When a Malayali tells you a story, they expect to hear you listening. English speakers often sit in polite silence, or they translate English habits directly and say "really?" as സത്യമായിട്ടും? (sathyamaayittum?) = truly, honestly? In this episode: • The listening sounds • Go on: asking for the next part • Follow-up questions • Listening without taking over • Finishing and holding the floor • Language bridge • Practice • Self-check questions with answers Key phrases from this episode: ഉം (um) = mm, mm-hm. Said softly and often, it means "I'm listening". അതേ അതേ (athe athe) = yes yes, exactly. The doubling shows warm agreement. ആഹാ (aahaa) = oh nice, well well. It shows pleasant surprise. ആണോ? (aano?) = is that so? oh really? This is the natural "really?". ഓ, അങ്ങനെയാണോ? (o, anganeyaano?) = oh, is that how it was? ശരി (shari) = right, okay. It shows you have understood. അയ്യോ (ayyo) = oh no. Use it for small bad news. കഷ്ടം (kashtam) = what a pity. എന്നിട്ട്? (ennittu?) = and then? what next? പിന്നെ? (pinne?) = and then? what else? എന്നിട്ട് എന്തായി? (ennittu enthaayi?) = and then what happened? പറ, പറ (para, para) = go on, tell me ആരാ പറഞ്ഞത്? (aaraa paranjathu?) = who said so? എപ്പോഴാ? (eppozhaa?) = when was this? എവിടെ വെച്ചാ? (evide vechaa?) = where did it happen? എന്തിനാ? (enthinaa?) = what for? why? എന്നിട്ട് അവൾ വന്നോ? (ennittu aval vanno?) = so did she come in the end? നീ പറ (nee para) = you go on, you tell it ബാക്കി പറ (baakki para) = tell me the rest ഞാൻ കേൾക്കുന്നുണ്ട് (njaan kelkkunnundu) = I'm listening, on the phone 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.