? (Enna seykiRīrkaL?) - What are you doing?
• எங்கே போகிறாய்? (Enge pōkirāy?) - Where are you going?

b. Yes/No Questions

To form yes/no questions, add the question particle ஆ (ā) at the end of a statement:

Examples:

• நீங்கள் மாணவரா? (Nīngal māNavarā?) - Are you a student?
• அவர் வந்தாரா? (Avar vandārā?) - Did he come?

a. Answering Yes/No Questions

To answer yes/no questions, use:

• ஆம் (ām) - Yes
• இல்லை (illai) - No

b. Answering Wh-Questions

For wh-questions, provide the relevant information. Here are some example responses:

• Q: உங்கள் பெயர் என்ன? (Ungal peyar enna?) - What is your name?
• A: என் பெயர் ராஜா. (En peyar Raja.) - My name is Raja.
• Q: நீங்கள் எங்கே இருந்து வருகிறீர்கள்? (Nīngal enge irundu varukiRīrkaL?) - Where are you from?
• A: நான் சென்னையில் இருந்து வருகிறேன். (Nān Chennaiil irundu varukiRen.) - I am from Chennai.