In English, politeness lives in extra words: "please", "could you", "would you mind". English speakers look for a Malayalam "please" and stick it on a bare command, saying something like ദയവായി വാ (dayavaayi vaa) = "please come" to an elder. The word ദയവായി (dayavaayi) = please does exist, but it is formal, the kind of word on notices and in announcements. In this episode: • Level one: the bare command • Level two: the polite -oo • Level three: -anam, "you must" • Level four: the gentle favour, -aamo and -umo • The magic softener: onnu • Language bridge • Practice • Self-check questions with answers Key phrases from this episode: വാ (vaa) = come താ (thaa) = give (it to me) ഇരിക്ക് (irikku) = sit കഴിക്ക് (kazhikku) = eat കുടിക്ക് (kudikku) = drink നോക്ക് (nokku) = look കേൾക്ക് (kelkku) = listen ഉറങ്ങ് (urangu) = sleep നിൽക്ക് (nilkku) = wait, stop പോ (po) = go പോയി കുളിക്ക് (poyi kulikku) = go and have a bath മോനേ, വാ, കഴിക്ക് (mone, vaa, kazhikku) = come, son, eat വരൂ (varoo) = please come ഇരിക്കൂ (irikkoo) = please sit കഴിക്കൂ (kazhikkoo) = please eat കുടിക്കൂ (kudikkoo) = please drink നോക്കൂ (nokkoo) = please look പറയൂ (parayoo) = please tell me, go ahead അകത്തേക്ക് വരൂ, ഇരിക്കൂ (akathekku varoo, irikkoo) = please come in, sit down വരണം (varanam) = (you) must come നാളെ നേരത്തെ വരണം (naale nerathe varanam) = you must come early tomorrow ഇത് കഴിക്കണം (ithu kazhikkanam) = you must eat this മരുന്ന് കഴിക്കണം (marunnu kazhikkanam) = you have to take the medicine ഒന്ന് തരാമോ? (onnu tharaamo?) = could you give it to me? 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.