Personal Pronouns
Tap any tile to hear the pronoun spoken.
Tamil pronouns make two distinctions that English doesn’t. Formality (informal நீ vs polite நீங்கள்; informal அவன்/அவள் vs respectful அவர்) is signalled by the pronoun itself, and the choice carries real weight — using நீ to an elder is rude. We-inclusivity distinguishes நாம் (we, including the listener) from நாங்கள் (we, excluding the listener) — the same distinction many South Asian languages preserve but English collapses.
Personal pronouns (10)
A safe default
When in doubt with adults you don’t know well, use நீங்கள் for “you” and அவர் for third-person reference — both are gender-neutral and universally polite. Reserve நீ for close friends, family of similar age, children, and the divine (in prayer). The we-inclusive/exclusive choice matters in invitations: நாம் போகலாம் (“let’s go” — with you) reads very differently from நாங்கள் போகிறோம் (“we’re going” — without you).