என்ன
eṉṉa/ɛnːɐ/
The English word 'what' is expressed in Tamil as என்ன (eṉṉa). Wiktionary also lists எது (etu).
Meaning: what? (interrogative pronoun) (pron)
Ways to say it
| Tamil | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| என்ன | eṉṉa | /ɛnːɐ/ |
| எது | etu | /ɛd̪ɯ/ |
The word என்ன is an interrogative pronoun used to ask 'what'. In informal contexts, you might use என்ன? to ask for clarification or to express surprise.
Which one should you use?
While என்ன is used to ask 'what', the form எது is used to ask 'which' when choosing from a set of options.
How does it change in a sentence?
In spoken Tamil, என்னது is often used as a contraction of 'என்ன அது' to mean 'what is it?' or 'what is that?'
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is eṉṉa.
Did you know?
- The word என்ன descends from the Proto-Dravidian root *yā, a linguistic ancestor shared by several major language families in South India.
- In some dialects, என்ன can be used as a tag question at the end of a sentence to seek agreement, similar to saying 'right?' or 'isn't it?' in English.
- A speaker can use என்ன as a way to start a sentence to mean 'So…', effectively using 'what' as a conversational filler rather than a question.
Examples in context
- இந்த தொப்பியின் விலை என்ன?What is the price of this cap?This sentence is useful for asking about the price of an object using என்ன.Tatoeba #4163967 by Singaravelu, translation #57128 by CK
- உனக்கு என்ன நிறம் பிடிக்கும்?What color do you like?This sentence is useful for asking about a preference using என்ன.Tatoeba #10720920 by DriedGrapes31, translation #3765018 by cromwellt
- அவர்களில்லாமல் நான் என்ன செய்வேன்?What would I do without them?This sentence is useful for asking about an action using என்ன.Tatoeba #7156600 by Singaravelu, translation #5853682 by raggione
- 17 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Priya and Karthik are talking about a movie.
- பிரியா Priyaநீ என்ன படம் பார்த்தாய்?Nee enna padam paarthai?What movie did you watch?
- கார்த்திக் Karthikநான் ஒரு நகைச்சுவைப் படம் பார்த்தேன்.Naan oru nagai-chu-vai padam paarthēn.I watched a comedy movie.
- பிரியா Priyaஅந்தப் படத்தின் பெயர் என்ன?Andhap padattin peyar enna?What is the name of that movie?
- கார்த்திக் Karthikஅதன் பெயர் 'கதைகள்'.Adhan peyar 'Kadhaigal'.Its name is 'Stories'.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “what” translations and entries என்ன, எது, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries எது, என்ன, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
