கரடி
karaṭi/kɐɾɐɖiː/
The English word "bear" is translated into Tamil as கரடி (karaṭi).
கரடி refers to a bear, which is a large mammal of the family Ursidae.
Meaning: large mammal of family Ursidae (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /kɐɾɐɖiː/. The romanization is karaṭi.
Did you know?
- In Tamil culture, the கரடி ஆட்டம் or 'bear dance' is a traditional folk performance where a dancer dresses as a bear to entertain crowds.
- The word கரடி appears in ancient Sangam literature, which dates back over two thousand years, proving the animal's long presence in the Tamil psyche.
- In modern Tamil media, the term கரடி is occasionally used metaphorically to describe someone who is physically large but perhaps uncoordinated.
Examples in context
- கொடுங்கரடி ஒன்று சைபீரியப் புலியொன்றை விட பருமனில் பெரிது எனினும் சைபீரியப் புலி கொடுங்கரடியை விட அதிக வேகமானது.A grizzly bear may be larger than a Siberian tiger, but the tiger is much quicker.This sentence is useful for comparing the size and speed of a grizzly bear (using கரடி) and a Siberian tiger.Tatoeba #12415111 by niroshan, translation #12415110 by niroshan
- காட்டில் ஒரு கரடி இருந்தது.kaattil oru karadi irundhadhu.There was a bear in the forest.
- அந்த கரடி மிகவும் பெரியது.andha karadi migavum periyadhu.That bear is very big.
Example conversation
Anita and Vijay are watching a nature documentary on television.
- அனிதா Anitaவிஜய், அந்த கரடியைப் பார்!vijay, andha karadiyai paar!Vijay, look at that bear!
- விஜய் Vijayஆம், அந்த கரடி அழகாக இருக்கிறது.aam, andha karadi azhagaaga irukkiradhu.Yes, that bear is beautiful.
- அனிதா Anitaஅது இப்போது என்ன செய்கிறது?adhu ippodhu enna seigiradhu?What is it doing now?
- விஜய் Vijayஅது மீன் பிடிக்க முயற்சிக்கிறது.adhu meen pidikka muyarsikkiradhu.It is trying to catch fish.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bear” translations and entries கரடி, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
