Most English speakers begin by translating word for word, in English order. They want to say "I drink tea", so they line the words up the English way and the verb lands in the middle. Malayalam puts the verb at the end, and the kitchen-table language differs from the schoolbook. In this episode: • How this course is built • The triple format and how to read manglish • Spoken versus written • The verb comes last • Twenty survival phrases for home • How to study with this course • Language bridge • Practice • Self-check questions with answers Key phrases from this episode: എനിക്ക് വിശക്കുന്നു (enikku vishakkunnu) = I'm hungry ആന (aana) = elephant വീട് (veedu) = house നൂറ് (nooru) = hundred ചേച്ചി (chechi) = older sister മഴ (mazha) = rain അമ്മ (amma) = mother കുട്ടി (kutti) = child ഞാൻ (njaan) = I എങ്ങനെ (engane) = how ഇത് (ithu) = this അച്ഛൻ (achan) = father പത്ത് (pathu) = ten എന്താ? (enthaa?) = What is it? The written form is എന്താണ്? (enthaanu?) എവിടെയാ? (evideyaa?) = Where is it? The written form is എവിടെയാണ്? (evideyaanu?) ഇപ്പോ (ippo) = now. The written form is ഇപ്പോൾ (ippol). ഞാൻ ചായ കുടിക്കുന്നു (njaan chaaya kudikkunnu) = I drink tea അമ്മ ചോറ് ഉണ്ടാക്കുന്നു (amma choru undaakkunnu) = Amma is making rice കുട്ടി പുസ്തകം വായിക്കുന്നു (kutti pusthakam vaayikkunnu) = The child is reading a book നമസ്കാരം (namaskaaram) = hello, said politely അതെ (athe) = yes, that's right അല്ല (alla) = no, it isn't that ഇല്ല (illa) = no, there isn't, or I don't ശരി (shari) = okay, right നന്ദി (nanni) = thank you. The letters ന്ദ are said "nn". 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.