The Cherokee course
Learn Cherokee ten words at a time
ᏣᎳᎩ
Ten games of ten words: the hundred 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.
Cherokee challenge
Do you know the essentials? 25 quick questions from across the course. Score high and you are ready for the trip.
Cherokee · Lesson 1 of 10
Greetings and politeness
Hello, thanks, please: the ten openers everything else builds on.
- ᎣᏏᏲoh-SEE-yo
- Hello
- ᎣᏏᏲoh-SEE-yo
- Hi
- ᎤᏦᎢ ᎢᎦoo-JO-ee ee-GAH
- Good morning
- ᎤᏦᎢ ᏑᏃᎵoo-JO-ee soo-NO-lee
- Good night
- ᎩᎨᏳᎢgee-GAY-yoo-ee
- Thank you very much
- ᎠᎾᎵᎮᎵᏍᏗah-nah-lee-HEH-lees-dee
- Thanks
- ᎯᎸᎯᏳ ᎤᏬᏢᏔᏅhee-LUH-hee-yoo oo-WO-tlv-tah-nv
- You're welcome
- ᎪᎱᏍᏗgo-HOO-sdee
- Please
- ᎠᎩᏙᏗah-gee-DO-dee
- Excuse me
- ᏙᎾᏓᎬᎢdo-nah-DAH-glv-ee
- Goodbye
Cherokee · Lesson 2 of 10
Order anything by pointing
One beer please, one of these please, the bill: survive any menu.
- ᏟᎦ ᏍᏓ, ᎦᏄᎵtso-GAH SDAH, gah-HOO-lee
- One beer, please
- ᎳᎴ ᎦᏄᎵnv-LEH gah-HOO-lee
- One of these, please
- ᏆᎵᏍᎩ ᏍᏓ ᎦᏄᎵkah-lee-skee SDAH gah-HOO-lee
- One coffee, please
- ᏔᎵ ᎦᏄᎵTAH-lee gah-HOO-lee
- Two, please
- ᏟᎦ ᏕᏑᏂ ᎦᏄᎵtso-GAH dee-soo-NEE gah-HOO-lee
- One more, please
- ᎢᎦ ᏔᎵᏃ?ee-GAH TAH-lee-no
- How much is it?
- ᎢᏳᎢ ᎦᏄᎵee-TSEI-ee gah-HOO-lee
- The bill, please
- ᎠᎩᏫᏛᏁ?ah-gee-wee-DOO-neh
- May I...?
- ᎦᏙᏳ!gah-DOO-yoo
- Cheers!
- ᎤᏯᏪᎢoo-wah-YEH-ee
- Bless you
Cherokee · Lesson 3 of 10
Yes, no and the essentials
The tiny words that carry half of every conversation.
- ᎥᎦEE-gah
- Yes
- ᎣᏍᏗoh-sdee
- No
- ᎠᎴᏐah-LEH-lah
- Okay
- ᎠᏫᏉᎢah-wee-NO-ee
- Sure, no problem
- ᎢᎶᎩ ᎠᏂᏒee-WA-yee ah-nee-LAH
- I don't know
- ᎢᎶᎩ ᎠᏗᏉᏓee-WA-yee ah-duh-WAH-sdah
- I don't understand
- ᎡᎬᎵ ᏥᎸᎵ ᎣᏐᏢᎭ?eh-WI-lee chee-LAH-lee oh-tso-TAH-glah
- Do you speak English?
- ᎠᏕᏁᎯah-DAY-neh-hee
- A little
- ᏗᎴᏍᎦdee-LEH-ska
- Of course
- ᎠᎸᎢ ᏔᎵᏃ ᎢᏙᏢᎢah-LOO-ee TAH-lee-no ee-TO-TWO-ee
- Everything is fine
Cherokee · Lesson 4 of 10
Numbers and money
Counting, prices, paying by card or cash.
- ᏐᏁso-hee
- One
- ᏔᎵTAH-lee
- Two
- ᏦᎢtsoh-ee
- Three
- ᏅᏉᎢnv-NO-ee
- Four
- ᏦᎧgah-LAH
- Ten
- ᎪᎵᏥᏍᎩ ᏦᎧgo-Lee-tsi-skee gah-LAH
- Fifty
- ᎢᎦ ᎪᎾᏕee-GAH go-nah-DEH
- One hundred
- ᏗᎭᏇdee-LAH-koh
- Dollar
- ᏛᎸᏍᎪᏗdoo-LAH-skoh-dee
- By card
- ᎩᏅᎢgee-nv-ee
- In cash
Cherokee · Lesson 5 of 10
At the supermarket
Bread, milk, a bag, nothing else thanks: the checkout routine.
- ᎥᏙᎵee-TAH-lee
- Bread
- ᎦᎵgah-lee
- Milk
- ᏓᏂᎴ ᎦᎵdah-nee-LEH gah-lee
- Cheese
- ᎠᎹah-MAH
- Water
- ᏗᏙᎯ ᏈᎵ?dee-DO-hee GAH-lee
- A bag?
- ᎠᎾᎵᎮᎵ?ah-nah-Lee-HEH-lee
- Do you have...?
- ᎠᎵᏍ ᏓᏓᎾ?ah-Lee-skee DAH-DAH-nah
- Where is...?
- ᎢᎦ ᎤᏗee-GAH oo-DEE
- This one
- ᎠᏑᎢ ᏒᏆah-wah-ee LA-tlv
- Nothing else
- ᎢᏓᏛᏍᏗ ᎦᎴᎷᎢee-DAH-doo-sdee gah-LEH-wah-ee
- Have a nice day
Cherokee · Lesson 6 of 10
Cafe and restaurant
A table, the menu, a compliment to the kitchen.
- ᎠᎺᏂᎯ ᏔᎵ ᎠᏬᎪᎢah-WU-nee-hee TAH-lee ah-WO-go-ee
- A table for two
- ᎠᏋᎨᎭᏛ ᎦᏄᎵah-TSEH-ge-HA-doo gah-HOO-lee
- The menu, please
- ᏐᏁ ᏆᎵᏍᎩ ᎦᏄᎵso-hee kah-lee-skee gah-HOO-lee
- One espresso
- ᎠᎹ ᏚᎨᏎᏛah-MAH DOO-ge-so-doo
- A glass of water
- ᎦᎫᏂ ᎠᏗᏪgah-WEH-nee ah-duh-WAH
- Corn soup
- ᎢᏍᎩᎢ ᎥᏙᎵee-skee-ee ee-TAH-lee
- Fry bread
- ᎤᎦᎷ ᏒᏜᏘoo-GAH-MUH LAH-tlee-tsuh
- It's delicious
- ᎡᏠᎯ ᎠᏑᎢeh-WI-hee ah-wah-ee
- Without onion
- ᎠᏐᏗᏆᎪᎢah-SO-dee-kah-GO-ee
- To take away
- ᎢᎯ ᎧᏦᏒᏍᏗee-YAH GAH-LAH-GWI-sdee
- Keep the change
Cherokee · Lesson 7 of 10
Small talk and neighbors
How are you, nice day, see you soon: superficial and proud of it.
- ᎬᎺ ᏔᎵᏃ ᎦᏄᎵ?WU-WU TAH-lee-no gah-HOO-lee
- How are you? (polite)
- ᎬᎺ ᏔᎵᏃ?WU-WU TAH-lee-no
- How are you? (casual)
- ᎢᎬᎺ ᏔᎵᏃ ᎥᎦee-WU-WU TAH-lee-no EE-gah
- I'm fine
- ᏂᎪᏰ?nee-GO-yah
- And you?
- ᏅᎲᎢ ᎨᎮ?nv-wah-ee GAY-loh
- What's new?
- ᏑᎾᏓᏙᎯ ᎦᎵᏍᎭ, ᎥᎦ?wah-nah-DAH-doh-hee gah-LEE-skah, EE-gah
- Nice weather, huh?
- ᎦᏛᏁᎢ ᏗᎸᎷᎢgah-DOO-neh-ee dee-LUH-wah-ee
- See you soon
- ᎢᏓᏛᏍᎦ ᎦᎴᎷᎢee-DAH-doo-skah gah-LEH-wah-ee
- Have a nice evening
- ᏂᏍᏗᏅ ᎤᎵᎮᎯ ᎦᏄᎵnee-sdee-nv oo-LEH-HEH-hee gah-HOO-lee
- Say hi to the family
- ᎦᎴᎷᎢ ᏆᎭᎪgah-LEH-wah-ee tlv-LAH-kah
- All the best
Cherokee · Lesson 8 of 10
Getting around
Left, right, the station, one ticket, where is the toilet.
- ᎠᏂᏕᎦᎯ ᏗᏍᏓᎪᎢ ᏓᏓᎾ?ah-nee-DAY-gah-hee dee-sdah-GO-ee DAH-DAH-nah
- Where is the toilet?
- ᏌᎦskah
- Left
- ᏓᏓDAH-DAH
- Right
- ᎠᏓᏈᏍᏗah-DAH-tah-tee-sdee
- Straight ahead
- ᎦᏃgah-no
- Here
- ᎡᏙᎢeh-DO-ee
- There
- ᎠᎼᏛᏂᎯ ᏈᎧᏄᎨah-WU-doo-nee-hee TAH-GAH-LOH-GEH
- Bus
- ᏚᎸᏍᎦ ᎤᎾᏙᎯᏛdoo-LAH-skah oo-nah-DO-hee-doo
- Train station
- ᏐᏁ ᎠᏓᎦᏓ ᎦᏄᎵso-hee ah-DAH-gah-DAH gah-HOO-lee
- One ticket, please
- ᎩᎦ ᎠᏔᏅᏅ ᎦᏄᎵkee-GAH ah-DAH-nv-nv gah-HOO-lee
- Stop here, please
Cherokee · Lesson 9 of 10
Time and days
Today, tomorrow, later, the weekend.
- ᎦᏃ ᎢᏃᎯgah-no ee-NO-hee
- Today
- ᎠᏆᎳah-KWAH-lah
- Tomorrow
- ᎠᏟᎶah-WEH-lo
- Yesterday
- ᎯᏍᏓhee-sdah
- Now
- ᎠᏆᎳ ᏗᏣᎱᏗah-KWAH-lah dee-tah-HOO-dee
- Later
- ᎠᏂᏓ ᎢᏥᎨ ᏌᎦ?ah-nee-DAH ee-tsi-GEH skah
- What time is it?
- ᎤᎾᏙ ᎬᏫᎮ ᎤᎾᏙ ᏒᏜᏘoo-nah-DO WI-TAH oo-nah-DO LAH-tlee-tsuh
- Monday
- ᎤᎾᏙ ᏈᏕᎾoo-nah-DO TAH-DAY-nah
- Saturday
- ᏆᏗᎵᏍᎩ ᎬᏫᎮkah-DEE-lee-skee WI-TAH
- Sunday
- ᎠᏟᏏᏆᏙ ᎬᏫᎮah-WEH-SEH-kwah-DO WI-TAH
- The weekend
Cherokee · Lesson 10 of 10
Help and emergencies
The words you hope to never need.
- ᏣᏈᎩᏏ!tah-TAH-gee-seh
- Help!
- ᏘᏙᎨ ᏈᎧᏄᎨ ᎦᏄᎵduh-DO-geh TAH-GAH-LOH-GEH gah-HOO-lee
- Call a doctor
- ᎠᏂᏏᎬᎢah-nee-SEH-glv-ee
- Police
- ᎣᎾᏎᎩ ᎠᎵᏍᎪᎢoh-nah-SO-gee ah-LEE-skoh-ee
- Pharmacy
- ᎢᏯᎾ ᎠᎾᏓᎵᎪᎢee-YAH-nah ah-nah-DAH-LEE-GO-ee
- Hospital
- ᎢᎦᏙᎢ ᎠᏛᎵee-GAH-DO-ee ah-DOO-lee
- I'm lost
- ᎢᎦᏙᎢ ᎠᏑᎢ ᏔᎵᏃee-GAH-DO-ee ah-wah-ee TAH-lee-no
- I don't feel well
- ᎠᎩᎸᏌᎢ ᎠᏫᏅᎢah-GEE-LOO-swah-ee ah-WEE-nv-ee
- My phone
- ᎠᏛᎾ ᏃᏌ ᎤᏐᎩah-DOO-nah NO-skah oo-SO-gee
- It was stolen
- ᎢᎦᏙᎢ ᏔᎵᏃ ᎠᏂᏆᎲᎯee-GAH-DO-ee TAH-lee-no ah-nee-KWAH-WUH-hee
- It's urgent
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