Thiruvananthapuram, the capital in the far south of Kerala, has one of the most loved and recognisable ways of speaking in the state. It sits close to Tamil Nadu, so it shares some sounds and words with Tamil, and its rhythm is lively and warm. English speakers who learned central Malayalam hear എന്തര് (entharu) instead of എന്താ (enthaa) and a verb ending in -anu instead of -unnu, and they freeze: is this a new word? In this episode: • Entharu: the southern "what" • The -anu and -ana present • Friendly ways of calling people • "he", "that one" and short forms • An invented listening lab: the auto ride • Responding with respect • Language bridge • Practice • Self-check questions with answers Key phrases from this episode: അണ്ണൻ (annan) = older brother, a word shared with Tamil അപ്പി (appi) = buddy, kiddo, said with affection മക്കളേ (makkale) = dear ones, literally "children", used warmly even for adults ഒന്നു കൂടി പറയാമോ? (onnu koodi parayaamo?) = Could you say that again? എനിക്ക് മനസ്സിലായില്ല (enikku manassilaayilla) = I didn't understand Learn Spoken Malayalam at Home: a complete course in everyday spoken Malayalam for English speakers. Native Malayalam pronunciation, every phrase in Malayalam script, Manglish and English, plus a language bridge comparing Malayalam with other world languages. Listen, repeat out loud, then take the 52-question quiz. Audio voiced with AI from an original script by Dr. Rashmi R Nair.