Meeting people in Manipuri
How are you, what is your name, where are you from, I like it: the first five minutes. Play the ten Manipuri words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 10 Manipuri phrases in this lesson
- ꯅꯈꯣꯏ ꯀꯔꯝꯅ ꯂꯩꯕꯒꯦ?na-KHOI ka-RAM-na LEI-ba-ge
- How are you?
- ꯑꯩ ꯐꯅ ꯂꯩꯔꯤEI PHA-na LEI-ri
- I'm fine, thanks
- ꯅꯪꯅꯣ?NANG-no
- And you?
- ꯅꯪꯒꯤ ꯃꯤꯡ ꯀꯔꯤꯅꯣ?NANG-gi MING ka-RI-no
- What's your name?
- ꯑꯩꯒꯤ ꯃꯤꯡ ... ꯅꯤEI-gi MING ... ni
- My name is...
- ꯅꯪ ꯀꯗꯥꯏꯗꯒꯤꯅꯣ?NANG ka-DAI-da-gi-no
- Where are you from?
- ꯑꯩ ...ꯗꯒꯤꯅꯤEI ...-da-gi-ni
- I'm from...
- ꯅꯨꯡꯉꯥꯏꯖꯩnung-NGAI-jei
- I like it
- ꯐꯖꯩpha-JEI
- It's beautiful
- ꯂꯥꯛꯄꯤꯌꯨLAK-pi-yu
- Welcome
ꯅꯈꯣꯏ (na-KHOI) is plural you, used as the respectful singular for elders and strangers, much like vous in French. Getting this right matters in Manipur, where age carries real deference.
The standard answer. ꯐꯅ (PHA-na) means well or nicely. Return the question straight away rather than letting the exchange stop with you.
Just "you" with the question ending attached. Short, warm, and expected.
ꯃꯤꯡ (MING) is name and ꯀꯔꯤ (ka-RI) is what. The polite version swaps ꯅꯪꯒꯤ (NANG-gi) for ꯅꯈꯣꯏꯒꯤ (na-KHOI-gi), your, respectful.
Your name goes in the gap and ꯅꯤ (ni) closes the sentence, working like "is". The same ꯒꯤ (gi) ending that made "for two" makes "my" here.
Literally "you are from where?".
The place goes in the middle.
Literally "it pleases me".
For Loktak lake and the hills around Imphal, the obvious comment.
Literally "kindly come", what a host says at the door.