நண்டு
naṇṭu/nɐɳɖɯ/
The English word "crab" is நண்டு (naṇṭu) in Tamil.
The term refers to the crustacean.
Meaning: crustacean (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is naṇṭu. The IPA is /nɐɳɖɯ/.
Did you know?
- While English uses 'crabby' to describe someone's mood, Tamil has no such idiom involving the நண்டு to express irritability.
- The letter ண in நண்டு represents a retroflex nasal sound, requiring the tongue to curl back to touch the roof of the mouth, a phonetic feature that is rare in English.
- The word நண்டு shares an ancient root with the Telugu word ఎండ్రి and the Malayalam word ഞണ്ട്, showing how related these South Indian languages are.
Examples in context
- நண்டு ஒரு கடல் உயிரினம்.nandu oru kadal uyirinam.A crab is a sea creature.
- கடற்கரையில் ஒரு நண்டு இருந்தது.kadarkaraiyil oru nandu irundhadhu.There was a crab on the beach.
Example conversation
Two friends are walking along the shoreline.
- கவிதா Kavithaவிஜய், அந்த நண்டு பார்!vijay, andha nandu paar!Vijay, look at that crab!
- விஜய் Vijayஆமாம் கவிதா, அது மிகவும் பெரியது.aamaam kavitha, adhu migavum periyadhu.Yes Kavitha, it is very big.
- கவிதா Kavithaஅதை நாம் பிடிக்கலாமா?adhai naam pidikkalaama?Shall we catch it?
- விஜய் Vijayவேண்டாம், அது வேகமாக ஓடுகிறது.vendam, adhu vegamaaga odugiradhu.No, it is running fast.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “crab” translations and entries நண்டு, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries நண்டு, CC BY-SA 4.0.
