You can read Malayalam and build good sentences, then one Malayali speaks at normal speed and you catch nothing. This class fixes that. Real Kerala speech is not sloppy. It follows rules, and every speaker uses the same ones. This part teaches the three big rules: the final short vowel disappears (പോകുന്നു becomes പോകുന്ന്), the question ending ആണ് shrinks to ആ (എന്താണ് becomes എന്താ), and neighbouring words merge into one (എനിക്ക് അറിയില്ല becomes എനിക്കറിയില്ല). English does the same with gonna and dunno. Once you know the rules you can decode fast speech, and later produce it. Words and phrases in this class: പോകുന്നു (pokunnu) – going (careful form) പോകുന്ന് (pokunn) – going (as actually spoken) വരുന്ന് (varunn) – coming (as spoken) ഞാൻ വീട്ടിലേക്ക് പോകുന്ന് (njaan veettilekku pokunn) – I'm going home (spoken) എന്താണ്? (enthaanu?) – what is it? (careful) എന്താ? (enthaa?) – what? (spoken) ആരാ? (aaraa?) – who is it? എവിടെയാ? (evideyaa?) – where is it? എപ്പോഴാ? (eppozhaa?) – when is it? ഇതെന്താ (ithenthaa) – what is this? എനിക്കുണ്ട് (enikkundu) – I have നിനക്കുണ്ടോ? (ninakkundo?) – do you have? (familiar) എനിക്കറിയില്ല (enikkariyilla) – I don't know In this class: • Why careful textbook Malayalam is only half the language • Pattern one: the final short vowel that evaporates • Pattern two: ആണ് shrinks to ആ, and the rising tone that carries the question • Pattern three: words that merge, and the old sandhi rules behind it Quizzes below. Dr. Reshmi R Nair — SpeakMalayalam.