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Greetings in Languages of Vanuatu

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Ethnologue lists 110 languages spoken in Vanuatu.

There are 33 of these languages on this page.

Bislama, English, and French are the official languages of Vanuatu.

 

   

 

 

 

Akei [tsr] (Vanuatu: Southwestern Santo.)

Ran panihi

morning greeting

Poni panihi

evening greeting

Mo panihi tahu?

how are you?

 

Ambae, East [omb] (Vanuatu: Ambae Island.)

Rani karea

morning greeting

Zerobong karea

morning greeting

Bon karea

evening greeting

  

Ambrym, North [mmg] (Vanuatu: northern Ambrym Island.)

Fangren evening greeting

 

Ambrym, Southeast [tvk] (Vanuatu: southern Ambrym Island.)

Bos maqwe morning greeting
Bos vongien nighttime greeting
  Bos wongien evening greeting in the Eastern dialect

 

Aneityum [aty] (Vanuatu: Aneityum Island.)

Kik epu

general greeting

  Nujalang dupni morning greeting
  Intschupura dupni evening greeting
Et echa? how are you?

 

Apma [app] (Vanuatu: Central Raga Island.)

Tsuubung mwamak morning greeting in the Suru Mwerani dialect

Ren mwamak afternoon greeting in the Suru Mwerani dialect
Bung mwamak evening greeting in the Suru Mwerani dialect
Mak oh informal greeting in the Suru Mwerani dialect
Kom gabis? how are you? in the Suru Mwerani dialect
Te gabis nge reply to Kom gabis in the Suru Mwerani dialect
  Ko ban ibeh? where are you going? in the Suru Mwerani dialect
  Ko tepma ibeh? where have you come from? in the Suru Mwerani dialect
  Ko ban imbeh? where are you going? in the Suru Rabwanga dialect
  Ko tepma imbeh? where have you come from? in the Suru Rabwanga dialect
  Ko ban al beh? where are you going? in the Suru Kavian dialect
  Kot vama al beh? where have you come from? in the Suru Kavian dialect

 

Bislama [bis] (Vanuatu.)

Halo general greeting spoken to one person
Halo tufala general greeting spoken to two people
Halo trifala general greeting spoken to three people
Halo olgeta general greeting spoken to a group of four or more people
Gud morning morning greeting
Mone morning greeting
Gud aftenon afternoon greeting
Olsem wanem? how are you?
Mi gud reply to Olsem wanem
Welkam welcome greeting

© 1995 - 2011 by Jennifer Runner. www.elite.net/~runner/jennifers/

Efate, North [llp] (Vanuatu: Efate Island.)

Malbong morning greeting
Malbong wia morning greeting
Rammel wia afternoon greeting
Bon wia nighttime greeting

© 1995 - 2011 by Jennifer Runner. www.elite.net/~runner/jennifers/

Efate, South [erk] (Vanuatu: Efate Island.)

Aliat wi general greeting
Pulpog wi morning greeting
Pog wi morning greeting
Kotfan wi afternoon greeting
Iwi ko? how are you?
Pa fak eswa? where are you going?
Ku to ewan mai? where are you coming from?

English [eng] (United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada, Australia, various other countries.)

Hello formal greeting
Hi informal greeting
Good morning morning greeting
Good afternoon afternoon greeting
Good evening formal evening greeting
Good day formal daytime greeting
How are you? how are you?
  Fine reply to how are you
Fine, how're you? reply to how are you
Fine, and you? reply to how are you
I'm fine, thank you, and you? formal reply to how are you
Welcome formal greeting spoken to a person who is arriving

French [fra] (France. Canada: Quebec. Various other countries in Europe and Africa.)

Bonjour general greeting
Salut informal greeting
Bon matin morning greeting
Bon après-midi afternoon greeting
Bonsoir evening greeting after sunset
Comment allez-vous? how are you? formal
Comment vas-tu? how are you? informal
Très bien, merci reply to Comment allez-vous and Comment vas-tu
Comment ça va? how are you?
Ça va? how are you?
Ça va bien reply to Comment ça va and Ça va
Bienvenue welcome greeting

Futuna Aniwa [fut] (Vanuatu: Futuna and Aniwa Islands.)

Jinisa greeting spoken to one person
Rinisa greeting spoken to two people
Jikanisa greeting spoken to a group of three people
Jikanesa greeting spoken to a group of three people
Jikanesa kokautau greeting spoken to a group of three people
Niganisa greeting spoken to a group of four or more people

Hano [lml] (Vanuatu: North Pentecost, Maewa.)

Rantavahu morning greeting
Rani morning greeting
Bontavahu nighttime greeting
Bongi nighttime greeting
Kun hanigi? how are you?
Nu tavuha reply to Kun hanigi
  Gom ban behe? where are you going?
  Gom ban hala behe? where are you going?
  Gom mai behe? where have you come from?
  Gom mai hala behe? where have you come from?

Kwamera [tnk] (Vanuatu: Southeast Tanna.)

Ramasan ya nĭpnĭpĭn

morning greeting

Ramasan ya napĭnapĭn

morning greeting

Ramasan ya narvarav

evening greeting

Lenakel [tnl] (Vanuatu: Tanna.)

Rawit general greeting
Rawit lakap nipen morning greeting
Rawit lenaiu nighttime greeting
Rado? how are you?
Rawitam reply to Rado

Lewo [lww] (Vanuatu: East Epi.)

Pokolu lang morning greeting
Pokolu malo nighttime greeting

Lonwolwol [crc] (Vanuatu: West Ambrym and Efate Islands.)

Omrowabe?

general greeting, "where are you going?"

Omebwe?

general greeting, "where have you come from?"

  Palen evening greeting

Mele-Fila [mxe] (Vanuatu: Efate and Ifara Islands.)

Tebo mareae nighttime greeting

Mosina [msn] (Vanuatu: Vanua Lava.)

Wo matav ga we min kami greeting to a group of people, literally "good day to you all"

Motlav [mlv] (Vanuatu: Mota Lava.)

Lemtap newe morning greeting
  Lemtap newe nek morning greeting spoken to one person
  Lemtap newe yohe morning greeting spoken to two people
  Lemtap newe ige del morning greeting spoken to a group
  Lempyepyep newe afternoon greeting
  Anqon newe nighttime greeting
  Qele ave? how are you?
  Ohoo, tateh, itok reply to Qele ave
  Nek so van ave? where are you going?
  Tateh, tatal ewe reply to Ne so van ave

Namakura [nmk] (Vanuatu: North Efate, Tongoa, and Tongariki.)

  Eleat awoh general daytime greeting
  Mangorise awoh morning greeting
  Daravih awoh afternoon and evening greeting
  Ebong awoh nighttime greeting
  Ebong nighttime greeting
  Obeah ko pa row? where are you going?

Nambas, Big [nmb] (Vanuatu: northwest Malekula.)

  Ipas general greeting
  Ipas metavaren morning greeting
  Ipas kenarev evening greeting
  Ipas lirate nighttime greeting

Paama [pma] (Vanuatu: east Epi.)                      Compilation © 1995 - 2011 by Jennifer Runner. www.elite.net/~runner/jennifers/

More general greeting

More visocon

morning greeting
More tavie afternoon greeting
More vongien nighttime greeting
  Kovahave? where are you going?

Port Vato [ptv] (Vanuatu: southwestern Ambrym Island.)

Fangfang ränändú morning greeting
Dábliäländú afternoon greeting
Fángrän evening greeting

Sa [sax] (Vanuatu.)

Ranpangran entô morning  greeting in the Panngi dialect
Ranlopwas entô nighttime greeting in the Panngi dialect
  O mbetô nga? how are you? in the Panngi dialect
I mbetô nga reply to O mbetô nga in the Panngi dialect
  O metea bê? where are you going? in the Panngi dialect
  O mamra bê? where have you been? in the Panngi dialect
  O metea be? where are you going? in the Harop dialect
  O mamra be? where have you been? in the Fatsare and Harop dialects
  O mfa be? where are you going? in the Fatsare dialect

Sakao [quv] (Vanuatu: Espiritu Santo Island.)

Tyavwar o greeting spoken when passing by someone but not stopping
Ge, i mge ye? general greeting, literally "where are you going?"
Segren vogvog morning greeting
Pôr vogvog evening greeting

Seke [ske] (Vanuatu: Central Raga Island.)

 

Ren ambis

morning greeting
  Bwông ambis nighttime greeting
  Biong ambis nighttime greeting
  Kmwê mba embeh? where are you going?
  Ki me embeh? where have you been?

Sie [erg] (Vanuatu: Erramanga Island.)

  Pwacah general greeting
  Armai pwacah general greeting
  Pruvcum morning greeting
  Armai pruvcum morning greeting
Pwarap afternoon greeting
  Armai pwarap afternoon greeting
  Pumroc nighttime greeting
  Armai pumroc nighttime greeting
  Pau greeting spoken when meeting a person or seeing a person after an absence
  Kik pau greeting spoken to a loved one or respected person, literally "I love you"/"I admire you"

Sowa [sww] (Vanuatu: Central Raga Island.)

  Ran awê daytime greeting
  Ran adwus daytime greeting
  Bông awê nighttime greeting
  Bông adwus nighttime greeting
  Ki mwa ba sawôt? where are you going?
  Mwa ba sawôt? where are you going?
  Ki ti maê sawôt? where have you been?
  Ti maê sawôt? where have you been?

Tangoa [tgp] (Vanuatu: Tangoa Island.)

Mo řuhu

general greeting

  Mangorise awoh morning greeting

Tanna, North [tnn] (Vanuatu: north Tanna.)

Təwɨr general greeting
  Təwɨr lenaiu nighttime greeting

 

Tanna, Southwest [nwi] (Vanuatu: southwest Tanna.)

Rhuvə general greeting

Uripiv-Wala-Rano-Atchin [upv] (Vanuatu.)

Ipij meteveren morning greeting in the Tape dialect
  Eres rolbong morning greeting in the Tautu dialect
  Eres natanbong evening greeting in the Tautu dialect
  Er pese? how are you? in the Tautu dialect

 

© 2011 - 2012 Jennifer Runner. All rights reserved.
Copyright information
Site: http://www.elite.net/~runners/jennifers/Country Greetings Vanuatu.htm

Last updated on January 1, 2012.