ಓದು
ōdu/oːd̪u/
The English verb 'study' is translated to Kannada as ಓದು (ōdu).
ಓದು is the standard verb used to express the general concept of studying or acquiring knowledge.
Meaning: to acquire knowledge (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, ಓದು means 'to read'.
How does it change in a sentence?
When expressing that someone studied in the past, the verb changes based on the gender of the subject: ಓದಿದನು is used for a male subject and ಓದಿದಳು is used for a female subject.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /oːd̪u/ (ōdu).
Did you know?
- The verb ಓದು changes significantly in its plural forms to reflect not just number, but the social respect given to the person studying.
- In old Kannada literature, ಓದು was frequently used to refer to the oral transmission of knowledge, as reading silently was not the primary way of studying.
- The word ಓದು shares an ancient root with the Malayalam word ഓതുക and the Tamil word ஓது, showing that the concept of reading and studying is linked across these three major Dravidian languages.
Examples in context
- ನೀನು ಇಷ್ಟೇ ಓದುವೆಯಾ?nīnu iṣṭē ōduvēyā?Do you study only this much?
Example conversation
Pranav and Divya are talking about their homework.
- ಪ್ರಣವ್ Pranavದಿವ್ಯಾ, ನೀನು ಓದು.Divyā, nīnu ōdu.Divya, you study.
- ದಿವ್ಯಾ Divyaನಾನು ಓದುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇನೆ, ಪ್ರಣವ್.Nānu ōduttiddēne, Praṇav.I am studying, Pranav.
- ಪ್ರಣವ್ Pranavನಾಳೆ ಪರೀಕ್ಷೆ ಇದೆ.Nāḷe parīkṣe ide.There is an exam tomorrow.
- ದಿವ್ಯಾ Divyaಹೌದು, ನಾನು ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿ ಓದು.Haudu, nānu chennāgi ōdu.Yes, I study well.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ಓದು, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ಓದು, CC BY-SA 4.0.
