ICSE Class 9 Telugu Syllabus 2026-27

Telugu is offered as a compulsory Second Language (Group I) in ICSE Class 9. A Classical Language of India (granted status in 2008) and the official language of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Telugu is a Dravidian language with a literary tradition stretching back to the 11th century CE. From the Prabandha poetry of Nannaya and the Kavitraya through the Vijayanagara golden age to the social reform writers of the 19th century and the revolutionary modern poetry of Sri Sri, Telugu literature is one of the richest in South Asia. The ICSE syllabus introduces students to the language's grammar and its full literary sweep.

The subject carries 100 marks in total: 80 marks for the written external paper and 20 marks for school-based internal assessment. The Class IX examination is school-conducted; the Class X ICSE Board paper covers the full combined syllabus.

Exam at a Glance

Aims of the Telugu Syllabus

•       Appreciate Telugu as an effective means of communication and as a classical Dravidian language with a rich literary heritage

•       Acquire knowledge of the elements of the Telugu language: Vyakaranam (grammar), Shabda Sampada (vocabulary), syntax, and idiom

•       Develop a genuine interest in Telugu and its literary traditions from Nannaya to Sri Sri

•       Understand Telugu when spoken at normal conversational speed

•       Develop the ability to read, comprehend, and respond to unseen prose passages in Telugu

•       Develop the ability to write compositions and letters in correct, formal (Grandhika) Telugu

•       Develop an appreciation of Telugu literature through the prescribed texts

Section A: Language (40 Marks)

All four components are compulsory. Written Telugu must be in the formal Grandhika register.

1. Composition (Vyasam / Nibandham)

•       Write one composition in Telugu from a choice of topics (narrative, descriptive, or expressive); approximately 250-300 words

•       Stimuli may include language prompts, pictures, or objects

•       Assessed on: relevance, organisation, clarity, correct Vyakaranam (grammar), spelling, vocabulary

2. Letter Writing (Lekha Rachana)

•       Write one letter from a choice of two given subjects

•       Formal letters (Karyalaya Lekha / Vidhi Patra): to authorities, editors, organisations

•       Informal letters (Nijji Lekha / Mitruniki Lekha): to relatives and friends

•       Full layout (place/date, address, salutation, body, conclusion, signature) is assessed

3. Comprehension (Apathita Gadyam)

•       Unseen prose passage of approximately 250 words in Telugu; all questions and answers in Telugu

•       Tests understanding of content, meaning, and vocabulary

4. Grammar (Vyakaranam)

Tests practical use of Telugu language. Formal knowledge of grammatical terminology is NOT required. Key topics:

Aksharamala (Telugu Script and Orthography)

•       Achulu (16 Vowels): a, aa, i, ii, u, uu, ru, ruu, lu, e, ee, ai, o, oo, au, am/ah and their matra (vowel marker) forms

•       Hallulu (36 Consonants): in five varga groups (ka, cha, ta, ta-2, pa vargas) plus avarga; Guninthalu (syllabic combinations)

•       Ottulu (Conjunct consonants): how consonants combine in Telugu; reading and writing conjuncts

•       Correct spelling (Samyak Lekhanam): short and long vowels; anusvara and visarga; distinguishing similar-looking characters

Namavachakam / Sangya (Nouns)

•       Types: Jativachaka (common), Vyaktivachaka (proper), Gunavachaka (abstract quality), Samuhavachaka (collective), Dravyavachaka (material)

•       Linga (Gender): Pullinga (masculine), Strilinga (feminine), Napumsakalinga (neuter); Telugu uses all three genders explicitly; gender transformation (manishi/manishini, koduku/kooduri)

•       Vachanam (Number): Ekavachanam (singular) and Bahuvachanam (plural); plural by -lu/-llu suffix (manishi/manushulu)

•       Rational vs Irrational (Sajeeva/Nirjeeva): affects pronoun choice and verb agreement; sajeeva nouns are humans and deities; nirjeeva are animals and objects

Sarvanamam (Pronouns)

•       Personal: nenu/memu/manamu (1st person), neevoo/meeru (2nd person), atadu/avadu (3rd m.sg.), aame/aavidha (3rd f.sg.), aayana/aavida (3rd honorific), adhi/avi (3rd neuter)

•       Demonstrative: near (idhi, ivi, ivanu, aavidha) and far (adhi, avi, avadu, aayana)

•       Interrogative: evaru (who, rational), emi/emiti (what, irrational), ekkada (where), eppudu (when), ela (how), enduku (why), enni (how many)

•       Relative construction: Telugu uses participial forms rather than separate relative pronouns; the relative participle (verb-ru/-na/-ni) precedes the noun it modifies

Visheshanam (Adjectives)

•       Adjectives are invariable in Telugu; they do not change for gender or number (unlike in Hindi/Sanskrit)

•       Types: Gunavachaka (qualitative: manchidi, pedda), Sankhyavachaka (numeral), Parimanavachaka (quantitative), Sarvanamikartha (pronominal/demonstrative)

•       Degrees of comparison: Samana Sthiti (positive), Adhika Sthiti (comparative: using kaante/kante = than), Uttama Sthiti (superlative: using anni vatilonu = more than all)

Kriya (Verbs)

•       Telugu verbs are agglutinative: root + tense marker + Person-Number-Gender (PNG) suffix; the verb comes at the end of the sentence (SOV word order)

•       Kalalu (Tenses): Vartamana Kalam (present), Atita Kalam (past), Bhavisyat Kalam (future); each with its own tense markers and PNG suffixes

•       Rational vs Irrational verb agreement: atadu chesadu (he did, m.sg.), aame chesindi (she did, f.sg.), varu chesaru (they did, rational pl.), adhi chesindi (it did, irrational sg.), avi chesayi (they did, irrational pl.)

•       Sambandha Kriya (Verbal participle): -i/-ee/-chi form joining two actions in sequence (vellee 'having gone'); used to build complex Telugu sentences

•       Peyarech Roopam (Relative participle): verb form used as adjective before a noun (padhina pilla = the child who read)

•       Negative verb forms: -ledu (past negative: did not), -vu/-du (present/future negative: does not/will not)

•       Quotative 'ani': the particle 'ani' introduces indirect speech in Telugu; e.g. vellamann-adu ani cheppadu (he said to go) -- the standard Telugu reported speech construction

Vibhakti (Case Suffixes) -- Eight Cases

Vakya Rachana (Sentence Structure and Transformation)

•       SOV word order: the verb ALWAYS comes at the end of the Telugu sentence

•       Sentence types: Vidhi (declarative), Nisheda (negative), Prashna (interrogative with -aa particle or question words), Aagnya (imperative), Vismaya (exclamatory)

•       Active and Passive Voice: Karthri Prayogam (active) and Karma Prayogam (passive); Telugu passive uses verb padadam construction

•       Quotative 'ani' for indirect speech: 'ani' introduces the reported content; compare Tamil 'endru' and Hindi 'ki'

•       Compound and complex sentences: joined using Sambandha Kriya (verbal participles) and conjunctions

Sandhi and Samasam (Sound Junction and Compound Words)

•       Telugu Sandhi (Samdhi): Swarasandhi (vowel junction) and Vyanjanasandhi (consonant junction); Telugu's own rules, distinct from Sanskrit sandhi

•       Samasam types: Dvandva (copulative: annaacharlu), Tatpurusa (determinative), Karmadharaya (attributive), Bahuvrihi (possessive), Avyayibhava (adverbial); Samasam Vigraha (splitting and explaining)

Alankarams (Figures of Speech)

•       Upamaalankaaram (Simile): comparison using Telugu markers vanti, lanti, teeruga, pole (all meaning 'like/as'); e.g. chandra vanti mukham (a face like the moon)

•       Rupakalankaaram (Metaphor): direct identification without comparison words

•       Utprekshalankaaram (Poetic Fancy): imagining one as another; 'as if' constructions

•       Ativishayokthi (Hyperbole): deliberate exaggeration

•       Manava Roopakam (Personification): human qualities to non-human things

•       Anupraasam (Alliteration): repetition of the same initial consonant in consecutive words; hallmark of classical Telugu Prabandha poetry

•       Yamakam: repetition of the same syllable with different meanings; extensively used by Nannaya, Tikkana, Errana in the Andhra Mahabharatam

Chandassu (Poetic Metre)

•       Ataveladi: the most common Telugu metre; fixed pattern of long and short syllables; used in Prabandha literature and Vemana Shatakam

•       Kandapadyam: popular short lyrical metre; four-line stanzas; used in devotional and folk poetry

•       Utpalamala: classical Sanskrit-influenced Prabandha metre; associated with Nannaya and Tikkana; grand epic style

•       Champakamala: another Prabandha metre; elegant, ornate style

•       Seesamulu (Seesa): devotional and folk poetry; relatively accessible metre

•       Vadhya Kavita (Modern free verse): contemporary Telugu poetry without fixed metrical constraints

•       Identifying the metre type in a given poem; identifying Anupraasam and Yamakam patterns

Shabda Sampada (Vocabulary)

•       Paryayapadalu (Synonyms) and Viparyayapadalu (Antonyms) of common Telugu words

•       Sumatyulu (Proverbs) and Muhavare (Idioms): meanings and use in sentences

•       Tatsama Shabdalu (Sanskrit words used unchanged) and Tadbhava Shabdalu (Sanskrit-derived with changes); awareness of Persian, Arabic, and English loanwords

•       Word formation: Upasamulu (prefixes) and Pratyayalu (suffixes); identifying root words (Dhatu)

Section B: Prescribed Texts (40 Marks)

Candidates answer four questions from ONLY two of the prescribed textbooks. All answers in Telugu.

Always confirm the exact prescribed textbooks with your school or from the official CISCE website before the start of the academic session.

Types of Prescribed Texts

•       Prose anthology (Gadya Sankalanam): essays, short stories, biographical sketches

•       Poetry anthology (Padya Sankalanam): classical and modern Telugu poetry

•       A novel or supplementary reader may be prescribed in some sessions

Classical Telugu Literature

The Kavitraya (11th to 14th Century CE)

•       Nannaya Bhattaraka (c. 1020 CE): Adi Kavi (first poet); translated the first two and a half books of the Andhra Mahabharatam; established the Prabandha style; master of Ataveladi and Utpalamala metres; foundational to Telugu grammar

•       Tikkana Somayaji (c. 1220 CE): completed 15 books of the Andhra Mahabharatam; celebrated for dramatic intensity, dialogue, and characterisation; Nirvachanottara Ramayanam

•       Errapragada/Erranna (c. 1280 CE): completed the Aranyaparvam; lyrical style, richness of imagery; Ramaabhyudayam; with Nannaya and Tikkana forms the Kavitraya (Trinity of Telugu Poets)

The Vijayanagara Golden Age (14th to 16th Century)

•       Srinatha (c. 1365 CE): greatest classical Telugu poet after Kavitraya; Sringaranaishadham; Sringara sentiment, wordplay (Chitrakavi), extravagant imagery; court poet of multiple kingdoms

•       Allasani Peddana (c. 1480 CE): Andhra Kavita Pitamaha (grandfather of Telugu poetry); court poet of Krishnadevaraya; Manucharitram; one of the Ashtadiggajas

•       Krishnadevaraya (1509 CE): king-poet; Amuktamalyada (considered among the greatest Telugu works); patron of the Ashtadiggajas (eight court poets)

•       Vemana (c. 16th-17th century): Vemana Shatakam (three-line Ataveladi verses); simple, direct social and moral wisdom; widely quoted Telugu proverbs; accessible to all Telugu speakers

Bhakti and Devotional Literature

•       Annamacharya (1408 CE): Pada Kavita Pitamaha; 32,000 Sankeertanas (devotional songs) for Venkateswara; sung at Tirupati to this day

•       Potana (c. 1450 CE): Andhra Maha Bhagavatam (Telugu Bhagavata Purana); Bhakti fervour and lyrical beauty; dedicated his work to God rather than to a king

•       Tyagaraja (1767 CE): Carnatic music composer; Telugu compositions at the heart of the Carnatic repertoire; Pancharatna Kritis

Modern Telugu Literature

19th Century Social Reform

•       Kandukuri Veeresalingam Pantulu (1848): father of modern Telugu literature; Rajasekhara Charitramu (first Telugu novel, 1878); social reform (widow remarriage, women's education); transformed Telugu prose

•       Gurazada Apparao (1861): Kanyasulkam (1892, the greatest Telugu play); satire on bride-price and child marriage; first to use colloquial Telugu in literature; Desa Bhakti poem (Maa Telugu Talliki...)

20th Century and Modern Writers

•       Sri Sri (1910): Sahitya Akademi Award; Mahaprasthanam (1950, the defining work of modern Telugu poetry); social revolution, the common people; broke with classical convention; brought the language of streets into Telugu poetry

•       Viswanatha Satyanarayana (1895): Jnanpith Award; Ramayana Kalpavriksham; defender of classical Telugu tradition; prolific novelist and poet

•       C. Narayana Reddy (1931): second Telugu Jnanpith Award; Viswambhara (Jnanpith epic); popular poetry blending folk traditions with classical learning

•       Devulapalli Krishna Sastri (1897): 'the Shelley of Telugu'; Krishnapaksham; lyric poetry of romantic melancholy

Nature of Questions in Section B

•       Explanation of passages or stanzas (Vyakhyanam): meaning in the student's own words

•       Short answer questions: factual questions on content, characters, or events

•       Character analysis: role, qualities, significance of a character

•       Thematic questions (Vishayam): central theme, moral, or social message

•       Context questions (Prasangam): speaker, context, significance of a quoted verse

•       Language appreciation: identifying Alankarams (especially Anupraasam and Yamakam) and Chandassu type (especially Ataveladi and Kandapadyam)

Internal Assessment (20 Marks)

Class IX requires 2 to 3 assignments per year: at least one from the language component and one from the literature component.

Language Assignments

•       Creative writing (300-400 words): music, sounds, picture/photograph, opening sentence, or newspaper clipping

•       Factual writing (informative or argumentative) in Telugu

•       Expressive writing (descriptive or imaginative) in Telugu

•       A film or book review in Telugu

•       Aural assignment: listening to a Telugu passage, then summarising or answering questions

Literature Assignments

•       Character analysis: essay on a character from the prescribed text

•       Thematic analysis: central theme or message of a prescribed work

•       Socio-cultural background: context of a prescribed work (Vijayanagara patronage; social reform era of Gurazada/Veeresalingam; Sri Sri and the Abhyudaya movement)

•       Summary or paraphrase (Saaransha / Vyakhyanam): in the student's own words

Internal Assessment Grading: Creative Writing

Internal Assessment Grading: Literature

Preparation Tips for Students

For Section A: Language

•       Always write in formal Grandhika Telugu; do not use colloquial Vyavaharika forms

•       Practise compositions with complex sentence structures using Sambandha Kriya (verbal participles) to join actions

•       Memorise both Karyalaya Lekha (formal) and Mitruniki Lekha (informal) letter formats

•       Revise Telugu's unique grammar features: SOV word order (verb always last), three-gender system (all three genders agree with verbs), rational/irrational verb agreement, all 8 Vibhakti suffixes (especially -ni accusative, -ki/-ku dative, -lo locative, -tho instrumental, -nunchi ablative), negative verb forms (-ledu, -vu/-du), quotative 'ani' for indirect speech, Samasam Vigraha, Alankarams (Upama with vanti/lanti/pole, Yamakam, Anupraasam), Chandassu (Ataveladi and Kandapadyam)

•       Keep a Shabda Sampada notebook: synonyms, antonyms, Sumatyulu (proverbs), Muhavare (idioms), Tatsama/Tadbhava words

For Section B: Prescribed Texts

•       For Kavitraya poetry: understand the Prabandha tradition; identify the poet's style (Nannaya's formality, Tikkana's dramatic power, Erranna's lyricism)

•       For Vemana Shatakam: know the social message of each prescribed verse; recognise the three-line Ataveladi form

•       Identify Anupraasam and Yamakam in classical Telugu poetry; these are hallmarks of the Prabandha style

•       For modern authors: understand the social reform context of Gurazada and Veeresalingam; the Abhyudaya movement and Sri Sri's revolutionary break with classical Telugu

•       Practise context questions (Prasangam): speaker, context, and significance

•       Solve previous ICSE Telugu question papers to understand format, depth, and time management