Ways to say it
| Malayalam | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| അല്ല | alla | /ɐllɐ/ | absolute, negative |
| ഇല്ല | illa | /illɐ/ |
Malayalam uses different words for negation depending on whether you are negating an identity or an existence. അല്ല is used to negate nouns or adjectives to say something is not a certain thing, while ഇല്ല is used to express that something does not exist or is not present.
Which one should you use?
The primary difference lies in what is being negated. Use അല്ല to mean 'is not' when identifying or describing something. Use ഇല്ല to mean 'is not there' or 'does not have' to negate existence or possession.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
അല്ല serves as the negation of the verb 'to be' (is) specifically when identifying what something is or is not. In contrast, ഇല്ല functions as the negation of existence or possession, used to state that something is not present or that someone does not possess something.
How do you pronounce it?
alla (IPA: /ɐllɐ/)
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often confuse these two forms. Remember that you must use അല്ല for 'it is not [a thing]' and ഇല്ല for 'it is not [there]'.
Did you know?
- In Kerala, a gentle side-to-side head tilt or a slight shake can often signal ഇല്ല or അല്ല without the speaker saying a word.
- Because ഇല്ല expresses non-existence, it is used to say 'I don't know' by literally saying that the knowledge 'is not there'.
- Depending on the tone and length of the vowel, അല്ലേ can turn a 'no' into a tag question similar to 'isn't it?' or 'right?'
Example sentences for Malayalam are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Vishnu and Lakshmi are discussing a person's occupation.
- വിഷ്ണു Vishnuഅവൻ ഒരു അധ്യാപകനാണോ?avan oru adhyapakanano?Is he a teacher?
- ലക്ഷ്മി Lakshmiഅല്ല, അവൻ ഒരു എൻജിനീയറാണ്.alla, avan oru engineer aanu.No, he is an engineer.
- വിഷ്ണു Vishnuഅവൻ ആ ഡ്രൈവറാണോ?avan aa driver ano?Is he that driver?
- ലക്ഷ്മി Lakshmiഅല്ല, അവൻ ഡ്രൈവർ അല്ല.alla, avan driver alla.No, he is not a driver.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “no” translations and entries അല്ല, ഇല്ല, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
