Many Kerala homes have someone who helps with cleaning, cooking or the garden, and how you speak to them says a lot about you. English speakers often translate "Clean the floor, please" directly into a bare command, or they use നീ (nee) = you, the casual "you" for children and close friends. To an older helper both sound bossy. In this episode: • How to address someone • The magic of "could you" • Times and schedules • Pay and thanks, kept simple • An invented scene: a morning with bindu chechi • Language bridge • Practice • Self-check questions with answers Key phrases from this episode: ചേച്ചി (chechi) = older sister; the polite word for a woman a little older than you ചേട്ടൻ (chettan) = older brother; the polite word for a man a little older than you ചേട്ടാ (chettaa) = the calling form, used when you speak directly to him ബിന്ദു ചേച്ചി (Bindu chechi) = name plus chechi, very common and friendly ചേച്ചി കഴിച്ചോ? (chechi kazhicho?) = Have you eaten? Literally "Has chechi eaten?" ചേട്ടൻ നാളെ വരുമോ? (chettan naale varumo?) = Will you come tomorrow? ഒന്ന് തുടയ്ക്കാമോ? (onnu thudaykkaamo?) = could you just wipe it? തറ ഒന്ന് തുടയ്ക്കാമോ? (thara onnu thudaykkaamo?) = could you mop the floor? ഒന്ന് അടിച്ചുവാരാമോ? (onnu adichuvaaraamo?) = could you sweep? പാത്രം കഴുകാമോ? (paathram kazhukaamo?) = could you wash the dishes? തുണി അലക്കാമോ? (thuni alakkaamo?) = could you wash the clothes? ചെടിക്ക് വെള്ളം ഒഴിക്കാമോ? (chedikku vellam ozhikkaamo?) = could you water the plants? ഇന്ന് അത് മതി (innu athu mathi) = that's enough for today 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.