Almost every mistake English speakers make in Malayalam comes from one habit: translating English word by word. English says "I am hungry", so learners say ഞാൻ വിശക്കുന്നു (njaan vishakkunnu) instead of എനിക്ക് വിശക്കുന്നു (enikku vishakkunnu) = I'm hungry. The good news: the same thirty or so mistakes come up again and again, and every one has a simple fix. In this episode: • The two kinds of "is" • The "to me" trap • Case endings left out or added • The wrong "you" and other respect slips • English word order and english habits • Sound slips • Language bridge • Practice • Self-check questions with answers 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.