LEARN GARO GREETINGS WITH ENGLISH INTERPRETATION

----GARO to ENGLISH----

Namengama?=How are you?

Namengaba. = I am good.

Explanation:

Nama= good.

Enga= word suffix or participle indicating continuous tense.

ma= suffix indicating question word, phrase or sentence.

Hence, "Namengama" if translated directly may actually be:

"Are you feeling good? Or " Are you feeling fine? Are you feeling okay? etc, which are not the phrases we practice in English.

___________________________

Mitela= Thanks.

Mitelbea=Thanks a lot.

Explanation:

'Mitela', a six letter  word is the translation for 'Thanks'. However, the native speakers pronounced the word with an accent of extra 't' sound as "MITTELA".

'Bea' is a suffix indicating greater degree of of feeling or action.

E.g., Nama=good.

        Nambea=very good.

        Nitoa=beautiful.

        Nitobea=Very beautiful.

        Chananga= handsome.

        Chanangbea= very handsome.

_____________________________

Pringnam= Good Morning.

Nang∙na namgipa sal ong∙china= Have a nice day.

Attamnam= Good evening.

Walnam= Good night.

Salnam= Good Day. (Salnam; sal=day & nam= good is correct  although not widely practiced by the natives)

Explanation:

Pring= Morning.

Nam= Short form of nama= good.

Nama=good.

Namgipa= 'good' or 'something that is good' as an adjective before noun or pronoun.

Sal=day.

Ong∙china= to say 'may it happen' or 'let it be'.

Attam= Evening.

Wal=night.

______________________________

Nang∙ko grongna kusi ong∙a.

= Nice to meet you./ Pleasure to meet you.

Explanation:

Nang∙ko=You (as an object)

Grongna=to meet.

kusi ong∙a=  happy. 

(kusi = happiness), (duk=sadness. duk ong∙a=sad)

_______________________________

Nikgijaan ru∙utjok; Da∙osa niktaia= It's been a while since we met. (Longtime no see).

Explanation:

Nikgija=no see. 

Ru∙utjok= a long time has passed.

Ru∙uta=long time. 

An= a suffix pointing the quality, state or character of something.

'Nikgijaan' is the suffixing of 'an' to 'Nikgija'.  

So, Nikgijaan ru∙utjok= the state of not seeing or meeting somebody for a long time.

It is love that makes the impossible possible= Ka∙sanian ong∙na amgijaniko ong∙atna ama

Ka∙saani= Love (as noun).

Ka∙saanian= It is love.

It was alcohol that ruined his life= Chuan uni janngi tanganiko nosto kaaha.

Chu=Alcohol.

Chuan= It is alcohol.