How to say good morning in Tamil

Good morning is Kaalai Vanakkam.

Kaalai- means morning

Vanakkam- means greetings

Although you haven’t asked, Good evening is Maalai Vanakkam.

Maalai- means evening

Vanakkam- means greetings (which you know from above already.

காலை வணக்கம் (Kaalai Vanakkam) -

 Good Morning

மதிய வணக்கம்(Madhiya Vanakkam) - 

Good Afternoon

மாலை வணக்கம்(Maalai Vanakkam) -

Good Evening

இரவு வணக்கம் (Iravu Vanakkam) -

Good Night

வணக்கம் (Vanakkam) with both hands (palms 

touching) together with a little bow is general 

greeting that we do without any time preference 

attached to it.

So irrespective of Time it is you we can just say 

Vanakkam to greet anyone be it Elder or Younger.

while I’ve taught below statements and later realised 

the I’ve taught Good Night in wrong sense and 

corrected it as below.

Good Morning => காலை வணக்கம்

Good Evening => மாலை வணக்கம்

Good Night => {இரவு வணக்கம்} 

to 

இனிய இரவு

In Tamil tradition, people used to say "Vanakkam"

by holding both of the hands together 

(palms touching) 

with little bowing. This is said both at the beginning 

and the end of the meeting. (normally at the end of 

the meeting people used to say "Nandri(thanks), 

Vanakkam") The word "Vanakkam" means the 

"bowing". This gesture of respect is similar to the 

Chinese, Japanese, Thai way of greeting.

But, nowadays, people used to say 

"Kalai/Malai/Iravu 

(Morning/evening/night) vanakkam" which is 

absolutely wrong. Because the word by word 

translation in most of the cases give totally a different 

meaning than the intended one due to the cultural 

differences. So, the correct way is to say 

"VANAKKAM" always irrespective of the time.

This is where culture of greetings differ based on the 

language, culture and people. In Tamil there is no 

custom of saying Good Morning at all. Well, due to 

globalization we all adopting English as lingua franca 

and all non native speakers trying to copy and 

translate those English words to fit with their native 

languages. Ok. according to Tamil culture / custom 

we do not have direct greetings but we say 

“Vanakkam”- used in all times. Since you asked the 

equivalent the it will be “ Iniya Kaalai Vanakkam”. 

Similarly there is no word used in Tamil community 

for “SORRY” though people can say 

“porutharulga”. It 

means if the person did mistake it is a mistake and 

there is no point of begging /apologies and all. 

Well if I 

did mistake and made someone upset or angry or 

hurt then I must say 

“Thavaru Seithuvitten- Porutharulga”. 

to console the person who got affected by myblunder. 

So, apply greetings to people based on the language 

they speak. For example : Japanese greetings is 

different.

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