Telly Meaning in English

word

US

/ˈtɛɫi/

TEL-ee

UK

/tˈɛli/

TEL-ee

Definition

An informal British English word for television; it means the TV set or the programs shown on it.

Usage & Nuances

Strictly informal and mainly used in British English. Rare in American English, where 'TV' is preferred. Common collocations: 'watch the telly,' 'on the telly.' Can mean either the device or the content.

• Spanish: televisión (informal) - tele
• Portuguese (BR): televisão (informal) - TV
• Portuguese (PT): televisão (informal) - TV
• Chinese (Simplified): 电视（口语）
• Chinese (Traditional): 電視（口語）
• Hindi: टीवी (अनौपचारिक)
• Arabic: تليفزيون (عامية)
• Bengali: টেলিভিশন - টেলি
• Russian: телик - телевизор (разг.)
• Japanese: テレビ
• Vietnamese: tivi
• Korean: 텔레비전 - 티비
• Turkish: televizyon - TV
• Urdu: ٹیلی (غیر رسمی)
• Indonesian: tivi - televisi

Example Sentences

My grandparents still call it the telly.

natural

I like watching telly after dinner.

basic

The telly is broken.

basic

Turn off the telly before you leave.

basic

There's nothing good on telly tonight.

natural

Let's just chill and watch some telly.

natural