07. Bangalore Slang & Kanglish

Bengaluru spoken Kannada is a highly dynamic and syncretic dialect. It seamlessly blends Hosagannada ⟨HOH-sah-gun-nuh-dah⟩ (Modern Kannada) with English (forming "Kanglish"), incorporates loanwords from neighboring languages (like Tamil), and features a rich tapestry of local street slang.

Mastering this localized vocabulary is essential for social integration and daily logistics.

1. The Hierarchy of Respect and Brotherhood

Bangaloreans value linguistic politeness, but also have distinct terms for close peers.

Kanglish / Slang	Literal Meaning	Bangalore Context and Usage
Maga / Macha ⟨MUH-gah / MUH-chah⟩	Son / Brother-in-law	Universal term for a close male friend or peer. ("Bro/Dude"). Macha is a Tamil loanword very common in Bangalore.
Guru / Boss ⟨GOO-roo⟩	Teacher / Leader	Universal term of address for auto drivers, waiters, or strangers.
Sisya ⟨SHISH-yah⟩	Student	A protégé, sidekick, or younger pal. "Nanna ⟨NUN-nah⟩ sisya avnu ⟨UV-noo⟩." (He's my pal).
Oota aytha? ⟨OO-tah EYE-tah⟩	Food done?	The primary social icebreaker used immediately after hello. "Oota aytha guru?" (Had food, boss?).
Yen guru, yen samachar? ⟨YAYN GOO-roo, YAYN suh-maa-CHAAR⟩	What boss, what news?	Highly casual greeting among peers to establish immediate friendly rapport.

2. Kanglish and The "Maadi" Engine

Kanglish effortlessly integrates English nouns and verbs into Kannada. This is most commonly achieved by appending a euphonic -u to English nouns (e.g., "Car-u", "Office-u") or attaching the universal action verb maadi ⟨MAA-dee⟩ (do) to English verbs.

Kanglish Term	Meaning	Bangalore Context and Usage
Adjust maadi ⟨adjust MAA-dee⟩	Please accommodate	A cultural cornerstone. Used to ask for physical space on a bus, a favor, or a compromise. "Swalpa ⟨SWAL-pah⟩ adjust maadi."
Drop kodi ⟨drop KOH-dee⟩	Give a lift	"Metro hathira ⟨HUH-thee-rah⟩ drop kodi." (Drop me near the metro).
Scene illa ⟨scene ILL-lah⟩	No chance / No issue	Used to dismiss a problem. "Eno problem? Scene illa."

3. Street Descriptors (The Good and the Bad)

Slang Term	English Meaning	Bangalore Context and Usage
Bombaat / Sakkath ⟨bom-BAAT / SUK-kuth⟩	Fantastic / Super	Used to describe anything of excellent quality (food, movies). "Movie sakkath agithu ⟨ah-GEE-too⟩"
Chindi ⟨CHIN-dee⟩	Shredded / Amazing	Describes a performance or object so good it destroyed the competition.
Dabba ⟨DUB-bah⟩	Tin box / Useless	Completely useless, broken, or of extremely low quality (Dabba service).
Kirik ⟨KEE-rik⟩	Trouble	A nuisance, an argument, or an irritating person. "Avnu ⟨UV-noo⟩ thumba ⟨THOOM-bah⟩ kirik."
Gand-u ⟨GUN-doo⟩	Strong / Cool	Context matters. Can mean "Boss style" or "Macho" (not abusive in this specific context).
Full-tight	Drunk	"Avnu full tight agidane ⟨ah-gee-DAA-ney⟩." (He is completely drunk).
Off-aago ⟨off-AAH-goh⟩	Get lost / Shut up	A rude dismissal. "Summane ⟨SOOM-muh-ney⟩ off aago." (Just quiet down/get lost).