Are You Up for the Tongue Twister Challenge in Your Mother Tongue?

Cameraperson: Abhishek Ranjan
Video Editor: Rahul Sanpui
Video Producer: Chandni Sharma

(This piece was first published on 11 August 2018 and is being republished in light of recent calls for ‘One Nation, One Language’.)

Kacha papad, pakka papad... is the most famous tongue twister. We heard in our childhood. However, the Quintees introduce you to thoda hatke tongue twisters in their own bhasha.

Bengali

Pakhi paka pepe khaye

This not-so-simple tongue twister in Bangla means, “bird eats a ripe papaya”.

Jole chun taja, tele chul taja

This one means, “fresh chuna in water and fresh hair in oil”.

Hindi

Peetal ke peele patile mein pila papita

Just like Chandu ke chacha... and Kacha papad, pakka papad... here is another shudh tongue twister, which when translated means, “yellow papaya in a brass vessel”.

Now, that’s simple!

Urdu

Nazar ne nazar ko nazar bhar ke dekha, nazar ko nazar ki nazar lag gayi

This is one sweet and awe-dorable tongue twister.

Gujarati

Kaka ne kaki ne kaach na kabat mathi kachi keri katdhi ne kachumber karava kahnyu

No, friends, this has nothing to do with khakhras or theplas. It simply means, uncle gave raw mangoes to aunty and asked her to make kachumber (salad).

Punjabi

Devender ki dadi ke do dant dukhde

Wow! This has to be an epic sentence in Punjabi because it has nothing to do with Kukkad (chicken) or Patiala peg or Diljit Dosanjh! This tongue twister means Devender’s grandmother has pain in her two teeth.

Tamil

Vazhai pazham vazuhukki kizhavi oruthi vazhiyil nazhuvi vizhundhal

We bet, you can’t even say this tongue twister along. This one means, “an old lady slipped off a banana peel”.

Ouch!

Odia

Sansare sansari sanche sampatti, sampatti ru sahe shahe vipatti

The last but not the least. This Odia tongue twister means, “a family man accumulates wealth, and in the process, faces hundreds of problem as well”.