In English you stress a word with your voice: "I made the tea", "I made the TEA". You can also say "It was me who made the tea." English speakers try to copy this in Malayalam by shouting one word, or by translating "it was me who" word by word into something heavy like അത് ഞാൻ ആയിരുന്നു ആര് ഉണ്ടാക്കി (athu njaan aayirunnu aaru undaakki), which is not Malayalam at all. Malayalam marks emphasis with word order and with one small word, ആണ് (aanu). In this episode: • The basic order is a home, not a prison • Afterthoughts at the end • "it was i who": the aanu focus • Focus in questions and denials • Language bridge • Practice • Self-check questions with answers Key phrases from this episode: ഞാൻ നാളെ വരാം (njaan naale varaam) = I'll come tomorrow നാളെ ഞാൻ വരാം (naale njaan varaam) = tomorrow, I'll come (the time matters) ഈ പുസ്തകം ഞാൻ വായിച്ചു (ee pusthakam njaan vaayichu) = this book, I've read it അമ്മയെ ഞാൻ വിളിച്ചു (ammaye njaan vilichu) = Amma, I called (her) നാളെ വരാം ഞാൻ (naale varaam njaan) = I'll come tomorrow, I will നല്ല രുചിയുണ്ട്, ഈ കറി (nalla ruchiyundu, ee kari) = it's really tasty, this curry കണ്ടോ നീ? (kando nee?) = did you see it, you? പോയി അവൻ (poyi avan) = he's gone, he has ഞാൻ ആണ് ചായ ഉണ്ടാക്കിയത് (njaan aanu chaaya undaakkiyathu) = it was I who made the tea ഇന്നലെ ആണ് അവൻ വന്നത് (innale aanu avan vannathu) = it was yesterday that he came കടയിൽ വെച്ചാണ് കണ്ടത് (kadayil vechaanu kandathu) = it was at the shop that I saw (him) ആരാ വന്നത്? (aaraa vannathu?) = who is it that came? who came? 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.