காலை உணவு
kaalai unavu/kɑːlɐɪ̯ ʊɳɐʋɯ/word by word
The Tamil word for breakfast is காலை உணவு (kaalai unavu).
காலை உணவு refers to the first meal of the day.
Meaning: first meal of the day (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a compound of kaalai, meaning morning and unavu, meaning food.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is kaalai unavu. The IPA is /kɑːlɐɪ̯ ʊɳɐʋɯ/.
Did you know?
- The word காலை may have roots in the Sanskrit word kālya.
- The verb inside the word for food, உண், is quite formal and is often found in classical Tamil literature or religious texts rather than everyday speech.
- While காலை உணவு is the formal term, Tamil speakers often use the English word 'breakfast' in casual urban conversation, blending it into Tamil sentence structures.
Examples in context
- காலை உணவு தயாராகிவிட்டது.kālai uṇavu tayārigivittaṭu.Breakfast is ready.
- நான் காலை உணவு சாப்பிட்டேன்.nāṉ kālai uṇavu sāppiṭṭēṉ.I ate breakfast.
- உங்களுக்கு காலை உணவு என்ன வேண்டும்?uṅkaḷukku kālai uṇavu eṉṉa vēṇṭum?What do you want for breakfast?
Example conversation
Vijay and Divya are in the kitchen in the morning.
- விஜய் Vijayதிவ்யா, காலை உணவு தயாரா?Divyā, kālai uṇavu tayārā?Divya, is breakfast ready?
- திவ்யா Divyaஆம், விஜய், வந்து சாப்பிடுங்கள்.Ām, Vijay, vantu sāppiṭuṅkaḷ.Yes, Vijay, come and eat.
- விஜய் Vijayஇன்று காலை உணவு என்ன?Iṉṟu kālai uṇavu enna?What is for breakfast today?
- திவ்யா Divyaஇன்று இட்லி மற்றும் சாம்பார்.Iṉṟu iṭli maṟṟum sāmbār.Today it is idli and sambar.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (காலை, உணவு) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries உணவு, காலை, CC BY-SA 4.0.
