# Antonyms: matching pairs, literary words and opposite pairs in the Kural

> These study notes explain Antonyms for the Group 4 / VAO (Combined Civil Services Examination-IV) exam in plain language: the same reviewed notes the TNPSC Guide app shows, published by our editors with their source. Read the key points first, then practise the unit's questions. For exam facts such as dates and vacancies, always check tnpsc.gov.in.

Last updated: 2026-11-02 · By TNPSC Guide editorial team
URL: https://www.tnpscguide.com/exams/group-4/notes/tamil-vocabulary-antonyms

## Why the exam asks this

The 2024 paper had 1 question from this topic and the 2025 paper had 2. In 2024 the antonym of ookkam was asked, with the options aarvam, utsaagam, sorvu and thelivu, two of which are synonyms of ookkam (question 14). In 2025 the paper asked the antonym of setram, a Manimekalai word (question 3), and the opposite pair inside a poem line (uravor and madavam, question 20). The exam is moving from everyday words to the antonyms of Sangam and ethical literature words. So these notes start with matching pairs and go on to literary words and the opposite pairs of the Kural.

## The rule of an antonym pair: same word class

Both words of an antonym pair are of the same class: a noun against a noun (aiyam and thelivu, unmai and poimai), a verb against a verb (anugu and vilagu). The class 6 exercise gives anugu, aiyam, ookkam and unmai to match, out of order, with thelivu, sorvu, poimai and vilagu. The right pairs are anugu and vilagu, aiyam and thelivu, ookkam and sorvu, unmai and poimai. At a bus stop, notice that "he went up to the bus" and "he moved away from the crowd" both use verbs.

## Ookkam and sorvu: the trap of the 2024 question

The antonym of ookkam is sorvu; it is also the pair of the class 6 matching exercise. For sorvu the book also gives asathi (class 6, Inbattamil) and pochchaappu (class 8, Uyirkkunangal). Aarvam and utsaagam are synonyms of ookkam, not antonyms. If two options are synonyms, strike them out first; of the options left, choose the one whose meaning is the direct opposite of the word asked.

**Example: Ookkam: find the antonym (2024, question 14)**

Which is the antonym of ookkam? (aarvam, utsaagam, sorvu, thelivu)

1. Compare each option with ookkam: aarvam and utsaagam both mean something like ookkam; strike them out.
2. Thelivu is the antonym of aiyam (a class 6 matching pair), not of ookkam.
3. Sorvu, which is left, is its direct opposite; both are nouns.

Answer: sorvu (final answer key).

## The antonym of a literary word: kenmai and pagaimai

For the Kural "pagaimaiyum kenmaiyum kannuraikkum", the class 11 book explains that a person's eyes reveal his enmity and his friendship. So kenmai means friendship, and pagaimai is set against it. Setram means anger (class 9, Manimekalai). In 2025 kenmai was taken as the antonym of setram (question 3, final answer key). Pagai was also an option; this Kural sets pagaimai against kenmai, so pagai stands on the side of setram (anger) and is not its antonym; strike it out first. The sound-alike words vannmai and vanmai came as traps. Never choose a word because it sounds alike; decide on meaning.

## Uravor: the opposite pair inside a line

In the Kural "ozhukkaththin olkaar uravor", the class 10 simple commentary explains uravor as the strong-minded. In 2025, when the paper asked for the opposite pair inside a poem line, the answer was uravor and madavam. In this type, write the meaning of each word of the line and pick the two words that are direct opposites.

**Opposite pairs in Thirukkural**

| | |
| --- | --- |
| "seyarkariya seyvaar periyar siriyar seyarkariya seykalaa thaar" (class 6, page 48) | periyar and siriyar: the great do what seems impossible, the small say it cannot be done |
| "keduppathoom ... eduppathoom ellaam mazhai" (class 6, page 48) | keduththal and kaaththal: rain ruins by failing in season and saves by falling in season |
| Anbudaimai (class 6, page 49) | anbilaar and anbudaiyaar; thamakku and pirarkku: the loveless keep all for themselves, the loving give even their body to others |
| "iniya ulavaaga innaatha kooral" (class 6, page 49) | iniya and innaatha; kani and kaai: harsh words when sweet ones exist are like eating the raw fruit when the ripe one is there |
| "niraineera neeravar kenmai piraimathip pinneera pethaiyaar natpu" (class 8, page 219) | neeravar and pethaiyaar; the waxing and the waning moon: the friendship of the good waxes, that of fools wanes |
| "maruvuga maasatraar kenmai ... oruvuga oppilaar natpu" (class 8, page 220) | maruvuga and oruvuga: hold the friendship of the faultless, cast off that of the unworthy |
| "ozhukkam udaimai kudimai; izhukkam izhintha pirappaai vidum" (class 10, page 230) | ozhukkam and izhukkam: steady conduct is noble birth, giving it up is a beast's birth |
| "ozhukkaththin eythuvar menmai; izhukkaththin eythuvar eythaap pazhi" (class 10, page 230) | menmai and pazhi |
| The simple commentary on the next Kural of the same chapter (class 10, page 230) | nallozhukkam and theeyozhukkam: good conduct is the seed of all good, bad conduct brings sorrow every day |
| "pagaimaiyum kenmaiyum kannuraikkum" (class 11, page 145) | kenmai and pagaimai |

## How to read the Kural pairs

In these Kurals one part gives the good and the other part its opposite; in some, both come in the same line (periyar, siriyar). So read the Kural first as two halves and take the key word of each: ozhukkam and izhukkam, maruvuga and oruvuga. Picture someone biting a sour raw mango while a ripe one is in hand; it recalls the pairs iniya and innaatha, kani and kaai. Menmai and pazhi is the pair in the Kural's own line; nallozhukkam and theeyozhukkam is the pair of the book's simple commentary on the next Kural. Do not mix the two.

## Opposite qualities: the poem Uyirkkunangal

The introduction says every person has good and bad qualities. Iraiyarasan's poem Uyirkkunangal (class 8) sets opposite qualities side by side: inbam and thunbam, veruppu and uvappu, ilamai and mooppu, maravi and oorppu. Oorppu means weighing and understanding; maravi is its opposite. Take as pairs only the qualities the poem puts side by side.

## How antonyms are formed

Adding al also makes an opposite. What should have been thaazhthinai, the opposite of uyarthinai, the elders named ahrinai (al + thinai, the class that is not high); the bitter vegetable they called paagarkaai (paagu + al + kaai, the vegetable that is not sweet). The Kalittokai word list (class 8) has two negative forms, seraaamai: not hating, and maraaamai: not forgetting, and three nouns, pootraar: enemies, pethaiyaar: the ignorant, alanthavar: the poor. The example of the "make it negative" exercise is meelaath thuyar, meelum thuyar; the same table gives koduththuch sivantha, maraiththuk kaattu, arugil amarga, paarththa padam and ezhuthaak kavithai to change (class 10). When you see paagarkaai at the vegetable shop, think "the vegetable that is not sweet".

## Land and nature: two pairs

Nanjey is land where crops grow with plenty of water; punjey is land where crops grow with little water (class 8, Odai). For using two words in one sentence, the book gives iyarkai and seyarkai: artificial instruments help travel through natural forests with no path (class 10). Compare a field fed by a channel with dry upland that waits for rain, and the pair will stay.

## Meaning errors: arugil, arugaamai, sududhanneer

"He was arugil" and "he was arugaamaiyil" do not mean the same; the class 12 book says arugaamai is the antonym of arugil. So writing arugaamaiyil for "near" is a meaning error. Sududhanneer is also wrong: thanneer is cool water, and water cannot be hot and cool at once. Opposite pairs are written joined: medupallam (splitting it as medu pallam is wrong); so are ummaith thogai (utraaruravinar) and near pairs (seerumsirappum). At home "the next house is arugaamaiyil" has become common; in the exam, follow the book's meaning.

## Background: devices of contrast

The class 10 lesson on the beauty of prose gives three devices of contrast. Writing contradictory words together is solmuran (oxymoron): "a lie without mixture". Setting opposite ideas side by side for stress is ethirinai isaivu (antithesis): "huts on one side, towers on the other". Stating a truth that seems to contradict itself but does not is muranpadu meymmai (paradox): "what else should we fear, except fear itself". These are prose devices; read them only as background to antonym questions. Remember only that the three are different.

**Key facts**

| | |
| --- | --- |
| Ahrinai | al + thinai, the class that is not high (class 6, page 9) |
| Paagarkaai | paagu + al + kaai, the vegetable that is not sweet (class 6, page 9) |
| Matching pairs | anugu and vilagu, aiyam and thelivu, ookkam and sorvu, unmai and poimai (class 6, page 54) |
| Nanjey and punjey | land with plenty of water and land with little water (class 8, page 25) |
| Kenmai and pagaimai | kenmai means friendship (class 11, page 145) |
| Uravor | the strong-minded (class 10, page 230) |
| Ozhukkam and izhukkam | steady conduct is noble birth (class 10, page 230) |
| Arugil and arugaamai | not the same meaning (class 12, page 66) |
| Medupallam | an opposite pair; always written joined (class 12, page 65) |
| Three devices of contrast | solmuran, ethirinai isaivu, muranpadu meymmai (class 10, page 14) |

> **Exam tip:** Memory hooks
Say it as one line: "approach, then move away; doubt cleared, then clarity; zeal gone, then tiredness; against truth, falsehood". Kenmai is friendship; its opposite is pagaimai. In the Kural the waxing moon is the friendship of the good, the waning moon that of fools. The al in ahrinai is "not".

**Easy to confuse**

| | |
| --- | --- |
| Ookkam: antonym / synonym | the antonym is sorvu (asathi and pochchaappu also mean sorvu); aarvam and utsaagam are synonyms |
| Kenmai / setram | kenmai: friendship, its opposite pagaimai (class 11); setram: anger (class 9); vannmai and vanmai were traps in 2025 |
| Ahrinai / thaazhthinai | ahrinai is al + thinai; the book does not use the name thaazhthinai |
| Arugil / arugaamai | writing arugaamaiyil for "near" is a meaning error |
| Solmuran / ethirinai isaivu / muranpadu meymmai | a lie without mixture / huts on one side, towers on the other / a truth that seems to contradict; all three differ |
| Word class | noun against noun (aiyam and thelivu), verb against verb (anugu and vilagu) |
| Kural pairs | neeravar (the good) and pethaiyaar; periyar and siriyar; maruvuga (hold) and oruvuga (cast off) |
| Menmai and pazhi / nallozhukkam and theeyozhukkam | the first is in the Kural's line; the second is the simple commentary on the next Kural |

> **Exam tip:** Quick check
1. What is the antonym of aiyam? Answer: thelivu.
2. What does kenmai mean? Answer: friendship; its opposite is pagaimai.
3. What is the opposite of maruvuga? Answer: oruvuga.
4. How does ahrinai split? Answer: al + thinai.
5. What is the antonym of nanjey? Answer: punjey.

Source: தமிழ், ஆறாம் வகுப்பு, முதல் பருவம், தொகுதி 1 (Tamil, Standard VI, Term I, Volume 1; Samacheer Kalvi) (6ஆம் வகுப்புத் தமிழ் (முதல் பருவம்), இயல் 1 இன்பத்தமிழ் பக்கம் 2, வளர்தமிழ் பக்கம் 9, இயல் 2 திருக்குறள் பக்கம் 48-49, இயல் 3 மதிப்பீடு பக்கம் 54; 8ஆம் வகுப்புத் தமிழ், பக்கம் 25, 96, 192, 219-220; 10ஆம் வகுப்புத் தமிழ், இயல் 1 உரைநடையின் அணிநலன்கள் பக்கம் 14, இயல் 4 மொழியை ஆள்வோம் பக்கம் 96-97, இயல் 9 திருக்குறள் பக்கம் 230; 11ஆம் வகுப்புத் தமிழ், இயல் 5 திருக்குறள் பக்கம் 145; 12ஆம் வகுப்புத் தமிழ், இயல் 3 பொருள் மயக்கம் பக்கம் 65-66)

## Sources

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