ಕೇಳು
kēḷu/keːɭu/
The English verb 'ask' is translated into Kannada as ಕೇಳು (kēḷu).
ಕೇಳು is used to request an answer or seek information. Note that this root is polysemous, meaning it can also mean 'to hear' or 'to listen' depending on the context of the conversation.
Meaning: request an answer (verb)
Which one should you use?
While ಕೇಳು is the standard root, you may encounter other phrases: Vicara māḍu is used to emphasize a formal inquiry or the act of asking questions, whereas Prashne māḍu is a popular phrase used for asking friends or acquaintances in informal contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb ಕೇಳು can be conjugated into different forms. For example, when referring to a respected person in the past tense, use the polite form ಕೇಳಿದರು to mean 'asked'.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is kēḷu and the IPA is /keːɭu/.
Did you know?
- The word ಕೇಳು is inherited from the Old Kannada form ಕೇಳ್, which traces back to the Proto-Dravidian root *kēḷ-.
- If you use the phrase Prashne māḍu to ask something, you are literally saying 'do a question'. This treats the process of inquiry as a specific task or action to be performed.
- In Kannada, the act of asking a question is conceptually tied to the act of listening through the single root ಕೇಳು. This implies that to truly 'ask' something involves the inherent expectation of hearing an answer.
Examples in context
- ಅವನಿಗೆ ದಾರಿ ಕೇಳು.avanige dāri kēḷu.Ask him for the way.
- ಅವಳಿಗೆ ಸಮಯ ಕೇಳು.avaḷige samaya kēḷu.Ask her for the time.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a confusing homework assignment.
- ಸೌಮ್ಯ Soumyaನನಗೆ ಇದು ಅರ್ಥವಾಗುತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ.nanage idu arthavāguttilla.I don't understand this.
- ಅಭಿಷೇಕ್ Abhishekಶಿಕ್ಷಕರಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದು ಸಲ ಕೇಳು.shikshakaralli ondu sala kēḷu.Ask the teacher once.
- ಸೌಮ್ಯ Soumyaಅವರು ಈಗ ಬಿಜಿಯಾಗಿದ್ದಾರೆ.avaru īga bijiyāgiddāre.They are busy right now.
- ಅಭಿಷೇಕ್ Abhishekಮತ್ತೆ ನಂತರ ಕೇಳು.matte nantara kēḷu.Ask them later then.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ask” translations and entries ಕೇಳು, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ಕೇಳು, CC BY-SA 4.0.
