ಇದು ಏನು?
idu enu?/id̪u eːn̪u/word by word
ಇದು ಏನು? (idu enu?) is the Kannada way to say "what is this?"
This phrase is used to ask for the identity or name of an object.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of idu (this) and enu (what).
How do you pronounce it?
idu enu?
Did you know?
- When asking ಇದು ಏನು? about a person in a very informal or blunt way, it can be perceived as rude because it treats the person as an object.
- The word ಏನು can be used as a filler word in conversation, similar to 'you know' or 'what' in English, regardless of whether a question is being asked.
- The word ಇದು (idu) shares a common ancestor with the Malayalam word ഇത് (itŭ) and the Tamil இது (itu), showing how closely related these South Indian languages are.
Examples in context
- ಇದು ಏನು?idu ēnu?What is this?
Example conversation
Anvita and Rahul are looking at a strange fruit in a market.
- ಅನ್ವಿತಾ Anvithaರಾಹುಲ್, ಇದು ಏನು?Rāhul, idu ēnu?Rahul, what is this?
- ರಾಹುಲ್ Rahulಇದು ಒಂದು ಹೊಸ ತರಕಾರಿ.idu ondu hosa tarakari.This is a new vegetable.
- ಅನ್ವಿತಾ Anvithaಇದರ ರುಚಿ ಹೇಗಿರುತ್ತದೆ?idara ruci hēgiruttade?How does it taste?
- ರಾಹುಲ್ Rahulಇದು ತುಂಬಾ ರುಚಿಯಾಗಿರುತ್ತದೆ.idu tumbā ruciyāgiruttade.It is very delicious.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ಇದು, ಏನು) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ಇದು, ಏನು, CC BY-SA 4.0.
