Learn Cherokee ten words at a time
Ten short games: the 102 most useful Cherokee words and expressions you could live on for years, from greetings and ordering food to numbers, small talk and getting around. Play a lesson in the box beside its words, and the next one starts itself.
Greetings and politeness
Hello, please, thank you, sorry: the eleven openers everything else builds on.
- ᎣᏏᏲoh-SEE-yo
- Hello
- ᎣᏍᏓ ᏑᎾᎴᎢOHS-da soo-NAH-lay-ee
- Good morning
- ᎣᏍᏓ ᏒᎯᏰᏱOHS-da suh-hee-YAY-yee
- Good evening
- ᏙᎾᏓᎪᎲᎢdoh-nah-dah-GOH-huh-ee
- Goodbye
- ᎣᏂ ᎯᎬᎪᎥᏳOH-nee hee-guh-GOH-uh-yoo
- See you
- ᎰᏩᏧhoh-WAH-joo
- Please
- ᏩᏙwah-DOH
- Thank you
- ᎬᎵᎡᎵᎦguh-lee-AY-lee-gah
- You're welcome
- ᎤᏲ ᎠᏰᎶᏗoo-YOH ah-yay-LOH-dee
- Sorry
- ᏏᏲSEE-yo
- Excuse me
- ᎦᎵᎡᎵ ᏥᏕᎾᎸgah-lee-AY-lee jee-day-NAH-luh
- Nice to meet you
Order anything by pointing
I would like, this one, how much, the bill: survive any counter or menu.
- ...ᎠᏆᏚᎵᎭah-gwah-doo-LEE-hah
- I would like...
- ᎯᎠHEE-ah
- This one
- ᎯᎳ ᎢᎦᎢ?HEE-lah ee-GAH-ee
- How much is it?
- ᏂᎦᏓ ᎯᎳ ᎢᎦᎢ?nee-GAH-dah HEE-lah ee-GAH-ee
- The bill, please
- Cardkard
- By card
- ᎠᏕᎳah-DAY-lah
- In cash
- ᎠᎹah-MAH
- Water
- ᎧᏫKAH-wee
- Coffee
- ᎤᎦᎶᎬoo-GAH-loh-guh
- Tea
- ᎤᏬᎩᎵoo-woh-GEE-lee
- Beer
- ...ᏂᎨᏒᎾnee-gay-SUH-nah
- Without...
Yes, no and the essentials
The small words that carry half of every conversation, and the ones that rescue it.
- ᎥᎥuh-UH
- Yes
- ᎥᏝuh-TLAH
- No
- ᎣᏍᏓOHS-da
- Okay
- Ꮭ ᏱᎪᎵᎦtlah yee-goh-LEE-gah
- I don't understand
- ᏲᏁᎦ ᎯᏬᏂᏍᎩ?yoh-NAY-gah hee-woh-NEES-gee
- Do you speak English?
- ᎠᏏᏇ ᎭᏓah-SEE-kway HAH-dah
- Can you repeat that?
- ᎤᏍᎦᏃᎵ ᎯᏬᏂᎯoo-sgah-NOH-lee hee-woh-NEE-hee
- Slowly, please
- ᎦᏙ ᎯᎠ?GAH-doh HEE-ah
- What is this?
- ...ᎠᎩᏂᎬᎦah-gee-nee-GUH-gah
- I need...
- ᏍᎩᏍᏕᎸ?sgees-DAY-luh
- Can you help me?
Counting to ten
One to ten, for prices, platforms, rooms and how many beers.
- ᏌᏊSAH-kwoo
- One
- ᏔᎵTAH-lee
- Two
- ᏦᎢJOH-ee
- Three
- ᏅᎩNUH-gee
- Four
- ᎯᏍᎩHEES-gee
- Five
- ᏑᏓᎵsoo-DAH-lee
- Six
- ᎦᎵᏉᎩgah-lee-KWOH-gee
- Seven
- ᏧᏁᎳjoo-NAY-lah
- Eight
- ᏐᏁᎳsoh-NAY-lah
- Nine
- ᏍᎪᎯSGOH-hee
- Ten
Shops and hotels
Open, closed, a bag, the wifi password: the checkout and the front desk.
- ...ᎡᎭᏍᎪ?ay-HAHS-goh
- Do you have...?
- ᎭᏢ...?HAH-tluh
- Where is...?
- ᎤᏍᏚᎢᏒoo-sdoo-ee-SUH
- Open
- ᎤᏍᏚᏅoo-SDOO-nuh
- Closed
- ᎦᏁᏌᎢ?gah-nay-SAH-ee
- A bag?
- ᎤᏣᏘ ᏧᎬᏩᎶᏗoo-JAH-tee joo-guh-wah-LOH-dee
- Too expensive
- I have a reservationai hav a re-zer-VAY-shun
- I have a reservation
- Is breakfast included?iz BREK-fust in-KLOO-ded
- Is breakfast included?
- What's the wifi password?wuts the WAI-fai PASS-wurd
- What's the wifi password?
- ᏰᎵᏍᎪ...?yay-LEES-goh
- Can I...?
Cafe and restaurant
A table, the menu, what you cannot eat, and a compliment to the kitchen.
- ᎦᏍᎩᎶ, ᏔᎵgahs-GEE-loh, TAH-lee
- A table for two
- MenuMEN-yoo
- The menu, please
- ᎦᏙ ᎣᏍᏓ?GAH-doh OHS-da
- What do you recommend?
- Ꮭ ᏱᏥᎩᏍᎪ...tlah yee-jee-GEES-goh
- I don't eat...
- ...ᎠᎩᏢᏍᏗᏍᎪah-gee-tluhs-dees-GOH
- I'm allergic to...
- ᎭᏫᏯhah-WEE-yah
- Meat
- ᏥᏔᎦjee-TAH-gah
- Chicken
- ᎠᏣᏗah-JAH-dee
- Fish
- ᎤᎦᎾᏍᏓoo-gah-NAHS-dah
- It's delicious
- ᏙᎯ!DOH-hee
- Cheers
Meeting people
How are you, what is your name, where are you from, I like it: the first five minutes.
- ᏙᎯᏧ?doh-HEE-joo
- How are you?
- ᏙᎯᏉ, ᏩᏙdoh-HEE-kwoo, wah-DOH
- I'm fine, thanks
- ᏂᎯᏃ?nee-HEE-noh
- And you?
- ᎦᏙ ᏕᏣᏙᎠ?GAH-doh day-jah-DOH-ah
- What's your name?
- ... ᏓᏆᏙdah-gwah-DOH
- My name is...
- ᎭᏢ ᏖᎬᎢ?HAH-tluh TAY-guh-ee
- Where are you from?
- ... ᏗᎨᎬdee-GAY-guh
- I'm from...
- ᎣᏏᏳoh-SEE-yoo
- I like it
- ᎤᏬᏚᎯoo-woh-DOO-hee
- It's beautiful
- ᎤᎵᎮᎵᏍᏗoo-lee-hay-LEES-dee
- Welcome
Getting around
Left, right, the station, one ticket, where is the toilet.
- ᎭᏢ ᏙᏯ ᎤᎾᏨᏍᏗ ᏱᎩ?HAH-tluh DOH-yah oo-nah-JUHS-dee YEE-gee
- Where is the toilet?
- ᎭᏢ ᎢᏗᏢ...?HAH-tluh ee-DEE-tluh
- How do I get to...?
- ᎠᎦᏍᎦᏂah-gahs-GAH-nee
- To the left
- ᎠᎦᏘᏏah-gah-TEE-see
- To the right
- ᏥᏳᎪᏗjee-yoo-GOH-dee
- Straight ahead
- ᎠᏂAH-nee
- Here
- ᎠᏥᎳ ᏓᏆᎴᎷah-JEE-lah dah-kwah-LAY-loo
- Train station
- Busbus
- Bus
- AirportAIR-port
- Airport
- One ticket, pleasewun TIK-it pleez
- One ticket, please
Time and days
Now, later, tomorrow, what time it opens and one moment please.
- ᎪᎯGOH-hee
- Now
- ᎪᎯᏴᎢgoh-hee-YUH-ee
- Later
- ᎪᎯ ᎢᎦGOH-hee ee-GAH
- Today
- ᏑᎾᎴᎢsoo-nah-LAY-ee
- Tomorrow
- ᎪᎯ ᎤᏒᎯGOH-hee oo-SUH-hee
- Tonight
- ᎯᎳᎪ?hee-LAH-guh
- When?
- ᎯᎳᎪ ᎤᏍᏚᎢᏍᏗ?hee-LAH-guh oo-sdoo-EES-dee
- What time does it open?
- ᏏᎸᎢSEE-luh-ee
- One moment, please
- ᎢᏯᏔᏬᏍᏓᏅᎯee-yah-tah-wohs-dah-NUH-hee
- Minutes
- ᎢᏳᏪᏅᏍᏗee-yoo-way-NUHS-dee
- Hours
Help and emergencies
The words you hope to never need.
- ᎠᎵᏍᏕᎸᏗ!ah-lees-day-LUH-dee
- Help!
- ᏗᏓᏅᏫᏍᎩ!dee-dah-nuh-WEES-gee
- Call a doctor
- ᏗᏓᏂᏱᏍᎩdee-dah-nee-YEES-gee
- Police
- ᏅᏬᏘ ᎠᏓᎾᏅᎢnuh-WOH-tee ah-dah-NAH-nuh-ee
- Pharmacy
- ᏧᏂᏢᎩᎢjoo-nee-TLUH-gee-ee
- Hospital
- ᎠᎩᎴᎾᎯᎭah-gee-lay-nah-HEE-hah
- I'm lost
- ᎠᎩᏢᎦah-gee-TLUH-gah
- I don't feel well
- ᎦᏃᏍᎩᏓgah-nohs-GEE-dah
- It was stolen
- It's an emergencyits an e-MUR-jen-see
- It's an emergency
- ᏪᎾWAY-nah
- Leave me alone