ತಿನ್ನು
tinnu/t̪in̪n̪u/
ತಿನ್ನು (tinnu) is the Kannada verb meaning to eat a meal.
Meaning: eat a meal (verb)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form ತಿನ್ನು is informal and is typically used when speaking to friends, children or people of lower social status. For a polite or respectful way to command someone to eat, use ತಿನ್ನಿ, which is appropriate for addressing elders or strangers. In formal situations, the phrase ಭೋಜನ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳಿ can be used to mean 'have food'. For an informal way to say 'don't eat', you can use ಊಟ ಮಾಡಬೇಡ.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the present tense, the verb changes based on the subject: ತಿನ್ನುತ್ತೆನು means 'I eat', ತಿನ್ನುತ್ತಾನೆ means 'he eats' (masculine) and ತಿನ್ನುತ್ತಾಳೆ means 'she eats' (feminine).
How do you pronounce it?
tinnu
Did you know?
- While ತಿನ್ನು means 'eat', Kannada speakers often use ಊಟ ಮಾಡು meaning 'do a meal' for formal dining. Using ತಿನ್ನು for a full meal can sometimes sound like you are talking to an animal or a very small child.
- In traditional Kannada culture, asking ಊಟ ಆಯ್ತಾ? meaning 'is the meal done?' is a common way to greet someone, functioning more like 'how are you' than a literal question about food.
- The word ತಿನ್ನು is a direct descendant of the Proto-Dravidian root *tiHn. This makes it a linguistic cousin to the Malayalam തിന്നുക, Tamil தின் and Telugu తిను.
Examples in context
- ಟಾಮ್ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಮಾಂಸ ತಿನ್ನುವುದಿಲ್ಲ.Tom doesn't eat much meat.This sentence shows how to use ತಿನ್ನು when talking about not eating much meat.Tatoeba #4775442 by legalghost, translation #2023748 by CK
- ಬಹಳ ತರಕಾರಿಗಳು ತಿನ್ನು.Eat a lot of vegetables.This sentence uses ತಿನ್ನು as an imperative to tell someone to eat vegetables.Tatoeba #4784823 by legalghost, translation #324120 by CK
- ದಯವಿಟ್ಟು ನೀವು ಭೋಜನ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳಿPlease have food.
Example conversation
Rahul and Divya are having lunch together.
- ರಾಹುಲ್ Rahulದಿವ್ಯಾ, ಈ ಹಣ್ಣನ್ನು ತಿನ್ನು.divyā, ī haṇṇannu tinnu.Divya, eat this fruit.
- ದಿವ್ಯಾ Divyaಧನ್ಯವಾದಗಳು ರಾಹುಲ್, ಇದು ತುಂಬಾ ಸಿಹಿಯಾಗಿದೆ.dhanyavādagaḷu rāhul, idu tumbā sihiyāgide.Thank you Rahul, it is very sweet.
- ರಾಹುಲ್ Rahulನಿನಗೆ ಇನ್ನು ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಬೇಕಾ?ninage innu svalpa bēkā?Do you want a little more?
- ದಿವ್ಯಾ Divyaಇಲ್ಲ, ನಾನು ಈಗಾಗಲೇ ಸಾಕಷ್ಟು ತಿಂದೆ.illa, nānu igāgalē sākaṣṭu tinde.No, I have already eaten enough.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ತಿನ್ನು, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ತಿನ್ನು, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
