Home Page

The Cherokee Language

This page will be used to pass on the tradition of utilizing our native language. We have made every effort to provide you with the essentials. We will be continually update this page in order to improve it's usefulness.

GUIDE TO CHEROKEE SYLLABARY PRONUNCIATION:
(PHONIC) PRONUNCIATION:
(THE ALPHABET READS STRAIGHT ACROSS, LEFT TO RIGHT
FROM ROW TO ROW . THERE ARE (13) ROWS TOTAL)

Row Number One:
"a" is said as ah
"e" is said as aye
"i" is said as ee
"o" is said as oh
"u" is said as ooh
"v" is said as uh

Row Number Two:
"ga" is said as gah
"ka" is said as kah
"ge" is said as gay
"gi" is said as gee
"go" is said as goe
"gu" is said as goo
"gv" is said as guh

Row Number Three:
"ha" is said as hah
"he" is said as hay
"hi" is said as hee
"ho" is said as hoe
"hu" is said as hue
"hv" is said as huh

Row Number Four:
"la" is said as law
"le" is said as lay
"li" is said as lee
"lo" is said as low
"lu" is said as loo
"lv" is said as luh

Row Number Five:
"ma" is said as mah
"me" is said as may
"mi" is said as mee
"mo" is said as moe
"mu" is said as moo

Row Number Six:
"na" is said as nah
"hna"is said as nanuh
"nah"is said as gnaw
"ne" is said as nay
"ni" is said as knee
"no" is said as noe
"nu" is said as new
"nv" is said as nuh

Row Number Seven:
"qua" is said as quah
"que" is said as quay
"qui" is said as quee
"quo" is said as quoo
"quu" is said as quooh
"quv" is said as quuh

Row Number Eight:
"sa" is said as sah
" s " is said as like a hiss of a snake...ssss
"se" is said as say
"si" is said as see
"so" is said as sew
"su" is said as sue
"sv" is said as suh

Row Number Nine:
"da" is said as dah
"ta" is said as tah
"de" is said as day
"te" is said as tay
"di" is said as dee
"ti" is said as tee
"do" is said as doe
"du" is said as due
"dv" is said as duh

Row Number Ten:
"dla" is said as dahlah
"tla" is said as claw
"tle" is said as clay
"tli" is said as clee
"tlo" is said as cloe
"tlu" is said as clue
"tlv" is said as cluh

Row Number Eleven:
"tsa" is said as jaw
"tse" is said as jay
"tsi" is said as jee
"tso" is said as joe
"tsu" is said as jew
"tsv" is said as juh

Row Number Twelve:
"wa" is said as wah
"we" is said as way
"wi" is said as wee
"wo" is said as woe
"wu" is said as woo
"wv" is said as wuh

Row Number Thirteen:
"ya" is said as yah
"ye" is said as yay
"yi" is said as yee
"yo" is said as yo
"yu" is said as you
"yv" is said as yuh

Cherokee (Tsa la gi) Words and Phrases:

You can use the Phonic Alphabet

to learn how to say these...

Hello: o-si-yo!

(There is no “goodbye” in our language) so we say “We will see each other again”
Speaking to just one person do-na-da-go-hv-i
Speaking to two or more people do-da-da-go-hv-i

Are you well? do-hi-tsu

Yes: V-V

I: a-ya

You: ni hi ::ni-ti

I am Well: do-hi-quu

Good: o-s-da!

And You? ni-hi-na-hv

Thank-You: wa-do! (The sign with the hands is the same as modern sign language,
Lift your palm hand to your lips, and motion downward)

No: tla

Please: u-do-hi-yu-i

Good Morning: o-s-da su-na-le-I

Good Evening: o-s-da sv-hi-ye-I

Good Night: o-s-da sv-no-I

Cherokee: tsa-la-gi

My Name Is: da-qua-do-a

I am Cherokee: tsi tsa-la-gi

Are you Cherokee? hi tsa-la-gi?

Do you Speak Cherokee? tsa-la-gi-s hi-wo-ni?

Spiritual Words:

God: Yo-wa, Yihowa, Yahweh

Jesus: tsi-sa

Spirit: a-da-(nv)-do

Medicine: nv-wo-ti

Disciple: a-da-s-da-wa-di-to-hi

Heaven: ga-lv-la-di tso-sv

Eternity: I-go-hi-da

Eternal: i-go-hi-dv

Angel: a-ni-da-we-hi

Hell: tsv-s-gi-no

RELATIONS:

(My) Friend: o gi na li

Child: a-yo-tli

Teacher: di-de-yo-hv-s-gi

Man: a-s-ga-ya

Woman: a-ni-ge-ya

Son: (My) a-tsu tsa-a-que-tsi

Boy: a-tsu-tsa Boys: a-ni-tsu-tsa

Daughter: (His/Her) u-we-tsi- a-ge-hu-tsa

Girl: a-ge-yu-tsa Girls: a-ni-ge-yu-tsa

Aunt: e-lo-gi

Uncle: e-du-tsi

Sister: (Female) v-gi-lv

Sister: (My Sister) v-gi-do

Sisters: (They Are) di-(na)da-lv

Sisters: (We Are) tso-s-da-da-lv

Brother: (Male) di-na-da-nv-tli

Brother: (My) tso-s-da-da-nv-tli

Brother: (His) di-na-da-nv-tli

Brother: (Hers) u-do-I

Father: e-do-da

Father: (My) a-gi-do-da

Grandfather: e-du-da

Mother: e-tsi

Grandmother: e-li-si

Chief: u-gv-wi-yu-hi

Warrior: di-tli-hi

ASSORTED WORDS:

Tobacco: tso-la

Pipe: ga-nv-no-wa

Council: di-na-la-wi-gi

History: ka-no-he- s gi nv-wo-ti

Songs: di-ka-no-gi-s-di

Phoenix: qui-ni-(gi)-si

ANIMALS:

Eagle: u-wo-hi-li

Hawk: ta-wo-da

Buffalo: ya-(na) se

Bear: yo-na

Horse: so-qui-li

Turtle: dv-(ga)-si

Turkey: gv-ni

Fox: tsu-la

Deer: a-wi

Cat: we-si

Dog: gi-li

Snake: i-na-dv

MORE ASSORTED WORDS:

Earth: e-lo-hi

Stone: nv-ya

Plant: ga-go-ti

Flower: a-tsi-lv-s-gi

Coffee: ka-wi

Thanksgiving: a li he li s di - i-ga

Merry Christmas! da-ni-s-ta-yo-hi-hv!

Birthday: u-de-ti-yi-s-gv

Big: e-qua

Small: u-s-ti

THE FOUR DIRECTIONS:

East: ka-lv-gv

West: wu-de-li-gv

North: u-yv-tlv

South: u-ga-na-wv

THE FOUR SEASONS:

Spring: gi-la-go-ge

Summer: go-gi

Fall: u-la-go-hv-s-di

Winter: go-li

NUMBERS IN CHEROKEE (tsa-la-gi):

One: sa quu i

Two: ta li

Three: tso i

Four: nv gi

Five: hi s gi

Six: su da li

Seven: ga (li) quo gi

Eight: tsu ne la

Nine: so ne la

Ten: s go hi

Eleven: sa du i

Twelve: ta (li) du i

Thirteen: tso ga du i

Fourteen: ni ga du i

Fifthteen: s gi ga du i

Sixteen: da la du

Seventeen: ga (li) qua du

Eighteen: ne la du

Nineteen: so ne la du

Twenty: ta (li) s go hi

Twenty-one: ta (li) s go sa quu i

(Leave off the last syllable of the word twenty and add numbers one to nine)

Thirty: tso s go hi

Forty: nv (gi) s go hi

Fifty: hi (gi) s go hi

Sixty: su da (li) s go hi

Seventy: ga (li) qua s go hi

Eighty: ne (li) s go hi

Ninety: so ne (li) s go hi

One Hundred: s go hi (tsu) qui

(For numbers thirty to ninety-nine leave off the last syllable (hi) and add numbers one to nine.

For numbers one hundred to one hundred ninety nine, pronounce one hundred and add numbers one to ninety-nine.

Then do the same for two hundred to five hundred.)

COLORS IN THE CHEROKEE LANGUAGE:

Black: gv ni ge

White: u ne ga

Blue: sa go ni ge

Brown: u wo di ge

Green: i tse i yu s di

Grey: u s go lv - sa go ni ge

Orange: a da lo ni ge

Purple: gi ge s di

Red: gi ga ge

Silver: a de lv u ne gv

Yellow: da lo ni ge

Pink: gi ga ge-i- yu s di

<><><><><><><>

Days of the week:

Sunday: u na do da qua s gv i

Monday: u na do da quo nv i

Tuesday: ta li ne i ga

Wednesday: tso i ne i ga

Thursday: nv gi ne i ga

Friday: tsu (ni) gi lo s ti

Saturday: u na do da qui de na

<><><><><><><>

Months of the year:

January: u no lv ta ni

February: ka ka li

March: a nv yi

April: ka wo ni

May: a (ni) s gv ti

June: ti ha lu yi

July: gu ye quo ni

August: ga lo ni

September: du li s di

October: du ni nv di

November: nv da de wi

December: v s gi yi

AMAZING GRACE IN MANY LANGUAGES

CHEROKEE (Tsalagi) CHOCTAW

OO-NAY-LAW-NUH-HEE OO-WAY-JEE SHEE-LOM-BISH HO-LEE-TO-PA MA

EE-GAW-GOO-YUH-HAY-EE ISH MEEN-TEE POL-LAH CHAH

HNAH-QWO JO-SUH WEE-OO-LOW-SAY HAH-TAHK EEL-BUH-SHAH PEE AH HA

EE-GAW-GOO-YUH-HO-NAW ISH PEE YOK-PAH-LAH-SHKEE

KIOWA CHEYENNE

DAW-K'EE DAHAY DAWTSAHY HEE TSOW'AH JESUS NE-TA WO-WE-HO-NI

DAW-K'EE DAHAY DAWTSAHY HEE SAY-YO KEY-YA MI-YO-TIGH

BAY DAWTSAHY-TAW, GAW AYM OWTHAH T'AW SAY-YO KAY-WO-WO-NI SHE-HI TSOY-SHE

DAW-K'EE DAHY DAWYSAHY H'EE AHO NE-TA HAY-TONE

OTOE-MISSOURI NAVAJO

JESUS, -ME-KAY-LE-GLA-SCH-NA NI-ZHO-NI-GO JOO-BA' DIITS'A

AH-LAY -LE-GE-NAU-YEE YIS-DA-SHIL-TI-NI-GII

WA-LE-GLO-SCH-OON-GLA-SU-NA YOO-II-YAA-NT-EE K'AD SHE-NAH-OOS-DZIN

JESUS, -NAU-DUN-DUN-NA DOO 'EESH'II DA NIT'EE'

for more information go to:
Native Languages