నాకు చెప్పు
naaku cheppu/naːku t͡ɕepːu/word by word
The English phrase 'tell me' is expressed in Telugu as నాకు చెప్పు (naaku cheppu).
The phrase is used as a request for someone to provide information or to explain something to the speaker. Depending on the context, చెప్పు can function as a command meaning 'say it'.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of naaku, meaning 'to me' and cheppu, meaning 'tell' or 'say'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
There are two main ways to express this depending on the social context. The form నాకు చెప్పు is informal and is used when speaking to friends, younger people or close family members. For formal settings, or when speaking to elders and strangers, you should use the polite form నాకు చెప్పండి.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb stem is cheppu.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is naaku cheppu. The IPA is /naːku tɕepːu/.
Did you know?
- The word చెప్పు meaning 'tell' is a homonym for the Telugu word for 'sandal' or 'footwear'.
- Using the informal form చెప్పు instead of the polite చెప్పండి when addressing an elder can be interpreted as a serious social insult.
- The word చెప్పు shares a common linguistic ancestor with the Tamil word செப்பு and the Malayalam word ചെപ്പുക.
Examples in context
- నాకు ఇప్పుడు చెప్పండి.Tell me now.
- నీ కథ నాకు చెప్పు.nee katha naaku cheppu.Tell me your story.
- నీ మనసులో ఏముందో నాకు చెప్పు.nee manasulo emundo naaku cheppu.Tell me what is in your heart.
- ఆ నిజం నాకు చెప్పు.aa nijam naaku cheppu.Tell me that truth.
Example conversation
Kiran and Lakshmi are sitting in a park discussing a secret.
- కిరణ్ Kiranనీ రహస్యం నాకు చెప్పు.nee rahasyam naaku cheppu.Tell me your secret.
- లక్ష్మి Lakshmiలేదు, నేను చెప్పలేను.ledu, nenu cheppalenu.No, I cannot tell.
- కిరణ్ Kiranదయచేసి నాకు చెప్పు, లక్ష్మి.dayachesi naaku cheppu, Lakshmi.Please tell me, Lakshmi.
- లక్ష్మి Lakshmiసరే, విను.sare, vinu.Okay, listen.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (నాకు, చెప్పు) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries చెప్పు, నాకు, CC BY-SA 4.0.
