Useful phrases in Cherokee

A collection of useful phrases in Cherokee, a Southern Iroquoian language spoken in North Carolina, Arkansas and Oklahoma.

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See these phrases in any combination of two languages in the Phrase Finder. If you can provide recordings, corrections or additional translations, please contact me.

Key to abbreviations: >sg = singular (said to one person), >dl = dual (said to two people) >pl = plural (said to more than three people), frm = formal, inf = informal

English ᏣᎳᎩ / Tsalagi (Cherokee)
Welcome ᎤᎵᎮᎵᏍᏗ (Ulihelisdi)
Hello (General greeting) ᎣᏏᏲ (Osiyo) - frm
ᏏᏲ (Siyo) - inf
ᏏᏳ (Siyu) - inf
Hello (on phone)
How are you? ᏙᎯᏧ? (Dohitsu?)
Osigwotsu?
Reply to 'How are you?' ᏙᎯᏇ. ᎾᎯᎾᎲ?
(Dohiquu. Nahinahv?)
Osigwo, ihina?
Long time no see
What's your name? ᎦᏙ ᏕᏣᏙᎠ? (Gado, detsadoa)
My name is ... ... ᏓᏆᏙ (dagwado)
Where are you from? ᎭᏢ ᏖᎬᎢ? (Hatlv tegvi)
I'm from ... ... ᏗᎨᎬ. (Digegv)
Pleased to meet you ᎦᎵᎡᎵ ᏥᏕᎾᎸ (Galiheli tsidenalv)
Good morning
(Morning greeting)
ᎣᏍᏓ ᏑᎾᎴᎢ (Osda sunalei)
ᎣᏍᏓ ᏒᎾᎴᎢ (Osda svnalei)
Good afternoon
(Afternoon greeting)
ᎣᏍᏓ ᏒᎯᏰᏱᏗᏢ (Osda svhiyeyiditlv)
Good evening
(Evening greeting)
ᎣᏍᏓ ᏒᎯᏰ (Osda svhiye)
ᎣᏍᏓ ᏒᎯᏰᏱ (Osda svhiyeyi)
Good night ᎣᏍᏓ ᏒᏃᏱ (Osda enoyi)
Goodbye
(Parting phrases)
ᏙᎾᏓᎬᎰᎢ (Donadagvhoi) >sg
ᏙᏓᏓᎪᎲᎢ (Dodadagohvi) >pl
ᏗᏓᏲᎵᎲᏛᎦᎴᏂᏍᎬ (Didayolihvdvgalenisgv)
Good luck!
Cheers! Good Health!
(Toasts used when drinking)
Have a nice day
Bon appetit /
Have a nice meal
Bon voyage /
Have a good journey
Yes ᎥᎥ (Vv)
No ᎥᏝ (Vtla)
Maybe ᎠᏎᏱᎩ
(Aseyigi)
I don't know ᎨᏍᏗ ᏱᏥᎦᏔ (Gesdi yitsigata)
Ꮭ ᏱᏥᎦᏔ (Tla yitsigata)
I understand ᎪᎵᎦ (Goliga)
I don't understand Ꮭ ᏱᎪᎵᎦ (Tla yigoliga)
ᎨᏍᏗ ᏱᎪᎵᎢᎦ (Gesdi yigoliga)
Please speak more slowly ᎤᏍᎦᏃᎵ ᎯᏬᏂᎯ (Usganoli hiwonihi)
Please say that again ᎠᏏᏇ ᎭᏓ (Asique hada)
Please write it down ᎰᏪᎸᎦ (Hohwelvga) >sg
ᏍᏙᏪᎸᎦ (Sdowelvga) >dl
ᎢᏦᏪᎸᎦ (Itsowelvga) >pl
Do you speak English?
Do you speak Cherokee? ᏣᎳᎩᏍ ᎯᏬᏂᏍᎩ? (Tsalagis hiwonisgi) >sg
Yes, a little
(reply to 'Do you speak ...?')
ᎥᎥ, ᎢᎦᏛ (V'v, igadv)
ᎥᎥ ᎦᏲᏟ (Vv, gayotli)
Speak to me in Cherokee
How do you say ... in Cherokee? ᎯᎳᎪ ᎤᏘᏗ ... ᏣᎳᎩᏱ? (Hilago utidi... tsalagiyi?)
Excuse me
How much is this? ᎯᎳ ᎢᎦᎢ? (Hila igai?)
Sorry ᎤᏲ ᎠᏰᎶᏗ (Uyo ayelodi)
Please ᎰᏩᏧ (Howatsu)
Thank you ᏩᏙ (Wado)
Reply to thank you ᎬᎵᎡᎵᎦ (Gvlieliga)
Where's the toilet / bathroom? ᎭᏢ ᏙᏯ ᎤᎾᏨᏍᏗ ᏱᎩ (Hatlv doya unatsvsdi yigi)
This gentleman will pay for everything
This lady will pay for everything
Would you like to dance with me?
Do you come here often?
I miss you
I love you ᎬᎨᏳᎢ (Gvgeyu'i)
Get well soon
Go away! ᏪᎾ! (Wena!)
Leave me alone! ᏪᎾ (we na)
Help! ᎠᎵᏍᏕᎸᏗ!
(Alisdelvdi!)
Fire! ᎠᏥᎸ (Atsilv)
Stop! ᎠᎴᏫᏍᏙᏗ!
(Alewisdodi!)
Call the police!
Christmas greetings ᎤᎵᎮᎵᏍᏗ ᏓᏂᏍᏓᏲᎯᎲ
(ulihelisdi danisdayohihv)
ᎤᎵᎮᎵᏍᏗ ᎤᎾᏕᏘᏱᏍᎬᎢ
(ulihelisdi unadetiyisgv'i)
ᎤᎵᎮᎵᏍᏗ ᏗᎦᎸᏉᏗ ᎢᎦ
(ulihelisdi digalvquodi iga)
New Year greetings ᎤᎵᎮᎵᏍᏗ ᎢᏤ ᎠᏕᏘᏱᏍᎬ
(ulihelisdi itse adetiyisgv)
Easter greetings ᏥᏌ ᏕᎴᎯᏌᏅ (Tsisa delehisanv)
Birthday greetings ᎤᎵᎮᎵᏍᏗ ᏂᏣᏕᏘᏯ (Ulihelisdi nitsadetiya)
One language is never enough ᏌᏊ ᎦᏬᏂᏍᏗ ᎥᏝ ᏰᎵᏊ
(Saquu gawonisdi vtla yeliquu)
My hovercraft is full of eels ᎢᎧᎵᏨᏕᎦ ᏓᏆᎴᎳ ᎦᏃᎯᎵᏙ ᎠᏆᏤᎵᎢ
(Kalitsvdega daqualela ganohilido aquatselii)

Some Cherokee phrases provided by EE, Mary M. Revis (ᏎᎷ), Tyson LaDale (ᎦᎴᏴᏍᎬ ᎤᎨᏓᎵᏴ) Taylor-Gerstner and Dariann Scott.

If you would like to make any corrections or additions to this page, or if you can provide recordings, please contact me.

Information about Cherokee | Phrases | Numbers | Cherokee courses on: Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk [affilate links]

Links

Other collections of Cherokee phrases
http://public.csusm.edu/public/raven/cherokee.dir/cherlexi.html
http://mypeoplepc.com/members/cherlyn/onefeather/id7.html
http://www.ctc.volant.org/cherokee/Mirror/cherokeewords.html
http://www.manataka.org/page122.html

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