Malayali families tease a lot, and much of it is said with words that mean the opposite. When your brother walks in an hour late and Amma says നേരത്തെ എത്തിയല്ലോ (nerathe ethiyallo) = you've arrived early, I see, she is not praising him. English speakers who translate word by word take every line at face value and answer "thank you" to a joke, or miss that they are being gently scolded. In this episode: • The words that flip • Pinne! and pinnallaathe • Praise that is really a scolding • "i'm only joking" • Warm or hurtful? • Language bridge • Practice • Self-check questions with answers Key phrases from this episode: നല്ല കാര്യം! (nalla kaaryam!) = good thing! Ironic: oh, great, just what we needed കൊള്ളാം (kollaam) = nice, good. Ironic: well done, look what you've done ആഹാ (aahaa) = aha, oh really. Ironic: oh, is that so? അതെ അതെ (athe athe) = yes, yes. Doubtful: sure, sure, I don't believe you പിന്നേ! (pinne!) = yeah, right! As if! പിന്നല്ലാതെ (pinnallaathe) = of course, what else? It is usually a real, strong yes. നീ വരുമോ? പിന്നല്ലാതെ! (nee varumo? pinnallaathe!) = will you come? Of course! നേരത്തെ എത്തിയല്ലോ (nerathe ethiyallo) = you're early, I see (said to a late person) ചുമ്മാ പറഞ്ഞതാ (chumma paranjathaa) = I just said it for fun, just kidding തമാശ പറഞ്ഞതാ (thamaasha paranjathaa) = I was joking ചുമ്മാ (chumma) = just, for nothing, for fun എന്നെ കളിയാക്കല്ലേ (enne kaliyaakkalle) = don't tease me കളിയാക്കുക (kaliyaakkuka) = to tease, make fun of ശരിക്കും? (sharikkum?) = really? 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.