Hmuhton (Greetings)

vanbiakthang@chinlandguardian.com

I hmuhton tikah chim tawnmi bia hna cu: hi, hi there, hello, hello there, hey, alright, how are you, how do you do, what’s up, OK … an si. Hi biafang hna hi minung min asiloah, man, gal, boy, girl, mate, friend … ti bantuk nih a zulh khawh.

A Hi Pa Biak, how are you1?
Pa Biak, na dam maw?

B (I am) Fine, thanks2! Yourself?
Dam e. Nang tah?

A Very well, thank you!
Ka dam ko.

B How’s things?4
Zeitin?

A Yeah, not so bad!5
Si, tha ko.

B You are Pa Hup, right?
Pa Hup na si lo maw kha?

A Yea, you are right (I am).
Aw, Pa Hup ka si.

B Everything’s OK?
A tlamtling dih ko lo maw?

A Yea, man. Just OK.
Aw, a tlam tling ko (A awkhe ko).

Zinglei le Zanlei
Chunhlan paoh cu ‘Good morning’ tiah chim ṭheu a si. Nikhua chiatṭhat si loin pakhat le pakhat i donnak tu a si. I, a lehnak zong ‘Good morning’ thiam a si. A caancaan belte ah ‘Morning’ lawng an chim. Laiholh in leh awk a har ngai. A dirhmun tu cu ‘hello’ ti tluk khi a si.

A Good morning, Pa Biak.
B Good morning, Pa Hup.

‘Good morning’ hi kan leh ahcun zingtha ti a si hnga i zingṭha ti cu kannih nihcun thlahnak ah kan hman deuh. Donnak ah kan hmang lo. Kannih nih kan hman (ding) mi cu ‘na tho tha maw’ asiloah ‘na dam maw’ ti kha a si ko. Chanthar holh deuh chim ahcun ‘Na zingtha maw?’ tiah ti khawh a si. Leh tik belte ah ‘Ka zingtha, na zingtha ve maw?’ ti a si hnga.

A Good morning, Pa Biak.
Na zingṭha maw, Pa Biak?

B Good morning, Pa Hup.
Na zingṭha ve maw, Pa Hup?

Laiholh ahcun ‘A ṭha’ asiloah ‘Ka zingṭha’ tiin leh ta a si hnga. Hihi kan i dannak a si i mirang i an hmanning tu kan theih a hau ko hnga.

Cu he a’ khatmi cu ‘Good afternoon’ le ‘Good evening’ an si.

A Hiya, good evening. How’s your day?
Hei, na zanlei tha ma, nihin zeidah na lawh?

B Hi, good evening. It’s great, thanks.
Hei, na zanlei ṭha ve maw, a ṭha ngai.

Zungrian ah an hman ngaimi cu ‘How do you do’ ti hi a si, an ti. Mino le zapi nih hmanmi a si lem lo. Meting ti bantuk i kuttlaih pah in an chim tawnmi donnak bia a si. A lehnak zong ‘How do you do’ ti thiam a si.

A How do you do, Mr. Biak?
B How do you do, Mr. Hup?

Nice/pleased to see you ti kha mah dih hin an hman tawnmi a si.

(Footnotes)

1How are you?, ti can-ai ah a cunglei biafang pawl khi hman khawh an si.
How are you? [hi upa le zapi sinah bia1ṭha a si.]
(Are) you OK [ti tehna zong an hman.]

2 I’m alright (asiloah) I ’m OK [ ti tehna zong hman khawh an si.]
3 And you (asiloah) what about you [ti zong hman an si ve.]
4 Hika ah, [how are things / how is it going] ti khawh a si.
5 Hi zawnah Yeah, fine!/Alright/ OK ti zong hman an si.

Posted in: Mirang Holh Cawnnak