Greetings and politeness in Greenlandic
Hello, please, thank you, sorry: the eleven openers everything else builds on. Play the ten Greenlandic 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 Greenlandic phrases in this lesson
- Aluuah-LOO
- Hello
- Iterluaritee-ter-loo-AH-rit
- Good morning
- Inuugujaqee-noo-GOO-yahk
- Good evening
- Inuulluaritee-noo-loo-AH-rit
- Goodbye
- TakussTAH-koos
- See you
- Ikinngutinnersumikee-king-oo-tin-ner-SOO-mik
- Please
- QujanaqKOO-yah-nahk
- Thank you
- Illilluee-LEEL-loo
- You're welcome
- Utoqqatserpungaoo-tok-kat-SER-poo-ngah
- Sorry
- PatsitPAHT-sit
- Excuse me
- Nuanneq naapillutitnoo-AHN-nek nah-pee-LOO-tit
- Nice to meet you
The everyday hello, at any hour and with anyone. On the phone it becomes "haluu".
Literally "wake well". Many people use the Danish-style "kumoorn".
Used for the afternoon and the evening alike.
Literally "live well", the warm goodbye. Casually, "takuss'", see you.
The short everyday see you.
Literally "in a friendly way". Rarely needed: politeness is carried by the verb and by qujanaq at the end.
The everyday thank you. "Qujanarsuaq" (koo-yah-NAHR-swahk) is thank you very much.
Literally "and to you", the reply to qujanaq.
Literally "I apologize".
A light word for excuse me, to pass or to get attention.
Literally "it is nice meeting you".