What these examples demonstrate are that the Kannada sentence structure is sometimes quite different from the corresponding English sentences.
Translation Table
(You may have to scroll down to see the table; the use of 'table' element in HTML is producing this need; once I use the 'div' element to make the table, the need may go away).
| English | Kannada Translation, English Equivalent, English Transliteration | |
| 1 | I go to school. | ನಾನು - ಶಾಲೆಗೆ - ಹೋಗುತ್ತೇನೆ. |
| I - to school - go. | ||
| Naanu - shaalege - hoguttene. | ||
| 2 | I go to school and play in the yard. | ನಾನು - ಶಾಲೆಗೆ - ಹೋಗುತ್ತೇನೆ - ಮತ್ತು - ಅಂಗಣದಲ್ಲಿ - ಆಡುತ್ತೇನೆ. |
| I - to school - go - and - in the yard - play. | ||
| Naanu - shaalege - hoguttene - mattu - anganadalli - aaduttene. | ||
| 3 | I know that you go to school. | ನೀನು - ಶಾಲೆಗೆ - ಹೋಗುತ್ತಿಯ - ಎಂದು - ನನಗೆ - ಗೊತ್ತು. |
| You - to school - go - that - I - know. | ||
| Neenu - shaalege - hooguttiya - endu - nanage - gottu. | ||
| 4 | Go to school. | ಶಾಲೆಗೆ - ಹೋಗು. |
| To school - go. | ||
| 5 | Please go to school. | ದಯವಿಟ್ಟು - ಶಾಲೆಗೆ - ಹೋಗು. |
| Please - to school - go. | ||
| 6 | Are you going to school? | ನೀನು - ಶಾಲೆಗೆ - ಹೋಗುತ್ತಿದ್ದೀಯಾ? |
| You - to school - are going? | ||
| 7 | What is your name? (directed to a female) | ನಿನ್ನ - ಹೆಸರು - ಏನು? |
| Your - name - is what? | ||
| 8 | What are your names? (directed to a group of males) | ನಿಮ್ಮಗಳ - ಹೆಸರುಗಳು - ಏನು? |
| Your - names - are what? | ||
| 9 | I am doing fine. (said by a female) | ನಾನು - ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿ - ಇದ್ದೇನೆ. |
| I - fine - am doing. | ||
| 10 | I am doing fine. (said by a male) | ನಾನು - ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿ - ಇದ್ದೇನೆ. |
| I - fine - am doing. | ||
| 11 | The dog eats food. | ನಾಯಿಯು - ಊಟವನ್ನು - ತಿನ್ನುತ್ತದೆ. |
| Dog - food - eats. | ||
| 12 | The dog eats food and the cat chases a mouse. | ನಾಯಿಯು - ಊಟವನ್ನು - ತಿನ್ನುತ್ತದೆ - ಮತ್ತು - ಬೆಕ್ಕು - ಒಂದು -ಇಲಿಯನ್ನು - ಹಿಂಬಾಲಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. |
| Dog - eats - food - and - cat - a - mouse - chases. | ||
| Naayiyu - ootavannu - tinnuttade - mattu - bekku - ondu - iliyannu - himbaalisuttade. | ||
| 13 | He ate after taking a shower. | ಅವನು - ಸ್ನಾನ - ಮಾಡಿದ - ಮೇಲೆ - ತಿಂದನು. |
| He - shower - took - after - ate[masculine]. | ||
| Avanu - snaana - maadida - meele - thindanu. | ||
| 14 | She ate after taking a shower. | ಅವಳು - ಸ್ನಾನ - ಮಾಡಿದ - ಮೇಲೆ - ತಿಂದಳು. |
| She - shower - took - after - ate[feminine]. | ||
| 15 | She came yesterday. | ಅವಳು ನೆನ್ನೆ ಬಂದಳು. |
| She - yesterday - came[feminine]. | ||
| Avalu - nenne - bandalu[feminine]. | ||
| 16 | She will come tomorrow. | ಅವಳು - ನಾಳೆ - ಬರುವಳು. |
| She - tomorrow - will come[feminine]. | ||
| Avalu - naale - baruvalu[feminine]. | ||
| In the above two examples, there appears to be a tendency among early learners to mix up tense. The following two [erroneous] variations are frequently seen: | ||
| 15a | She will come yesterday. | ಅವಳು - ನೆನ್ನೆ - ಬರುವಳು. |
| She - yesterday - will come[feminine]. | ||
| Avalu - nenne - baruvalu[feminine]. | ||
| 16a | She came tomorrow. | ಅವಳು - ನಾಳೆ - ಬಂದಳು. |
| She - tomorrow - came[feminine]. | ||
| Avalu - naale - bandalu[feminine]. | ||
| The following sentences are to show the differences in addressing older and younger people: | ||
| 17 | Come here. (to an younger person) | ಇಲ್ಲಿ - ಬಾ. |
| Here - come. | ||
| Illi - baa. | ||
| 18 | Come here. (to an older person) | ಇಲ್ಲಿ - ಬನ್ನಿ. |
| Here - come[respectful, plural]. | ||
| Illi - banni. | ||
| 19 | He drives the car. (regarding an younger person) | ಅವನು - ಕಾರನ್ನು - ಓಡಿಸುತ್ತಾನೆ. |
| He - the car - drives[masculine, singular]. | ||
| Avanu - kaarannu - odisuttaane. | ||
| 20 | He drives the car. (regarding an older person) | ಅವರು - ಕಾರನ್ನು - ಓಡಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ. |
| He - the car - drives[respectful, plural]. | ||
| Avaru - kaarannu - odisuttare. | ||
| 21 | He walked to school slowly. | ಅವನು - ಶಾಲೆಗೆ - ನಿಧಾನವಾಗಿ - ಹೋದನು. |
| He - to school - slowly - went[masculine, singular]. | ||
| Avanu - shaalege - nidhaanavaagi - hodanu. | ||
| 22 | Mom, who is sick, went to the doctor. | ನಮ್ಮ - ತಾಯಿಯವರು, - ಖಾಯಿಲೆಯಿಂದಾಗಿ, - ಡಾಕ್ಟರ - ಹತ್ತಿರ - ಹೋದರು. |
| My mother, because of not being well, to doctor - went [respectful, plural]. | ||
| Namma - taayiyavaru, - khaayileyindaagi, - daaktara - hattira - hodaru. | ||
It is also useful to note the aspirated consonants:
ಖ ---- ಘ ----- ಛ ----- ಝ ---- ಠ ------- ಢ ------ ಥ ----- ಧ ---- ಫ ----- ಭ
KHA - PHA - CHA - JHA - TTHA - DDHA - THA - DHA - PHA - BHA
