Public Transport

1. பேருந்து நிறுத்தம் எங்கே?

   Pēruntu niṟuttam eṅkē?

   Where is the bus stop?

   Usage

   Basic phrase for asking the location of a bus stop

   Grammar Note

   Tamil questions follow SOV order with the question word at the end. எங்கே (where) is the location interrogative

2. சென்னைக்கு டிக்கெட் எவ்வளவு?

   Ceṉṉaikku ṭikkeṭ evvaḷavu?

   How much is a ticket to Chennai?

   Usage

   Used to ask the price of a transport ticket to a destination

   Grammar Note

   Tamil dative case is formed by adding -க்கு to the noun. சென்னை + க்கு = சென்னைக்கு (to Chennai)

3. அடுத்த பேருந்து எப்போது வரும்?

   Aṭutta pēruntu eppōtu varum?

   When does the next bus come?

   Usage

   Used to ask when the next bus will arrive

   Grammar Note

   வரும் is the future form of வர (to come). Tamil future tense is formed by verb root + future suffix

4. இந்த ரயில் எங்கே போகிறது?

   Inta rayil eṅkē pōkiṟatu?

   Where does this train go?

   Usage

   Used to ask the destination of a train

   Grammar Note

   போகிறது is the present tense 3rd person neuter of போ (to go). Tamil verbs conjugate for person, gender, and number

5. மெட்ரோ நிலையம் எங்கே?

   Meṭrō nilaiyam eṅkē?

   Where is the metro station?

   Usage

   Used to ask for the location of a metro or railway station

   Grammar Note

   நிலையம் is formed from நிலை ("to stand/stay") plus -அம், meaning "place/station." "மெட்ரோ" is borrowed from English

6. இந்த பேருந்து விமான நிலையத்திற்கு போகுமா?

   Inta pēruntu vimāṉa nilaiyattiṟku pōkumā?

   Does this bus go to the airport?

   Usage

   Used to check if a bus goes to the airport

   Grammar Note

   Adding question suffix -ஆ to a verb forms a yes/no question. விமான நிலையம் (airport) + dative -திற்கு

7. கட்டணம் எவ்வளவு?

   Kaṭṭaṇam evvaḷavu?

   How much is the fare?

   Usage

   Used to ask the fare for any mode of transport

   Grammar Note

   கட்டணம் is the native Tamil word for fee/fare. The interrogative எவ்வளவு corresponds to "how much"

8. எனக்கு இங்கே இறங்க வேண்டும்

   Eṉakku iṅkē iṟaṅka vēṇṭum

   I need to get off here

   Usage

   Used to indicate you need to exit the bus or train at this stop

   Grammar Note

   Tamil obligation: dative subject + verb infinitive + வேண்டும். எனக்கு (to me) functions as the subject

9. இந்த இடத்திற்கு எத்தனை நிறுத்தங்கள் உள்ளன?

   Inta iṭattiṟku ettaṉai niṟuttaṅkaḷ uḷḷaṉa?

   How many stops are there to this place?

   Usage

   Used to ask how many stops until a destination

   Grammar Note

   Tamil plurals use the suffix -கள். உள்ளன is the plural of உள்ளது (there is), used with countable nouns

10. சரியான நேரத்தில் வந்தது

    Cariyāṉa nērattil vantatu

    It arrived on time

    Usage

    Used to indicate that transport arrived on schedule

    Grammar Note

    வந்தது is the neuter 3rd person past of வா (to come). வந்-த-து = stem + past marker -த + neuter 3rd person ending -து

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