Time

These are the Tamil words for talking about time: today, tomorrow and yesterday, the parts of the day, hours, weeks and months, and the seven days of the week. You need them to make plans, to ask when something starts and to understand when a shop is open. The set starts with the words you use every day and ends with the days of the week, from Sunday to Saturday. Several day names have a second meaning, so the notes point them out. A tip for remembering them: each morning, say the day and the time of day in Tamil before you say it in English.

• இன்று

  iṉṟu

  today

• நாளை

  nāḷai

  tomorrow

• நேற்று

  nēṟṟu

  yesterday

• இப்போது

  ippōtu

  now

• காலை

  kālai

  morning

• மாலை

  mālai

  evening

  Also means "garland".

• இரவு

  iravu

  night

• நேரம்

  nēram

  time

• மணி

  maṇi

  hour, o'clock, bell

  Also means "bell".

• நாள்

  nāḷ

  day

• கிழமை

  kiḻamai

  day of the week

  Usually follows the name of the day.

• வாரம்

  vāram

  week

• மாதம்

  mātam

  month

• ஞாயிறு

  ñāyiṟu

  Sunday, sun

  Also means "sun". The full name of the day is ஞாயிற்றுக்கிழமை.

• திங்கள்

  tiṅkaḷ

  Monday, month, moon

  Also means "moon". The full name of the day is திங்கட்கிழமை.

• செவ்வாய்

  cevvāy

  Tuesday, Mars

  Also the planet Mars. The full name of the day is செவ்வாய்க்கிழமை.

• புதன்

  putaṉ

  Wednesday

  The full name of the day is புதன்கிழமை.

• வியாழன்

  viyāḻaṉ

  Thursday

  The full name of the day is வியாழக்கிழமை.

• வெள்ளி

  veḷḷi

  Friday, silver, Venus

  Also means "silver". The full name of the day is வெள்ளிக்கிழமை.

• சனி

  caṉi

  Saturday

  The full name of the day is சனிக்கிழமை.