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Tamil to English translator

Tamil to English translation for school letters, family chats and forms

Paste Tamil in Tamil script, written or spoken, and get English back. A leave letter in formal Tamil and a WhatsApp message full of spoken forms like பண்றாங்க both translate, and the register selector decides whether the English reads like a letter to the principal or a text between friends. Leave it on Match source tone and it follows the Tamil.

The two Tamil to English translations below were made on this page on 30 September 2026 and are printed unedited. One is very good. The other is fluent, polite and wrong in one small place that a school office would notice, and that mistake, reading the Tamil section letter ஆ as A, is worth knowing about before you send any Tamil letter onward in English. The sections after the samples cover what else gets lost between Tamil and English: respect built into verb endings, spoken Tamil, Tamil names with initials, and dates by the Tamil calendar, for readers in Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka and elsewhere.

What should I check in a Tamil to English translation?

Check anything the English cannot carry on its own. Tamil letters used as labels, such as a class section written ஆ, mean B, not A. Names written with an initial first, like R. Arun, should not gain an invented surname. Respect shown by -ங்க endings or அவர்கள் after a title must come through in the English wording, or a polite message reads curt.

Real Tamil to English translations from this page

Each one was run through the translator above and printed exactly as it came back, with a note on what to look for.

A leave letter to a school principal

Tamil29 words

மதிப்பிற்குரிய தலைமை ஆசிரியர் அவர்களுக்கு, என் மகன் அருண் ஏழாம் வகுப்பு 'ஆ' பிரிவில் படிக்கிறான். அவனுக்கு கடுமையான காய்ச்சல் இருப்பதால் இன்றும் நாளையும் பள்ளிக்கு வர இயலாது. தயவுசெய்து இரண்டு நாட்கள் விடுப்பு அளிக்குமாறு பணிவுடன் கேட்டுக்கொள்கிறேன். நன்றி.

English · Formal40 words

Respected Principal, My son, Arun, is a student in Class 7-A. As he has a high fever, he will be unable to attend school today or tomorrow. I kindly request that you grant him leave for two days. Thank you.

Translated by this tool on 30 September 2026 and printed unedited.

One real error, and it matters in a school letter. The Tamil says Arun studies in ஏழாம் வகுப்பு 'ஆ' பிரிவில், seventh standard, section ஆ. ஆ is the second letter of the Tamil alphabet, and Tamil schools name sections அ, ஆ, இ the way English-medium schools use A, B, C. The English should read Class 7-B (or VII-B, as many Indian schools write it), not "Class 7-A". Sent as it is, the leave would be recorded against the wrong section.
The rest is a good Indian leave letter. மதிப்பிற்குரிய தலைமை ஆசிரியர் அவர்களுக்கு became "Respected Principal,", the usual salutation in Tamil Nadu schools, and the translator set it out as a letter with line breaks the Tamil did not have.
கடுமையான காய்ச்சல் (literally "severe fever") became "a high fever", and வர இயலாது became "will be unable to attend school", which is what a parent writing in English would say.
பணிவுடன் கேட்டுக்கொள்கிறேன் is closer to "I humbly request"; "I kindly request" is slightly less deferential but is standard in Indian leave letters, and தயவுசெய்து (please) was folded into it instead of appearing twice. The Tamil had no closing or signature, so neither does the English; add "Yours faithfully" and the parent's name before sending.

A casual WhatsApp message

Tamil19 words

டேய், நாளைக்கு மதியம் சாப்பிட வீட்டுக்கு வாடா. அம்மா பிரியாணி பண்றாங்க. கொஞ்சம் சீக்கிரம் வா, அப்புறம் படத்துக்கு போகலாம். டிக்கெட் நான் புக் பண்ணிட்டேன்.

English · Informal29 words

Hey, come over to my place for lunch tomorrow. Mom’s making biryani. Come a little early, and then we can go to a movie. I’ve already booked the tickets.

Translated by this tool on 30 September 2026 and printed unedited.

This is a good translation of spoken Tamil. பண்றாங்க (is making), பண்ணிட்டேன் (have booked) and படத்துக்கு (to the film) are chat forms rather than textbook ones, and each came through with the right meaning; the completed -ட்டேன் ending became "I've already booked".
டேய் and the -டா on வாடா mark a message to a close male friend. English has no marker like that, so "Hey" is as near as it gets, and the fact that the friend is a man is lost. In a chat that rarely matters.
அம்மா became "Mom", the US form, because the English target here is US English. Many Tamil families say Amma even when speaking English; if yours does, change it by hand, since pressing Keep would leave அம்மா in Tamil script.
Two quiet choices are right. மதியம் சாப்பிட (to eat at midday) became "for lunch", and the singular டிக்கெட் became "the tickets", because Tamil often keeps a noun singular where English needs the plural for two people going to the cinema.

Class 'ஆ' is Class B: Tamil letters used as labels

Tamil schools, forms and question papers label things with the Tamil vowels in alphabet order: அ, ஆ, இ, ஈ, உ. A section called 'ஆ' is the second section, and a sub-question marked ஆ) is part (b). The trap is the sound. ஆ is pronounced "aa", which looks and sounds like the English letter A, so a machine, or an English reader skimming a transliteration, maps it to A. The leave letter sample above fell into exactly this.

Use this table when a Tamil letter, report card or form contains a lettered label:

Tamil label	Sound	Position	English label
அ	a	1st	A or (a)
ஆ	aa	2nd	B or (b)
இ	i	3rd	C or (c)
ஈ	ii	4th	D or (d)
உ	u	5th	E or (e)

This only applies to letters used as labels. When ஆ appears inside an ordinary word, it is just a vowel. If a translated letter names a class, a section or a numbered point, read that line against the Tamil before anything else.

Spoken Tamil, chat Tamil and Sri Lankan Tamil in the source

Most Tamil you receive on a phone is not the Tamil of textbooks. People type spoken forms: பண்றாங்க for the written பண்ணுகிறார்கள் or செய்கிறார்கள், நாளைக்கு for நாளை, அப்புறம் for பிறகு. The WhatsApp sample above was entirely in this register and came through well. If a sentence in spoken Tamil comes out garbled, click it to see up to three alternative wordings, since the first reading of a clipped spoken verb is sometimes a guess.

Spoken form	Written form	English
பண்றாங்க	செய்கிறார்கள்	(she, respectfully) is making
பண்ணிட்டேன்	செய்துவிட்டேன்	I have done it
நாளைக்கு	நாளை	tomorrow
அப்புறம்	பிறகு	after that, then
வாடா	வா (to a male friend)	come

Tamil typed in English letters, "naalaiku vaada", is common in chats but has no fixed spelling, and the translator reads Tamil script far more reliably. Messages from Sri Lanka have their own spoken words too: ஓம் means yes and கதைக்க means to talk, where a Chennai speaker would write ஆமா and பேச. If an English sentence from a Jaffna message makes no sense, look for a word like these.

Respect that the English has to rebuild

Tamil shows respect in the grammar. In the leave letter, the son படிக்கிறான் (studies, with the familiar -ஆன் ending); said of a teacher or an elder, the same verb becomes படிக்கிறார், with the respectful -ஆர். In the chat, அம்மா பண்றாங்க uses the respectful plural -ங்க for a mother. A letter addresses தலைமை ஆசிரியர் அவர்களுக்கு, adding அவர்கள் after the title as a mark of honour. English has one "he", one "she" and one "you", so all of this has to be carried by word choice, such as "Respected Principal", "kindly" and "I request", or it disappears.

That is why the register selector matters in this direction too. Formal gives the letter-writing English that Tamil Nadu schools and offices expect. Informal gives the English of a text between friends. If a respectful Tamil message comes out sounding abrupt, run it again on Formal.

Names, initials and the Tamil calendar

Many Tamil Nadu Tamils do not have a family surname. They write an initial from the father's name before their own name: R. Arun, K. Lakshmi. In English forms that ask for first name and surname, the translated letter should keep the name exactly as the person writes it rather than turning the initial into an invented last name. Select a name and press Keep if you want it passed through untouched.

Tamil letters and invitations sometimes date things by the Tamil calendar. தை, the month that begins with Pongal, runs from mid-January to mid-February, so தை 1 is not the same as 1 January. If an English translation gives a Gregorian date for a Tamil month, treat it as approximate and check the actual day on a Tamil calendar.

Kinship words carry age that English drops. அண்ணா is an elder brother and தம்பி a younger one; அக்கா is an elder sister and தங்கை a younger one. "My brother" loses that, and in a family letter the difference can matter.

Mistakes to check before you send

Section ஆ translated as A

Tamil labels run அ, ஆ, இ for A, B, C. Check every class, section and sub-point letter against the table above, as the leave letter sample got this one wrong.

An initial turned into a surname

R. Arun is Arun, son of someone whose name starts with R. Do not let an English form or a translation invent a surname; keep the name as written.

A polite message that reads curt

If the Tamil used -ங்க endings or அவர்கள் and the English sounds blunt, the respect was dropped. Rerun on Formal or add "kindly" and "please" by hand.

Elder brother or younger brother?

அண்ணா and தம்பி both become "brother". In a letter about family, write "elder brother" or keep Anna if the English reader knows the word.

Tanglish pasted as the source

Tamil typed in Latin letters is read less reliably than Tamil script. If you can, ask the sender for the Tamil or retype it on a Tamil keyboard.

A Tamil month read as an English one

தை is not January and சித்திரை is not April; each starts in the middle of an English month. Confirm dates for weddings and functions against a Tamil calendar.

Birth, community and marriage certificates, land records and court documents in Tamil need a qualified translator whose work the receiving office will accept; the tool is fine for understanding them and for letters and messages.

Before you send the English version, run it through the English grammar checker for spelling, grammar and punctuation.

Tamil to English translation questions

How do I translate a Tamil leave letter into English?

Paste the Tamil, set the register to Formal and translate. The sample above shows the result: "Respected Principal," and "I kindly request that you grant him leave". Then check the class and section, since the translator read 'ஆ' as A when it means B, and add a closing and the parent's name.

What does 'ஆ' பிரிவு mean in a school letter?

Section B. Tamil schools name sections with the Tamil letters அ, ஆ, இ, which correspond to A, B and C. ஆ sounds like "aa", which is why it is easily mistaken for A.

Can the translator read spoken Tamil from WhatsApp?

Yes, as long as it is typed in Tamil script. The chat sample above used spoken forms such as பண்றாங்க and பண்ணிட்டேன், and the English came back accurate. Tamil typed in Latin letters is less reliable.

Does Tamil to English translation work for Sri Lankan Tamil?

Written Sri Lankan Tamil uses the same grammar as Tamil Nadu Tamil and translates the same way. Spoken Sri Lankan Tamil has some words of its own, such as ஓம் for yes and கதைக்க for talk, so check any sentence that comes out strange.

Will the English be in US or UK spelling?

The target is US English, which is why அம்மா became "Mom" in the sample. School letters in India usually follow British spelling, so change words like "color" or "program" by hand if the reader expects British forms.

How do I reply in Tamil to a message I translated?

Write your reply in English and use the English to Tamil page, or press the swap button here. Choose Informal for a friend and Formal for a teacher or an office, so the Tamil uses நீ or நீங்கள் correctly.

Going the other way? Translate English to Tamil.

Written and checked by the AI Writing Assistant team. Last reviewed 30 September 2026.