விளங்கு
viḷaṅku/ʋɪɭɐŋɡɯ/
To say understand in Tamil, use விளங்கு (viḷaṅku). To say I understand, use எனக்கு விளங்குகிறது. If unsure, use விளங்கு. Wiktionary also lists கிரகி (kiraki).
Meaning: to grasp the meaning of (verb)
Ways to say it
| Tamil | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| விளங்கு | viḷaṅku | /ʋɪɭɐŋɡɯ/ |
| கிரகி | kiraki | /ɡɪɾɐɡiː/ /ɡɪɾɐhiː/ |
விளங்கு means to grasp the meaning of something. It is often used to say that something is clear to someone.
Which one should you use?
கிரகி (kiraki) is another verb for understand, listed alongside விளங்கு.
How does it change in a sentence?
விளங்கு is often used intransitively, meaning something is clear or understandable to a person. The person who understands takes எனக்கு, so எனக்கு விளங்குகிறது literally means it is becoming clear to me. The negative form is விளங்கவில்லை, meaning did not understand.
How do you pronounce it?
விளங்கு is pronounced /ʋɪɭɐŋɡɯ/, with a retroflex l and an ng sound before the g.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often translate I understand word for word as நான் விளங்குகிறேன். It is much more natural to say எனக்கு விளங்குகிறது.
Did you know?
- The verb விளங்கு is etymologically linked to the concept of 'whiteness' or 'brightness'. To understand something in Tamil is conceptually tied to the idea of it becoming 'light' or 'clear' to the mind.
Examples in context
- அது எனக்கு விளங்கவில்லை.I don't understand it.Here விளங்கவில்லை is the negative form, so the sentence means I don't understand it.
- எனக்கு இந்தச் செய்தி விளங்குகிறது.enakku inthach cheithi vilangugirathu.I understand this news.
Example conversation
Karthik and Divya are discussing a project.
- கார்த்திக் Karthikதிவ்யா, இந்தத் திட்டம் உனக்கு விளங்குதா?Divyā, indhat thittam unakku vilangudhā?Divya, do you understand this plan?
- திவ்யா Divyaஇல்லை கார்த்திக், எனக்கு இன்னும் விளங்கவில்லை.Illai Karthik, enakku innum vilangavillai.No Karthik, I still don't understand.
- கார்த்திக் Karthikநான் மீண்டும் ஒருமுறை விளக்குகிறேன்.Nān mīndum orumurai vilakkugirēn.I will explain it once more.
- திவ்யா Divyaசரி, இப்போது எனக்கு நன்றாக விளங்குகிறது.Sari, ippōdu enakku nandrāga vilangugiradhu.Okay, now I understand it well.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “understand” translations and entries விளங்கு, கிரகி, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries கிரகி, விளங்கு, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
