River in Malayalam
River is നദി (nadi) in Malayalam, the word children learn first and the one printed on maps. Kerala has dozens of them, and the names usually attach this word or its local equivalents. The vowels are short and even, as the transliteration suggests.
Most common translation
River.
നദി ഇവിടെ ശാന്തമായി ഒഴുകുന്നു
nadi ivide shaanthamaayi ozhukunnu
The river flows calmly here.
All Malayalam words for “river”
- നദി (nadi) — River.
- കല്ലോലിനി (kallolini) — River.
- വാഹിനി (vaahini) — River, army, a division of the army, blood vessel.
- പുനല് (punal) — Water, river, current, flow, funnel.
- പുരി (puri) — Town, city, capital city, fort, house, body, king, river.
- അന്തര്വാഹിനി (antharvaahini) — River flowing under the earth, submarine.
- ആറാടുക (aaraaduka) — Bathe, bathe an idol in a river ceremonially.
- കടവ് (kadavu) — Bathing ghat(in a river), landing place in a river, destination.
- ഘട്ടം (ghattam) — Ghat, landing place, steps leading to a river, state, stage, occasion, customs house.
- തീരം (theeram) — Bank (of a river etc.), shore.
- തീരദേശം (theeradesham) — Coastal area, area along the bank of a river.
- പാലം (paalam) — Bridge; a structure built across a river, road or valley to cross over.
- പുണ്യതീര്ത്ഥം (punyatheertham) — Place of pilgrimage, water of a sacred river, holy water.
- പുഴ (puzha) — A small river, narrow path, door, hole (in a door or wall), broken fence.
- പുഴക്കടവ് (puzhakkadavu) — Bathing ghat or landing place on the river bank.
- പുഴയോരം (puzhayoram) — Bank of a river.
- പേരാര് (perar) — (river) Bharatapuzha).
- ബാങ്കുകൾ (baankukal) — Banks; institutions that keep money and give loans; the sides of a river are called kara.
- മണല്പ്പുറം (manalppuram) — Sandy island (in a river), river - bed, sandbank.
- മണൽ (manal) — Sand. The fine sand of a river bank or beach.
- വെള്ളം (vellam) — Water, the clear liquid people drink and wash with, rain or river water.
nadi is the everyday word, kallolini and vaahini are literary names for a river, and vellam is simply water, used loosely of river water too.
Common questions
How do you say river in Malayalam?
The word is നദി (nadi).
Are kallolini and vaahini used in conversation?
Rarely. കല്ലോലിനി (kallolini) and വാഹിനി (vaahini) are poetic or classical choices, kept for verse and formal writing.