Which one should you use?
The basic form போ is a blunt or casual command. For a more emphatic or decisive tone, such as telling someone to 'get lost', you can use போய்விடு. For an informal and repetitive sense of 'go away', you may use போ போ.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The register of this command varies significantly. Use போங்கள் to be polite or when addressing more than one person. In contrast, போ is casual and can be blunt. To be highly informal or even rude, you can add suffixes to the base: போடா is used among close male friends or when expressing anger, while போடி is used among close female friends or when expressing anger. For a formal and kind way to say 'Kindly leave', use Thayavu seidhu sellungal.
How does it change in a sentence?
The imperative form போ is casual. To transition to a polite or plural form, use போங்கள். Additionally, adding the suffix '-டா' (-dā) to போ results in போடா and adding '-டி' (-di) results in போடி.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced as pō (/poː/).
Did you know?
- While போ is a command to leave, in casual conversation it can be used as a sarcastic retort similar to the English 'yeah, right' or 'get out of here'.
- The command போ is closely related to the Malayalam word പോകുക (pōkuka) and the Telugu word పోవు (pōvu), as they all stem from the same ancient Dravidian roots.
- The suffixes used in போடா and போடி are so deeply tied to social hierarchy that using them with a social superior is considered an extreme insult, regardless of the speaker's intent.
Examples in context
- தயவு செய்து செல்லுங்கள்Kindly leave.
- போ போGo away.
- இப்பவே போ.Ippavē pō.Go away right now.
- நீ இங்கிருந்து போ.Nī iṅkirundhu pō.You go away from here.
Example conversation
Divya is busy and wants Santhosh to leave the room.
- திவ்யா Divyaசந்தோஷ், நான் வேலை செய்கிறேன், நீ போ.Santhosh, naan velai seigiren, nee po.Santhosh, I am working, you go away.
- சந்தோஷ் Santhoshஏன் திவ்யா, என்ன ஆச்சு?Yen Divya, enna aachu?Why Divya, what happened?
- திவ்யா Divyaஎனக்கு அமைதி தேவை, தயவு செய்து போ.Enakku amaidhi thevai, dhayavu seidhu po.I need peace, please go away.
- சந்தோஷ் Santhoshசரி, நான் போகிறேன்.Sari, naan pogiren.Okay, I am going.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry போ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries போ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
