Basic Nouns

1. വെള്ളം

   vellam

   Water

   Usage

   The basic word for drinking water, understood in any eatery or shop

2. ഭക്ഷണം

   bhakshanam

   Food

   Usage

   The general word for food — a way into asking where you can eat

3. പണം

   panam

   Money

   Usage

   The base word for anything about paying or changing currency

4. ടോയിലറ്റ്

   toilet

   Toilet

   Usage

   Essential when asking directions. The word alone usually does the job

5. ടിഷ്യൂ

   tishyoo

   Tissue

   Usage

   Needed at toilets and street stalls that provide no paper

6. മരുന്ന്

   marunnu

   Medicine

   Usage

   Use it at a pharmacy while miming your symptom

7. ലഗേജ്

   lagej

   Luggage

   Usage

   For checking, carrying or collecting bags — common at airports and hotels

8. താക്കോൽ

   thaakkol

   Key

   Usage

   For room keys and locker keys

9. ടിക്കറ്റ്

   tikkattu

   Ticket

   Usage

   Transport or entry tickets. Combine it with a number at the counter

10. പാസ്പോർട്ട്

    paasportu

    Passport

    Usage

    Requested at check-in and currency exchange, and the word you need if it goes missing

11. ഫോൺ

    phon

    Phone

    Usage

    Usually covers both the device and the act of calling

12. ചാർജർ

    chaarjar

    Charger

    Usage

    For borrowing or buying one — often needed at a hotel front desk

13. സ്റ്റേഷൻ

    steshan

    Station

    Usage

    A landmark word when asking for directions

14. ആശുപത്രി

    aashupathri

    Hospital

    Usage

    For when you fall ill — works as a destination in a taxi

15. പോലീസ്

    polees

    Police

    Usage

    For theft or accidents. Even the bare word conveys urgency

16. കട

    kada

    Shop

    Usage

    The base word when asking where to buy something

17. മുറി

    muri

    Room

    Usage

    For accommodation — checking vacancies or explaining a room number

18. റോഡ്

    rod

    Road

    Usage

    For asking the way, ideally while pointing at a map

19. കുടുംബം

    kudumbam

    Family

    Usage

    A guaranteed small-talk topic. Add a number and the conversation keeps going

20. പേര്

    peru

    Name

    Usage

    For confirming a booking or introducing yourself

21. തല

    thala

    Head

    Usage

    Body-part word for pointing at where it hurts

22. കണ്ണ്

    kannu

    Eye

    Usage

    Point at this to tell a doctor or pharmacist the problem is with your eye

23. പല്ല്

    pallu

    Tooth

    Usage

    For toothache; a dentist is ദന്തഡോക്ടർ (dantha doctor)

24. തൊണ്ട

    thonda

    Throat

    Usage

    The inside of the throat; the outside of the neck is കഴുത്ത് (kazhuthu)

25. വയറ്

    vayaru

    Stomach / belly

    Usage

    For stomach ache or diarrhoea; വയറുവേദന (vayaruvedana) is stomach pain

26. മുതുക്

    muthuku

    Back (of the body)

    Usage

    Means only the back of the body; the commoner പുറം also means "outside", so this word is the unambiguous one

27. നടുവ്

    naduvu

    Lower back / waist

    Usage

    The lower back; നടുവേദന (naduvedana, lower-back pain) is how Malayalis describe this complaint

28. കാൽ

    kaal

    Leg / foot

    Usage

    Malayalam does not separate leg from foot — point at the actual spot on your body to narrow it down

29. കൈ

    kai

    Hand / arm

    Usage

    Malayalam does not separate hand from arm — point at the actual spot on your body to narrow it down

30. നെഞ്ച്

    nenchu

    Chest

    Usage

    The chest cavity — the word to use for chest pain

31. ഹോട്ടൽ

    hottal

    Hotel

    Usage

    Careful: in Kerala ഹോട്ടൽ very often means an eatery. For a place to sleep, also show ലോഡ്ജ് (lodge) or റെസിഡൻസി (residency)

32. വിമാനത്താവളം

    vimaanaththaavalam

    Airport

    Usage

    The formal word used on road signs; the English loan എയർപോർട്ട് also works in speech

33. ബസ് സ്റ്റോപ്പ്

    bas stoppu

    Bus stop

    Usage

    For a roadside bus stop; the long-distance terminal is a separate word, ബസ് സ്റ്റാൻഡ് (bus stand)

34. മെട്രോ

    metro

    Metro

    Usage

    Kochi Metro is the only metro in Kerala and is mostly elevated rather than underground; the word means nothing in other Kerala cities

35. എംബസി

    embasi

    Embassy

    Usage

    All embassies are in Delhi; Kerala has consulates (കോൺസുലേറ്റ്) in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi — go there if you lose your passport

36. എ.ടി.എം.

    e.ti.em.

    ATM

    Usage

    Signage is almost always the English "ATM"; this Malayalam spelling appears in newspapers and printed notices

37. കറൻസി എക്സ്ചേഞ്ച്

    karansi exchange

    Currency exchange

    Usage

    For finding a bureau de change; shopfronts read "Money Exchange" or "Forex" in English

38. അലക്കുകട

    alakkukada

    Laundry shop

    Usage

    Self-service coin laundries barely exist in Kerala; you drop clothes off at a laundry shop, signed "Laundry" or "Dry Clean"

39. ഫയർ സ്റ്റേഷൻ

    phayar steshan

    Fire station

    Usage

    A direct transliteration of English "fire station"; the official term is അഗ്നി രക്ഷാ നിലയം

40. കോൺസുലേറ്റ്

    konsulettu

    Consulate

    Usage

    The mission a country keeps in major cities, distinct from the embassy in the capital (എംബസി)

Browse all TravelPhrases languages