In Malayalam, every time you address someone you place them: above you, beside you or below you. There is no neutral 'you'. This class covers the pronouns learners most often get almost right, and so never get corrected on. You learn the two words for we (ഞങ്ങൾ excludes the listener, നമ്മൾ includes them), the three levels of you, and the plain rule: നീ only for intimates, നിങ്ങൾ for everybody else, താങ്കൾ only in formal writing. Then comes the third-person ladder from അവൻ to അദ്ദേഹം, and why അവർ is used for one respected person. Words and phrases in this class: ഞാൻ (njaan) – I ഞങ്ങൾ (njangal) – we (not you) നമ്മൾ (nammal) – we (including you) നീ (nee) – you (intimate only) നിങ്ങൾ (ningal) – you (respectful default; plural) താങ്കൾ (thaankal) – you (ceremonial, formal writing) അവൻ (avan) – he (casual) അവൾ (aval) – she (casual) അവർ (avar) – they; he or she (respectful) അയാൾ (ayaal) – he (neutral) അദ്ദേഹം (addeham) – he (highly respectful) In this class: • Inclusive and exclusive 'we', and the mistake English speakers make • നീ, നിങ്ങൾ, താങ്കൾ: who gets which, and the slip that causes offence • The third-person ladder from അവൻ to അദ്ദേഹം • അവർ as the respectful singular Quizzes below. Dr. Reshmi R Nair — SpeakMalayalam.