Telugu phrase guide
Telugu phrases for friends and small talk, with meanings
Here are 14 everyday Telugu phrases for friends and small talk, taken from real conversations in Shinar's Telugu course, set in Hyderabad. Each phrase is written in English letters with Telugu script alongside, and its English meaning. A good one to start with: “Saturday em chestunnav?” (సాటర్డే ఏం చేస్తున్నావ్?), which means “What are you doing on Saturday?”.
14 Telugu phrases for friends and small talk
Real lines from 11 Shinar scenes: Making weekend plans, Oops, sorry!, What do you do?, Dinner at a friend's home, Meeting someone new and more.
| English | Telugu |
|---|---|
| What are you doing on Saturday? | Saturday em chestunnav?సాటర్డే ఏం చేస్తున్నావ్? |
| Oh, sorry! I didn't see you. | Ayyo, sorry andi! Nenu choodaledu.అయ్యో, సారీ అండి! నేను చూడలేదు. |
| What do you do? | Meeru em chestaru?మీరు ఏం చేస్తారు? |
| Aunty, the food is really tasty! | Aunty, vanta chaala ruchiga undi!ఆంటీ, వంట చాలా రుచిగా ఉంది! |
| Hello! What is your name? | Namaskaram! Mee peru enti?నమస్కారం! మీ పేరు ఏంటి? |
| Meghana, why didn't you talk to me yesterday? | Meghana, ninna naatho enduku matladaledu?మేఘన, నిన్న నాతో ఎందుకు మాట్లాడలేదు? |
| Rohan, guess who's getting married! | Rohan, evaru pelli chesukuntunnaro cheppu!రోహన్, ఎవరు పెళ్ళి చేసుకుంటున్నారో చెప్పు! |
| Who's batting first? | Mundu evaru batting?ముందు ఎవరు బ్యాటింగ్? |
| Two tickets for the evening show. | Evening show ki rendu tickets.ఈవెనింగ్ షో కి రెండు టికెట్స్. |
| Saturday is Teja's birthday. Shall we throw a surprise party? | Saturday Teja birthday. Surprise party iddama?సాటర్డే తేజ బర్త్‌డే. సర్ప్రైజ్ పార్టీ ఇద్దామా? |
| Pooja, is it true you're moving to Pune? | Pooja, nuvvu Pune ki shift avtunnava? Nijamaa?పూజ, నువ్వు పూణే కి షిఫ్ట్ అవుతున్నావా? నిజమా? |
| Nothing much. Why? | Emi ledu. Enduku?ఏమీ లేదు. ఎందుకు? |
| It's okay. You're alright, aren't you? | Paravaledu. Meeku emi kaaledu kada?పర్వాలేదు. మీకు ఏమీ కాలేదు కదా? |
| I'm a teacher. And you? | Nenu teacher ni. Mari meeru?నేను టీచర్ ని. మరి మీరు? |
Key Telugu words in these phrases
| Telugu | Meaning |
|---|---|
| em | what |
| chestunnav | are you doing |
| ayyo | oh no |
| nenu | I |
| choodaledu | didn’t see |
| meeru | you (polite) |
| chestaru | do you do |
| vanta | cooking / food |
| ruchiga | tasty |
| namaskaram | hello (respectful) |
| mee | your |
| peru | name |
| enti | what |
| ninna | yesterday |
| naatho | with me |
| enduku | why |
Questions about Telugu for friends and small talk
How do you say “What are you doing on Saturday?” in Telugu?
“Saturday em chestunnav?” (సాటర్డే ఏం చేస్తున్నావ్?). This phrase comes from the Shinar scene “Making weekend plans”.
What are common Telugu words for friends and small talk?
Some of the first Telugu words you will hear in these conversations: em (what), chestunnav (are you doing), ayyo (oh no), nenu (I), choodaledu (didn’t see), meeru (you (polite)).
Are these Telugu phrases formal or everyday?
They are everyday spoken Telugu as heard in Hyderabad, including the English words people naturally mix in, not textbook-formal Telugu.
How can I practise these Telugu phrases?
Each phrase comes from a full conversation in Shinar (Making weekend plans, Oops, sorry!, What do you do?, Dinner at a friend's home). You hear the scene in English first, then in Telugu, then learn every word. Shinar is coming soon to Google Play.