எதுவும்
etuvum
The English word 'nothing' is translated into Tamil as எதுவும் (etuvum). Wiktionary also lists எதுவும் இல்லை (etuvum illai) and எதுவுமே (etuvumē).
Meaning: not any thing (pron)
Ways to say it
| Tamil | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| எதுவும் | etuvum |
| எதுவும் இல்லை | etuvum illai |
| எதுவுமே | etuvumē |
The word எதுவும் literally means 'anything', but in Tamil, it is primarily used in negative sentences to express the meaning of 'nothing'.
Which one should you use?
While எதுவும் can mean 'anything', it is typically paired with a negative verb to mean 'nothing'. The phrase எதுவும் இல்லை is the standard way to express the complete thought 'there is nothing'. For a more forceful meaning, எதுவுமே is used to mean 'nothing at all'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express 'nothing (is there)', use the standard phrase எதுவும் இல்லை. You can also create an emphatic form by adding the suffix '-ē' to the end of the word, resulting in எதுவுமே, which emphasizes that there is absolutely nothing.
How do you pronounce it?
etuvum
Did you know?
- When a Tamil speaker says எதுவும் இல்லை in response to 'What happened?', it can function as a social cue to signal that they do not wish to discuss the topic.
- The word இல்லை is a cognate with the Kannada word ಇಲ್ಲ and the Malayalam word ഇല്ല, reflecting an ancient linguistic bond between these Dravidian languages.
- The root of the negation used in 'nothing', இல், is an existential particle. This means the language is fundamentally expressing that the 'thing' in question does not exist in the world.
Examples in context
- அங்கே எதுவும் இல்லைThere is nothing there
- எதுவும் தேவையில்லை.edhuvum thevaiyillai.Nothing is needed.
Example conversation
Arun and Priya are talking about what to eat for dinner.
- பிரியா Priyaஉங்களுக்கு பசிக்கிறதா, அருண்?Ungalukku pasikkiratha, Arun?Are you hungry, Arun?
- அருண் Arunஇல்லை, எனக்கு எதுவும் வேண்டாம்.Illai, enakku ethuvum vendam.No, I don't want anything.
- பிரியா Priyaநிச்சயமாகவா? தண்ணீர் வேண்டுமா?Nichayamagava? Thanneer venduma?Are you sure? Do you want some water?
- அருண் Arunஇல்லை, நன்றி பிரியா.Illai, nandri Priya.No, thank you Priya.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nothing” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries இல்லை, CC BY-SA 4.0.
