The neighbour's greeting happens four hundred times a year; the train ticket happens twice. This class collects the short exchanges that fill a Kerala day, in order of frequency: meeting, the passing 'where to?', the കഴിച്ചോ? ritual, the weather, asking after family, running into someone, backchannel, small courtesies, the phone and leaving. You learn why people say പോയിട്ട് വരാം, 'I'll go and come', rather than simply 'I'm going', and how കേട്ടോ at the end turns an instruction into affectionate insistence. It ends with a five-week plan for making it all reflex. Words and phrases in this class: എന്തുണ്ട് വിശേഷം? (enthundu vishesham?) – what's the news? പതിവുപോലെ (pathivupole) – as usual എവിടേക്കാ? (evidekkaa?) – where to? പോയിട്ട് വരാം (poyittu varaam) – I'll go and come back ചായ കുടിച്ചോ? (chaaya kudicho?) – have you had tea? നല്ല ചൂടാണല്ലോ (nalla choodaanallo) – it's very hot, isn't it വീട്ടിൽ എല്ലാവർക്കും സുഖമല്ലേ? (veettil ellaavarkkum sukhamalle?) – is everyone at home well? എല്ലാവരോടും അന്വേഷണം പറയണം (ellaavarodum anweshanam parayanam) – give my regards to everybody എത്ര നാളായി കണ്ടിട്ട്! (ethra naalaayi kandittu!) – it's been so long! അതിനെന്താ (athinenthaa) – don't mention it കടന്നു പോകട്ടെ? (kadannu pokatte?) – may I pass? ഇനിയും വരണം കേട്ടോ (iniyum varanam ketto) – you must come again, all right? സൂക്ഷിച്ച് പോകണം (sookshichu pokanam) – go carefully In this class: • Meeting, passing and the പോയിട്ട് വരാം habit • Have you eaten?, the weather and asking after family • Running into someone, backchannel and the small courtesies • The phone, leaving with കേട്ടോ, and a five-week plan Quizzes below. Dr. Reshmi R Nair — SpeakMalayalam.