On the phone, English speakers end a call with "I have to go now, bye!" and translate that as "enikku pokanam". To a Kerala grandparent that sounds as if you are physically walking out of the room, and a little abrupt. Malayalam phone talk has its own rhythm: a short "who is it?", a warm "what's new?", and at the end a polite request for permission to put the phone down. In this episode: • Answering the phone • Bad lines and calling back • Voice notes and family groups • Writing manglish in messages • Closing a call warmly • Language bridge • Practice • Self-check questions with answers Key phrases from this episode: ഹലോ (halo) = hello ആരാ? (aaraa?) = who is it? ആരാ സംസാരിക്കുന്നത്? (aaraa samsaarikkunnathu?) = who's speaking? ഞാനാ, മീര (njaanaa, meera) = it's me, Meera ഹായ്, എന്തുണ്ട് വിശേഷം? (haay, enthundu vishesham?) = hi, what's new? സുഖമാണോ? (sukhamaano?) = are you well? സുഖം (sukham) = fine, well കേൾക്കാമോ? (kelkkaamo?) = can you hear me? കേൾക്കുന്നില്ല (kelkkunnilla) = I can't hear റേഞ്ച് ഇല്ല (renju illa) = there's no signal ഒന്ന് ഉറക്കെ പറയാമോ? (onnu urakke parayaamo?) = could you say it a bit louder? ചാർജ് ഇല്ല (chaarju illa) = the battery is low ഞാൻ പിന്നെ വിളിക്കാം (njaan pinne vilikkaam) = I'll call you later തിരിച്ച് വിളിക്കാം (thirichu vilikkaam) = I'll call back വിളിച്ചിരുന്നോ? (vilichirunno?) = did you call me? ഫോൺ എടുത്തില്ല (phon eduthilla) = didn't pick up the phone തിരക്കാണോ? (thirakkaano?) = are you busy? ഇപ്പോ തിരക്കാ (ippo thirakkaa) = I'm busy right now 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.