Thank You in Tamil: Nandri, Mikka Nandri and How to Reply

The word: nandri (நன்றி)

Why it is spelled nanri and said nandri. The letters are ந (na) + ன்றி (nri). In Tamil, the cluster ன்ற is pronounced with a d slipped in, "ndr", so நன்றி comes out as "nandri". The same thing happens in ஒன்று (onru, "one"), which is said "ondru", and in என்று (enru, "that"), said "endru". So the romanization nanri is a transliteration of the letters, and nandri is what your mouth should do. Say NAN-dri, with the stress on the first syllable and a light r.

Nandri is neutral and respectful. You can say it to a shopkeeper, a professor, a friend or a child without changing anything. Unlike Hindi, Japanese or Korean, Tamil does not have separate polite and casual words for thank you; politeness is added by what you put around it.

All the ways to say thank you in Tamil

Anna and akka are worth a paragraph. In Tamil culture you address people by relationship, not by name, and strangers get a family term. A man a little older than you is anna (older brother), a woman is akka (older sister), an older man is ayya or "uncle", an older woman is amma or "aunty". "Nandri, anna" to an auto driver is friendlier and more natural than a bare nandri, and it costs nothing.

Thank you for something specific

To say thank you for something, put the thing first with the ending -kku (for) and then nandri.

The -kku ending is the dative case, "to" or "for", and it is the same ending in ungalukku (to you) and unakku (to you, casual). Once you hear it, you will hear it everywhere.

Thank God in Tamil

"Kadavulukku nandri" is the everyday "thank God", said when a bus arrives, an exam is passed or a fever breaks.

How to reply to thank you in Tamil

Tamil does not have a fixed "you're welcome" that everyone uses, which surprises learners. The natural replies are:

The safest, most natural reply for a learner is paravaayillai with a smile, or simply sari.

Written and formal thank you

Tamil has a distinct written register, and thank-yous in letters, emails, invitations and speeches use it.

• நன்றி on its own at the end of an email is fine and common.
• நன்றிகள் (nandrigal, "thanks", plural) is the standard closing of speeches and formal letters, and appears in film credits and wedding invitations.
• நன்றியுடன் (nandriyudan, "with thanks") before your name at the end of a letter, like "with thanks" or "gratefully".
• மிக்க நன்றி opens or closes formal thank-you speeches.
• நன்றி நவிலல் (nandri navilal) is "vote of thanks", the formal closing speech at events.
• உங்கள் அன்பான வரவேற்புக்கு நன்றி (ungal anbaana varaverpukku nandri): thank you for your kind welcome.
• இந்த வாய்ப்பிற்கு நன்றி (indha vaaippirkku nandri): thank you for this opportunity. The line for every job interview and award acceptance.

When Tamils do not say thank you

This is the part of the page that will save you from confusion. In traditional Tamil culture, saying nandri to close family is uncommon and can even sound distant, as if you were treating your mother like a stranger. Gratitude between family members is shown by actions, by eating what is served, by coming back, by staying in touch, not by the word. The same is true for small everyday favours between close friends.

So:

• A Tamil mother serving you a third helping does not expect nandri, and may laugh if you say it. Eat it. That is the thank you.
• Between close friends, "nandri" for passing the salt sounds oddly formal. A nod, or the English "thanks", is more natural.
• With strangers, shop staff, drivers, teachers, officials, hosts and anyone doing you a real favour, nandri (with anna or akka, or sir or madam) is exactly right and appreciated.
• In cities and among younger people, English "thanks" has partly filled the gap for small favours, and is used even inside otherwise fully Tamil sentences.

None of this means Tamils are ungrateful; it means gratitude lives in a different place in the language. Learn the word, use it generously with people outside your circle, and do not be hurt when it is not said back to you at home.

Pronunciation, slowly

• நன்றி (nandri): NAN, with the a of "father" but short; then DRI, with a light Tamil r (a tap, not an English r) and a short i. Two syllables. Stress the first.
• மிக்க (mikka): MIK-ka, with the doubled k held a beat.
• ரொம்ப (romba): ROM-ba, the o as in "hot" but rounder.
• உங்களுக்கு (ungalukku): ung-ga-LUK-ku, the ng as in "sing", the doubled k held.
• பரவாயில்லை (paravaayillai): pa-ra-VAAY-il-lai, five syllables, stress on the long vaay; the final ai is like the "i" in "ice" but shorter. In fast speech it compresses to "paravaalla".
• கடவுளுக்கு (kadavulukku): ka-da-vu-LUK-ku. The ள் in kadavul is a retroflex l, made with the tongue curled back; an ordinary l is understood.

Thank you in Tamil vs the neighbours

Tamil and Malayalam share the word; the other South Indian languages use the Sanskrit-derived dhanyavaad family. Nandri itself is a native Tamil word, related to nanru (good), so "thank you" in Tamil is, at root, "goodness".

Say it out loud

One word, two syllables, and a d that is not written. Say it until the "ndr" is automatic.

1. Say nandri twenty times, NAN-dri, tapping the r.
2. Say the five most useful forms: nandri, mikka nandri, romba nandri, nandri anna, nandri akka.
3. Say two "for" forms: udhavikku nandri, ellaathukkum nandri.
4. Say the reply: paravaayillai.
5. Then say them to something that talks back. SPAIKING's AI speaking partner will play the auto driver, the shopkeeper and the host, give you a reason to say thanks, and correct "nan-ree" to "nandri" and the English r to a Tamil tap while you speak. That is the difference between reading a Tamil word and being understood in Chennai.