Body parts
These are the Tamil words for the parts of the body, from the head down to the feet. They are some of the first words children learn, and you will hear them every day: at the doctor, in the kitchen, when a child falls over or when someone says their back hurts. The list starts with the head and the face, then goes down the body, so you can learn it in the same order as you look at yourself in a mirror. A tip for remembering them: touch each part of your body as you say its word out loud. Do it once in the morning and once in the evening for a week, and the words will come back to you without thinking.
In everyday speech many people say உடம்பு.
Used for the whole arm as well as the hand.
Ends in கை, the word for hand.
Used for the whole leg and also for the foot.
Ends in கால், the word for leg.
குருதி means the same and is more common in writing.