Kerala Card Game Terms (with Malayalam)
The words you hear around a Kerala card table, explained in plain English with the Malayalam alongside. They apply to 28, 29, the 40 card game and 56.
| Term | Malayalam | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Cheettukali | ചീട്ടുകളി | Playing cards, literally "card play". Also spelt cheettu kali, cheetukali or chettukali. |
| Cheettu | ചീട്ട് | A playing card. |
| Thuruppu | തുറുപ്പ് | The trump suit. In 28, 29 and 40 it is chosen by the winning bidder and kept hidden face down. |
| Gulan | ഗുലാൻ | The Jack, the highest card in these games (worth 3 points). |
| Vili (call / bid) | വിളി | The number a team promises to reach. "Who called?" is ആരാ വിളിച്ചത്? |
| Vettu (cut) | വെട്ട് | Winning a round by playing a trump when you have none of the suit led. Throwing away a suit early so you can cut it later is a classic move. |
| Asking for the trump | തുറുപ്പ് ചോദിക്കുക | When you can't follow suit, you ask the bidder to show the hidden trump. If you hold a trump, you must then cut. |
| Honours | ഓണേഴ്സ് | A high call: 30 and over in 40 (Honours, Honours 1 … Honours 10), 20 and over in 28. |
| Jodi | ജോഡി | In 40, the calling team's promise to win every round. The other team may ask "Jodi?"; "No Jodi" ends the hand in the callers' favour. |
| Thani | തനി | The highest call in 40: the caller alone must win all six rounds with no trump. |
| Coolie | കൂലി | The scoring unit in 40. Coolies pass back and forth; a team holding 7 takes a flag. |
| Flag | ഫ്ലാഗ് | A lost game in 40, taken by the team that holds 7 coolies. Both teams then start again from zero. |
| Pair / Royals | പെയർ | In 29, the King and Queen of trumps in one hand. Changes the bidders' target by 4. |
| Single hand | സിംഗിൾ | In 29, playing alone with no trump while your partner sits out, promising all eight rounds. |
| Double / Redouble | ഡബിൾ / റീഡബിൾ | The defenders double the stakes before the first lead; the bidders can redouble. |
| NT (no trump) | നോ ട്രംപ് | In 56, a bid that, if it wins, is played with no trump suit at all. |
Suit names at a Kerala table
Many Malayali players use their own names for the four suits:
| Suit | Malayalam | Said as |
|---|---|---|
| ♠ Spades | ഇസ്പേഡ് | Ispade |
| ♥ Hearts | ആഡുതൻ | Aduthan |
| ♣ Clubs | ക്ലാവർ | Klaavar |
| ♦ Diamonds | ഡൈമൺ | Dymon |
Words vary from district to district. If your table says it differently, that's part of the fun.
FAQ
What does thuruppu mean?
Thuruppu (തുറുപ്പ്) is the Malayalam word for the trump suit in card games like 28, 29 and 40.
What is vettu in card games?
Vettu (വെട്ട്) means cutting: winning a round with a trump when you have no card of the suit that was led.
What is gulan in cards?
Gulan (ഗുലാൻ) is the Malayalam name for the Jack, the top card in 28, 29, 40 and 56.
What is ചീട്ടുകളി (cheettukali) in English?
Cheettukali (ചീട്ടുകളി) simply means 'card game' or 'playing cards'. Cheettu (ചീട്ട്) is a playing card, and kali (കളി) means game or play.