Learning pronouns in Telugu, a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, is crucial for mastering both spoken and written communication. Telugu pronouns are characterized by their forms according to person, number, gender, and case. This guide covers personal, possessive, demonstrative, reflexive, and interrogative pronouns, providing detailed explanations and examples for each, including transliterations for pronunciation help.

Personal Pronouns

Subject Pronouns:

• నేను (Nēnu) – I: “నేను వస్తున్నాను.” (Nēnu vastunnānu) – I am coming.
• నువ్వు (Nuvvu) – You (singular informal): “నువ్వు తినవా?” (Nuvvu tinavā?) – Are you eating?
• మీరు (Mīru) – You (singular formal or plural): “మీరు ఎలా ఉన్నారు?” (Mīru elā unnāru?) – How are you?
• అతను (Atanu) / ఆమె (Aame) – He/She: “అతను పడుతున్నాడు.” / “ఆమె నవ్వుతుంది.” (Atanu paḍutunnāḍu / Aame navvutundi) – He is falling. / She is laughing.
• మేము (Mēmu) – We: “మేము వెళ్తున్నాము.” (Mēmu veḷtunnāmu) – We are going.
• వాళ్లు (Vāḷlu) – They: “వాళ్లు ఆడుతున్నారు.” (Vāḷlu āḍutunnāru) – They are playing.

Object Pronouns:

Object pronouns in Telugu follow the verb and indicate the receiver of the action.

• నన్ను (Nannu) – Me: “నన్ను చూడు.” (Nannu chūḍu) – Look at me.
• నిన్ను (Ninnu) – You: “నిన్ను పిలుస్తాను.” (Ninnu pilustānu) – I will call you.
• అతన్ని (Atanni) / ఆమెను (Aamenu) – Him/Her: “అతన్ని గమనించు.” (Atanni gamaninchu) – Observe him. / “ఆమెను ఆదుకో.” (Aamenu ādukō) – Help her.
• మనల్ని (Manalni) – Us: “మనల్ని ఆహ్వానించారు.” (Manalni āhvānin̄cāru) – They invited us.
• మీరు (Mīru) – You (plural): “మీరు రావాలని కోరుతున్నాను.” (Mīru rāvālani kōrutunnānu) – I request you to come.
• వారిని (Vārini) – Them: “వారిని ఆపు.” (Vārini āpu) – Stop them.

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns in Telugu indicate ownership and are often used with the noun they modify.

• నా (Nā) – My: “నా పుస్తకం.” (Nā pustakam) – My book.
• నీ (Nī) – Your (singular): “నీ కారు.” (Nī kāru) – Your car.
• మీ (Mī) – Your (plural or formal): “మీ ఇల్లు.” (Mī illu) – Your house.
• అతని (Atani) / ఆమెది (Aamedi) – His/Her: “అతని ఫోన్.” / “ఆమెది స్కూటర్.” (Atani phōn / Aamedi skūṭar) – His phone. / Her scooter.
• మా (Mā) – Our: “మా ఊరు.” (Mā ūru) – Our village.
• వారి (Vāri) – Their: “వారి పెట్టుబడి.” (Vāri peṭṭubaḍi) – Their investment.

Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns in Telugu point to specific nouns and vary based on distance.

• ఇది (Idi) – This: “ఇది ఎవరిది?” (Idi evaridi?) – Whose is this?
• అది (Adi) – That: “అది ఎక్కడ?” (Adi ekkaḍa?) – Where is that?

Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns in Telugu are used when the subject performs an action upon itself.

• తను (Tanu) – Oneself: “అతను తనను తాను బట్టిపడేసుకున్నాడు.” (Atanu tananu tānu baṭṭipaḍēsukunnāḍu) – He drenched himself.

Interrogative Pronouns

Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions about people, places, or things.

• ఎవరు (Evaru) – Who: “ఎవరు వచ్చారు?” (Evaru vaccāru?) – Who came?
• ఏమి (Ēmi) – What: “ఏమి చేస్తున్నావు?” (Ēmi cēstunnāvu?) – What are you doing?
• ఎక్కడ (Ekkaḍa) – Where: “ఎక్కడ ఉన్నావు?” (Ekkaḍa unnāvu?) – Where are you?

Understanding and correctly using Telugu pronouns is vital for navigating both simple and complex conversations. Practice forming sentences with each type of pronoun and engage in conversations or writing exercises to apply these concepts actively. Remember, context and the nuances of Telugu culture and language play a significant role in choosing the correct pronoun form.