വെള്ളം
veḷḷaṁ/ʋeɭɭɐm/
The word for water in Malayalam is വെള്ളം (veḷḷaṁ). Wiktionary also lists ജലം (jalaṁ).
Meaning: inorganic compound H₂O (noun)
Ways to say it
| Malayalam | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| വെള്ളം | veḷḷaṁ | /ʋeɭɭɐm/ |
| ജലം | jalaṁ | /d͡ʒɐlɐm/ |
The term refers to the inorganic compound H₂O.
Which one should you use?
While both words mean water, ജലം is used in scientific or formal contexts, whereas വെള്ളം is the standard word used in daily conversation.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In certain coastal regions, particularly in Southern Kerala, the term നീര് is also used to refer to water.
How does it change in a sentence?
വെള്ളം is a mass noun and typically does not change its form to indicate plurality.
How do you pronounce it?
veḷḷaṁ
Did you know?
- When asking for a glass of water, it is common to use the phrase വെള്ളം കുടിക്കണം, which literally means 'must drink water' rather than 'I would like some water'.
- The term നീര് is not just a regional variation for water but is also the word used for the 'sap' or 'juice' found inside plants and fruits.
- The pronunciation of the 'ḷ' in വെള്ളം requires a retroflex lateral approximant, where the tongue curls back to touch the roof of the mouth, a sound not found in English.
Examples in context
- ഈ വെള്ളം മണമില്ലാത്തത് ആണ്.This water is odourless.This sentence is useful for describing the properties of the water using the form വെള്ളം.Tatoeba #2296491 by dochash, translation #2302415 by gone2bacolod
- കുപ്പിയിൽ വെള്ളം ഉണ്ടോ?kuppiyil vellam undo?Is there water in the bottle?
Example conversation
Vishnu and Anjali are at the dining table.
- വിഷ്ണു Vishnuഅഞ്ജലി, ഇവിടെ വെള്ളം ഉണ്ടോ?Anjali, ivide vellam undo?Anjali, is there water here?
- അഞ്ജലി Anjaliഅതെ, ആ കുപ്പിയിൽ ഉണ്ട്.Athe, aa kuppiyil undu.Yes, it is in that bottle.
- വിഷ്ണു Vishnuഎനിക്ക് ഒരു ഗ്ലാസ് വെള്ളം തരുമോ?Enikku oru glass vellam tharumo?Can you give me a glass of water?
- അഞ്ജലി Anjaliദാ പിടിച്ചോ.Daa pidicho.Here, take it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “water” translations and entries വെള്ളം, ജലം, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
