Spoken vs written
Everyday Tamil sounds quite different from written Tamil. Lina focuses on how people really talk and shows the written form when you ask.
Learn Tamil · 2Lingua
Learn Tamil by speaking it. 🇮🇳
Don't just memorize words. Have real conversations with Lina — order filter coffee and idli at a Chennai tiffin centre, take an auto, celebrate Pongal with family. Like a tutor, but for $7 a month.
30 min/day voice • Report card after every chat • No download
See Lina in action
Lina plays the owner of a tiffin centre in Chennai
Linaவணக்கம்! என்ன வேணும்?Vanakkam! Enna venum?Hello! What would you like?
Youஒரு ஃபில்டர் காபி, ரெண்டு இட்லி குடுங்க.Oru filter kaapi, rendu idli kudunga.One filter coffee and two idlis, please.
Linaசரி! சாம்பார் வேணுமா?Sari! Sambar venuma?OK! Do you want sambar?
✅ “குடுங்க” = perfect - the polite spoken “please give”
💡 Tip: Spoken and written Tamil differ a lot: people say “venum” but write “vendum”. Lina speaks everyday Tamil and shows the written form when it helps.
Why Tamil is different
Neenga vs nee
Neenga (polite you) for elders and strangers, nee for friends. Add -nga to verbs to be polite: vaanga (please come).
Real life, not textbook
Tiffin centres, filter coffee, Marina beach, Pongal with family — not just "the cat is on the table."
What you'll learn
- Week 1Greetings + introductions - vanakkam, eppadi irukeenga?
- Week 2Food + market - tiffin, filter coffee, prices
- Week 3Family + respect - neenga vs nee, amma, appa, paati, thatha
- Week 4Daily life - autos, buses, directions, phone calls in Chennai
5 phrases you'll speak today
A free preview. Press ▶ to hear each one, then say it out loud.
- 1வணக்கம்VanakkamHello
- 2எப்படி இருக்கீங்க?Eppadi irukeenga?How are you? (polite)
- 3நன்றிNandriThank you
- 4என் பெயர் ...En peyar ...My name is...
- 5இது எவ்வளவு?Idhu evvalavu?How much is this?
Conversations with Lina work in Tamil today. The phrasebook, stories and podcasts are in Spanish and German so far; more languages are coming.
Free vs paid for Tamil
FREE
- Read this page
- The 5 phrases above
- 1 free text demo with Lina (3 min)
PAID · $7/mo
- 30 min/day voice with Lina in Tamil
- Unlimited text chat
- Full report cards
- Full phrasebook
- Unlimited vocabulary garden
Tamil questions
Is Tamil hard?
The gap between spoken and written Tamil is the main challenge. Lina focuses on how people really talk.
Which Tamil?
Everyday Chennai Tamil, with notes on Sri Lankan Tamil when you ask.
Can I learn for my kids?
Yes — many families in Singapore, Canada, the UK and the US use 2Lingua so kids can talk with paati and thatha.
Do I need the script?
Not to start: type in Latin letters and Lina understands.