என்ன நடந்தது?
enna nadanthadhu?
என்ன நடந்தது? (enna nadanthadhu?) is the Tamil way to say "what happened?"
This phrase is used as a question to inquire about the events or the cause of a specific situation.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of enna (what) and nadanthadhu (happened/occurred).
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb nadanthadhu is in the past tense, which is the standard way to ask about a completed event.
How do you pronounce it?
enna nadanthadhu?
Did you know?
- The word nadanthadhu is derived from the root nadappadhu, which literally means 'to walk' or 'to move'.
- In casual speech, என்ன நடந்தது? is often shortened to just என்னாச்சு? (ennachu?). This contraction merges 'what' and 'became' into a single word for faster communication.
- Tamil is a diglossic language, meaning the written version of என்ன நடந்தது? is so different from the spoken version that a learner might not recognize the same phrase in both forms.
Examples in context
- என்ன நடந்தது?enna nadanthathu?What happened?
- அங்கே என்ன நடந்தது?angē enna nadanthathu?What happened there?
- திடீரென்று என்ன நடந்தது?thideerendru enna nadanthathu?What happened suddenly?
Example conversation
Santhosh sees Divya looking upset and asks her what is wrong.
- சந்தோஷ் Santhoshதிவ்யா, என்ன நடந்தது?Divya, enna nadanthathu?Divya, what happened?
- திவ்யா Divyaஎன் போன் உடைந்துவிட்டது.en phone udainthu-vittathu.My phone broke.
- சந்தோஷ் Santhoshஐயோ, அது எப்படி நடந்தது?aiyō, athu eppadi nadanthathu?Oh, how did that happen?
- திவ்யா Divyaகை நழுவி விழுந்துவிட்டது.kai nazhuvi vizhunthu-vittathu.It slipped from my hand and fell.
