How to Learn Kannada Easily? A Beginner's Guide

Published: Sep 20, 2024

5 mins read

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Are you asking yourself these questions - How to learn Kannada easily? Is Kannada an easy language to learn?

Maybe you are getting married into a Kannadiga family? Or you are a medical professional who wants to communicate with local patients & hospital staff? Or you have relocated to Karnataka and you want to learn the local language to communicate better? Or are you planning to put down roots in the city and are now looking to integrate into the local culture?

Before you read ahead, here's letting you know that you can learn Kannada online with Bhasha.io, an online language learning institute which has been getting rave reviews! It will save you more than 80% of the effort that is required.

Now, this detailed guide will outline simple and efficient methods to commence your Kannada language adventure. By the end, you'll have gained sufficient knowledge and self-assurance to begin speaking in Kannada right away!

Benefits of Learning Kannada for Beginners

What are some of the reasons for learning Kannada? Well, learning Kannada offers numerous advantages beyond simply learning a language. Whether your goal is to engage with the Kannada speaking population of Karnataka, make friends, boost professional relationships, or connect better with your in-law’s Kannadiga family, fluency in Kannada is an invaluable skill that you can pick up. Read more about the benefits of learning Kannada.

Where do I begin?

Now to your question - How can I learn Kannada language easily?

Learning Kannada language is easy if you understand your goal very well and can set aside 15-30 mins every day to study the language.

Your scope of learning depends on your goal.

Do you just want to learn enough to order in restaurants? You will just need to learn 10-20 phrases. Learning these phrases will take you anywhere from two days to a week.
Do you want to connect better with your professional colleagues/business partners? Well, then you will need to learn more office-related vocabulary and understand the basic sentence structure, tenses, verbs, and pronunciation. This might take you between 2-4 weeks.
Want to engage better with your Kannadiga in-laws? Then you need to learn spoken Kannada properly. This might take you 2-3 months of practice.

As you can see, different goals require different study and time commitments. Being clear about your goal can help you study with focus without getting overwhelmed and thus increase the chances of you achieving success.

Embarking on your Kannada language journey begins with understanding the fundamentals. You will need to get acquainted with Kannada alphabets and pronunciation, laying a solid foundation for your language learning experience.

Easy Ways to Learn Kannada Language

While learning the Kannada language may seem daunting for a beginner, there are some effective methods that you can use to learn Kannada easily. Here is a list of easy ways to learn Kannada for beginners that you can use to get started quickly:

1. Practice with Native Speaker

There is no better way to learn the language than speaking it with native speakers. This might be an unnerving experience for the beginner but that’s okay.

Try speaking as much Kannada as you can while mixing it with English. You can do this with shopkeepers, your friends and colleagues. You can just start by asking them “Hey, how do you say this in Kannada?”

Let go of the embarrassment of getting something wrong. Look at it as a learning experience that will supercharge your fluency in a short period of time.

2. Watching Kannada Movies and TV Shows

This is the most enjoyable strategy to learn the Kannada language. Watch any Kannada movie and set your subtitles to English.

As you do this consistently, you will realize that you will subconsciously pick up a few common words and phrases that are used in Daily life.

Another benefit is that you will be able to imbibe the local culture and customs by watching these movies. This is something that will help you appreciate and integrate with the local culture.

You can watch many great Kannada movies on various OTT platforms like Prime Video and Hotstar.

3. Use Online Resources

There are many websites that you can use as reference materials to learn Kannada. These free resources can help you get a good basic understanding of Kannada vocabulary and grammar rules.

First and foremost, Bhasha.io’s Learning Guides section will be super helpful. We are adding new content every month and you can benefit from it.

If you are stuck with a topic or question, simply google it. You will get more than enough resource pages which will help you with the answer.

4. Best Kannada Language Learning Mobile Apps

Whether you are a beginner or someone who has reached the intermediate or advanced level of the Kannada language, you will definitely benefit from daily practice of vocabulary and sentences.

Both Android Play Store and iOS App Store have some great apps that can help you interactively do daily practice.

5. Enrolling in Kannada Language Course

Last but not least, enrolling in a Kannada speaking course is the best way to get started with learning Kannada easily.

All of the resources we listed above depend on your intrinsic motivation to learn the language. In our work so far, we know that there is a limit to that motivation. Once this motivation runs dry, it becomes extremely difficult to pick it up again.

After coaching tens of thousands of students, we have seen that the most successful learning outcomes seem to come to those who choose our structured learning program.

A structured Kannada learning course has the following benefits:

Access to high-quality learning materials and resources.
A native trainer who can adapt to your learning needs and instantly answer your queries.
Flexible scheduling of classes to accommodate your busy schedule.
Online classes via Google Meet or Zoom which help you save time and effort on a commute to a local training center. And you can attend the Kannada class from anywhere.

The trainer becomes your accountability partner and motivates you through the ups and downs of this process. It is because of our coaches that many of our students have crossed the finish line successfully.

Sounds good? Be sure to check out Bhasha's online Kannada classes and start your Kannada language learning journey.

Understanding Kannada pronunciation

Kannada has some unique sounds that you may not have used before. Here are some basic rules that you might need to note:

The difference between aspirated and unaspirated consonants (e.g., ಕ 'ka' vs. ಖ 'kha')
The retroflex sounds (ಟ, ಠ, ಡ, ಢ, ಣ)
The distinction between short and long vowels (e.g., ಅ 'a' vs. ಆ 'aa')

With personalized feedback and targeted exercises from a trainer or a fellow native Kannada speaker, you'll develop authentic Kannada pronunciation much faster than through self-study alone.

Introduction to the Kannada alphabet

Kannada has its own script which is widely used in administration, media and official work in the state of Karnataka.

Like other Indian languages, the script comprises vowels and consonants.

13 vowels (ಅ, ಆ, ಇ, ಈ, ಉ, ಊ, ಋ, ಎ, ಏ, ಐ, ಒ, ಓ, ಔ)
34 consonants (ಕ, ಖ, ಗ, ಘ, ಙ, ಚ, ಛ, ಜ, ಝ, ಞ, ಟ, ಠ, ಡ, ಢ, ಣ, ತ, ಥ, ದ, ಧ, ನ, ಪ, ಫ, ಬ, ಭ, ಮ, ಯ, ರ, ಲ, ವ, ಶ, ಷ, ಸ, ಹ, ಳ)

You will have to memorise these characters and practice writing them in your notebook to gain mastery over the script.

Bhasha.io’s Level 3 - Kannada Reading and Writing Classes helps you learn the script quickly and correctly. Our expert language teachers will make learning the script super easy and motivating. Get in touch if you would like to enquire about this course. Our program advisors will be happy to help you.

Effective Strategies for Mastering Kannada

Once you have made the decision on how to learn Kannada, you will need to plan a learning strategy. We have a bunch of strategies that you can use to learn the Kannada language easily and effectively.

1. Consistent Practice

There is no other way around this. Consistent practice of what you learn is the only way to build any particular skill. This is true of any kind of learning.

To be consistent, you need to dedicate a block of time every day to study. Different people have different ways to schedule time. Here are two options:

Try scheduling study time for 30 minutes in the morning while you have your coffee. Schedule the next sometime in the afternoon or evening. This is helpful to those whose daily schedules are mentally stressful so allocating this task first in the day helps.
Having a solid 30 - 60-minute block in the evening post-lunch also works for those people who get done with work and then have dinner early.

Ultimately, it is important that you schedule a convenient block of your time daily and stick to it. Use a free calendar application like Google Calendar for this and make sure that you set up notifications to remind you.

2. Vocabulary Practice

Vocabulary is the most important part of learning a language. It is important that any beginner try to at least learn 100-200 words in a month.

Try learning 20 new words every day during your study time. This is achievable and will not stress you out.

However, every week you must revise all the words that you have learned. Ask a friend or significant others to take a quiz where they ask you the meanings of the words at random.

Make a note of all the words that you get wrong and add it to your daily practice. Doing this consistently week after week will help you memorize the Kannada vocabulary easily.

3. Engaging in Conversational Kannada

As we mentioned before, conversing with natives is the best way to learn the Kannada language. Do not shy away from it.

Put yourself in places and situations where you can use short Kannada phrases and sentences. Speak with your shopkeeper, waiter at the restaurant, the traffic policeman, the building secretary, your maid, etc.

There are many opportunities to try out the Kannada language without any real consequences to you. Put yourself in these situations often. Doing this again and again will give you confidence to speak Kannada with anyone.

4. Regular Reading and Writing exercises

If you are also interested in reading and writing in Kannada, you should definitely put in the work. Start with writing down the script characters first and then slowly start using the sounds to put together words from the language.

As you learn new sentences, try writing them out in your notebook with a pen or pencil. Keep doing this till you are able to write short essays or small stories.

As for reading, the easiest way to do so after learning to write is to go and read Kannada language newspapers and story books. Newspapers can be bought at a store or even be read online using Indian new apps like Daily Hunt. Additionally, you can buy story books, novels, and non-fiction books from Amazon or Flipkart.

5. Setting Realistic goals

Learning a new language is a serious endeavor. It is definitely fulfilling when you reach your goal but it is also important that you set the right goal.

Setting ambitious goals in short spans of time doesn’t work for the majority of learners. It is better to be realistic yet consistent in your learning journey.

Give yourself 2-3 months to learn the Kannada language but make sure that you spend 30-60 mins on it every day. Use all the strategies that we have listed in this blog post and don’t get discouraged if you feel your journey is slow. It always feels like that to everyone but a little more effort while being kind to oneself is the best way to push through.

6. Tracking Progress and Celebrating Milestones

Outlining your learning plan and then keeping track of your milestones helps you actively monitor your Kannada language learning and also gives you motivation to continue. Celebrate each milestone! The more personal milestones you achieve, the more you will enjoy the learning process and want to complete the next milestone.

Tips for Overcoming Challenges

Learning Kannada for beginners can be perceived as challenging but we will show you that this needn’t be the case.

1. Staying Motivated

Maintaining your motivation is crucial when you are learning a new language. Mindfully setting achievable goals and celebrating your achievements are key to keeping motivation levels replenished and therefore enjoying the learning process.

Do these things to keep your motivation high:

Remember why you want to learn the Kannada language? What is your goal?
Visualize yourself as a master of the language in the near future. What will you accomplish? How will your life change for the better?
Celebrate every small victory. You will absolutely need it.
Be kind to yourself. It is difficult to achieve anything when you fall into the trap of being self-critical.

2. Finding Inspiration in the local Karnataka Culture & Community

Do a deep dive into the local culture. Learn the history, the legends, the important festivals and customs, and the amazing food.

Participate in cultural events which are organized by the community. This will help deepen your appreciation of the community and culture.

Here are some cultural events that you can participate in:

Immersing oneself in the local Kannada culture with curiosity will help you find inspiration towards learning the Kannada language easily.

So, Can One Learn Kannada Easily?

Yes!! But it requires a concerted effort from you too. Throughout this guide on learning Kannada language, we have covered the best resources on how to learn Kannada easily for beginners and in a structured way.

We hope this guide was useful to you and we are excited for you to learn the Kannada language soon. If you need any help or if you feel stuck anywhere in your learning journey, you are invited to join our Kannada Speaking course. Our program advisors will be happy to help you.

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