Greetings and politeness in Burmese
Hello, please, thank you, sorry: the ten openers everything else builds on. Play the ten Burmese words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 11 Burmese phrases in this lesson
- áááşášáááŹááŤmin-ga-la-BA
- Hello
- áááşášáááŹááśáááşáááşá¸ááŤmin-ga-la nan-net-KHIN-ba
- Good morning
- áááşášáááŹáááąáááşá¸ááŤmin-ga-la nya-nay-KHIN-ba
- Good evening
- áá˝áŹá¸ááąáŹáˇáááşááąáŹáşthwa-daw-MEH-naw
- Goodbye
- ááąáŹááşáážáá˝áąáˇáááşnauk-HMA tway-MEH
- See you
- ááťáąá¸áá°á¸ááźáŻááźáŽá¸kyay-ZOO pyu-BYEE
- Please
- ááťáąá¸áá°á¸áááşááŤáááşkyay-ZOO tin-ba-DEH
- Thank you
- ááá ášá ááážáááŤáá°á¸kate-sa ma-SHI-ba-boo
- You're welcome
- ááąáŹááşá¸áááşááŤáááştaung-BAN-ba-deh
- Sorry
- áá˝ááˇáşááźáŻááŤkhwin-PYU-ba
- Excuse me
- áá˝áąáˇááᏠáááşá¸ááŹááŤáááştway-ya-DA wun-tha-ba-DEH
- Nice to meet you
Literally "auspiciousness", the all-day greeting for anyone. The á፠(ba) at the end is the politeness particle that softens almost every sentence.
Taught in schools and heard on the radio, but in daily life people just say áááşášáááŹá፠(min-ga-la-BA) or ask if you have eaten.
The formal evening greeting, mostly heard in hotels and on television.
Literally "I'll be going now", said by the one leaving. The reply is often "ááąáŹááşá¸ááŤááźáŽ" (kaung-ba-BYI), all right.
Literally "we'll meet later", the friendly way to part.
Mostly used in formal requests. In daily life, politeness lives in the particle á፠(ba) and in ááąá¸á፠(pay-BA), please give.
The everyday thank you. Among friends, a quick "ááťáąá¸áá°á¸áá˛" (kyay-ZOO-beh).
Literally "there is no matter", the reply to thanks and to apologies.
Literally "I beg pardon", the real apology.
Literally "permit me", for squeezing past. To call a waiter, people use family words: "áĄá áşáááŻ" (a-KO), older brother, or "ááŽáááąá¸" (nyi-ma-LAY), little sister.
Literally "I am glad to have met you".