Menu in Tamil: how to write a Tamil menu card
Updated October 19, 2026
A Tamil menu card is written in Tamil script and is usually split into tiffin (டிபன்) and meals (சாப்பாடு). Tamil has fewer consonant letters than English, so one letter covers sounds like "t" and "d": dosa is தோசை and biryani is பிரியாணி. Borrowed words use extra letters such as ஜ and ஸ (ஜூஸ், juice). Tamil menus are read in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, and in Sri Lanka, Singapore and Malaysia. Write the Tamil names yourself and let customers switch the rest of the menu into தமிழ்.
In short
- Two main sections: டிபன் (tiffin: idli, dosa, pongal) and சாப்பாடு (meals).
- One letter, several sounds: த covers "t" and "d", ப covers "p" and "b".
- Borrowed sounds use the letters ஜ, ஷ, ஸ, ஹ, and "f" is often written ஃப (ஃபில்டர் காபி).
- Tamil is official in Sri Lanka and Singapore, as well as widely read in Malaysia.
- In Menuthere: தமிழ் is on the language button from Lite. Tamil second names replace the translation, on every plan.
Tamil script on a menu
- Fewer letters, sounds from position. Tamil writes "k" and "g" with க, "t" and "d" with த or ட, "p" and "b" with ப. Readers know which sound to use from where the letter sits in the word.
- The pulli (்). A dot on top of a letter removes its vowel. Many borrowed words end with one: ஜூஸ் (juice), சிக்கன் (chicken).
- Grantha letters for borrowed words. ஜ (j), ஷ (sh), ஸ (s) and ஹ (h) appear in words from Sanskrit and English: ஸ்பெஷல் (special), ஜூஸ் (juice).
- The "f" sound. Tamil has no f letter, so menus write ஃப (the aytham ஃ plus ப): ஃபில்டர் காபி. Many signs simply write பில்டர் காபி. Both are read the same way.
- Long words. Tamil names run longer than their English versions on a phone. Keep second names short.
How Tamil menus spell dishes in English
| Tamil | English spellings you'll see | Note |
|---|---|---|
| இட்லி | Idli, Idly | Tamil Nadu menus often write Idly |
| தோசை | Dosa, Dosai | Dosai follows the Tamil ending |
| பரோட்டா | Parotta | Layered flatbread. Kerala writes Porotta; North Indian paratha is a different bread |
| கொத்து பரோட்டா | Kothu parotta | Chopped parotta stir-fried on the griddle |
| செட்டிநாடு | Chettinad | The spicy Chettinad style of the Karaikudi region |
| வடை | Vada, Vadai |
Useful Tamil menu words
| English | Tamil |
|---|---|
| Menu | மெனு (formal: உணவுப் பட்டியல்) |
| Tiffin | டிபன் |
| Meals | சாப்பாடு |
| Vegetarian | சைவம் |
| Non-vegetarian | அசைவம் |
| Sweets | இனிப்பு |
| Beverages | பானங்கள் |
| Spicy | காரம் |
Example: a Tamil menu card section
A short sample for a South Indian restaurant.
| English (dish name) | Tamil (second name) |
|---|---|
| Tiffin | டிபன் |
| Idli | இட்லி |
| Masala dosa | மசாலா தோசை |
| Pongal | பொங்கல் |
| Medu vada | மெது வடை |
| Meals | சாப்பாடு |
| Veg meals | சைவ சாப்பாடு |
| Chettinad chicken | செட்டிநாடு சிக்கன் |
| Kothu parotta | கொத்து பரோட்டா |
| Chicken biryani | சிக்கன் பிரியாணி |
| Sweets | இனிப்பு |
| Kesari | கேசரி |
| Payasam | பாயசம் |
| Beverages | பானங்கள் |
| Filter coffee | ஃபில்டர் காபி |
| Tea | டீ |
Selling in Sri Lanka? Add the dishes your customers know: கொத்து ரொட்டி (kottu roti), இடியப்பம் (string hoppers) and அப்பம் (hoppers).
Who needs a Tamil menu
| Where you sell | Why Tamil matters | Read next |
|---|---|---|
| Tamil Nadu and Puducherry | Customers who read Tamil first, especially in tea shops, messes and family restaurants | Online ordering in India · Zomato and Swiggy commission |
| Sri Lanka | Tamil is an official language of Sri Lanka, with Sinhala | Online ordering in Sri Lanka · Uber Eats Sri Lanka and PickMe Food commission |
| Singapore | Tamil is one of Singapore's four official languages | Online ordering in Singapore · GrabFood and foodpanda Singapore commission · Menu in Chinese |
| Malaysia | Many Malaysian Indian customers read Tamil | Online ordering in Malaysia · GrabFood and foodpanda Malaysia commission |
| Bengaluru and Kerala | Tamil-speaking residents and visitors | Menu in Kannada · Menu in Malayalam |
Sinhala and Malay aren't offered as menu languages. In Sri Lanka or Malaysia, keep your main menu in the language most customers read and offer Tamil (and Chinese in Malaysia) on the language button. Your own menu has 0% commission on every Menuthere plan.
Set up a Tamil menu in Menuthere
- Put the Tamil name on each dish (every plan). Edit Masala dosa in
Menu, tap Add secondary name and type மசாலா தோசை. It shows under the English name, then in the cart and on the order. - Offer தமிழ் to customers (Lite). Open
Settings → Store details → Currency & Language, enable Offer other languages and choose தமிழ். Tamil readers see your Tamil names as the dish names, and the rest of the menu is translated. - Choose the opening language. A tea shop or mess in Tamil Nadu may want தமிழ் as the primary language. Customers can switch, and their choice is remembered.
- Check the Tamil view on a phone, with the pulli dots and Grantha letters in mind.
Tamil on the language button is in Lite: US$17 a month, billed in rupees for Indian stores, with a 7-day trial that starts with a card.
Tamil menu card checklist
- Tiffin and meals as separate categories. Serve tiffin only at set hours? Use Set Time on each tiffin dish so it shows only then (every plan).
- One spelling per dish on the English side (Idli or Idly).
- Veg and non-veg marked on each dish.
- Short Tamil second names that fit on a phone.
- A Tamil reader has checked the menu on a phone.
FAQs
How do you write menu in Tamil?
Menu is usually written மெனு on Tamil menu cards. The formal Tamil phrase is உணவுப் பட்டியல், meaning food list.
What is tiffin on a Tamil menu?
Tiffin, written டிபன், is the section for light dishes such as idli, dosa, pongal and vada, usually served in the morning and evening. Meals, written சாப்பாடு, is the full rice meal.
Is parotta the same as paratha?
No. Tamil Nadu's parotta is a layered, flaky flatbread, close to Kerala's porotta. North Indian paratha is a different bread.
Can a restaurant in Sri Lanka or Singapore offer a Tamil menu?
Yes. Tamil is an official language in both countries, and the language button works wherever your store is. Sinhala and Malay aren't offered as menu languages.
Can I add my own Tamil dish names?
Yes, on every plan. Add a Tamil secondary name to any dish. When a customer reads the menu in Tamil, your name replaces the automatic translation.
Sources (7)
- Constitution of Sri Lanka, Thirteenth Amendment (1987), section 2: Article 18(2) "Tamil shall also be an official language": https://lankalaw.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/1987Y0V0C0A13S.html (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
- Republic of Singapore Independence Act 1965, section 7 (four official languages): https://sso.agc.gov.sg/Act/RSI (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
- Menuthere Docs, Menu in several languages for customers: https://menuthere.com/docs/online-store/menu-in-several-languages-for-customers (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
- Menuthere Docs, Dish names in a second language: https://menuthere.com/docs/menu/dish-names-in-a-second-language (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
- Menuthere Docs, Show dishes at set times: https://menuthere.com/docs/hours/show-dishes-at-set-times (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
- Unicode Consortium, Tamil code chart: https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U0B80.pdf (accessed 19 Oct 2026)
- Ahrefs Keywords Explorer (19 Oct 2026); Google autocomplete (19 Oct 2026)