ಪ್ರೀತಿ
prīti/pɾiː.t̪i/
The English word 'love' is expressed as ಪ್ರೀತಿ (prīti) in Kannada.
ಪ್ರೀತಿ is a noun meaning strong affection.
Meaning: strong affection (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun ಪ್ರೀತಿ can be converted into the verb ಪ್ರೀತಿಸು, which means 'to love'. This verb changes its ending to match the subject. For example, ಪ್ರೀತಿಸುತ್ತಾನೆ is used for 'he loves' (third-person masculine singular), while ಪ್ರೀತಿಸುತ್ತಾಳೆ is used for 'she loves' (third-person feminine singular).
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /pɾiː.t̪i/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- To express 'I love you' in a more casual or familial way, speakers often use the word ಇಷ್ಟ meaning 'like', because stating ಪ್ರೀತಿಸುವೆ can feel overwhelmingly intense in everyday conversation.
- In many South Indian cultural contexts, expressing ಪ್ರೀತಿ is often done through acts of service or food rather than through the verbalization of the word itself.
- The word ಪ್ರೀತಿ is a direct loanword from Sanskrit, the classical language that heavily influenced Kannada's vocabulary and literature.
Examples in context
- ನೀನು ಅವನನ್ನು ಪ್ರೀತಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದೀಯ.You are in love with him.This sentence is useful for showing how to use the form ಪ್ರೀತಿ in a sentence about being in love.Tatoeba #4774190 by legalghost, translation #2545062 by CK
- ಅವರ ನಡುವೆ ತುಂಬಾ ಪ್ರೀತಿ ಇದೆ.avara naḍuvu tumbā prīti ide.There is a lot of love between them.
- ತಾಯಿಯ ಪ್ರೀತಿ ತುಂಬಾ ದೊಡ್ಡದು.tāyiya prīti tumbā doḍḍadu.A mother's love is very great.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Abhishek and Anvitha are talking about their pet dog.
- ಅನ್ವಿತಾ Anvithaನೋಡು, ನಾಯಿ ಎಷ್ಟು ಮುದ್ದಾಗಿದೆ!nōḍu, nāyi eṣṭu muddāgide!Look, the dog is so cute!
- ಅಭಿಷೇಕ್ Abhishekಹೌದು, ನನಗೆ ಅದರ ಮೇಲೆ ತುಂಬಾ ಪ್ರೀತಿ ಇದೆ.haudu, nanage adara mēle tumbā prīti ide.Yes, I have a lot of love for it.
- ಅನ್ವಿತಾ Anvithaಅದು ಕೂಡ ನಿನ್ನನ್ನು ಪ್ರೀತಿಸುತ್ತದೆ.adu kūḍa ninnannu prītisuttade.It loves you too.
- ಅಭಿಷೇಕ್ Abhishekನನಗೆ ಈ ಪ್ರೀತಿ ತುಂಬಾ ಇಷ್ಟ.nanage ī prīti tumbā iṣṭa.I really like this love.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “love” translations and entries ಪ್ರೀತಿ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ಪ್ರೀತಿ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
