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