Lesson 1 - Greetings

Aaniin - Hallo, Hi, How are you, How are things
Nimino-ayaa - I'm well, I'm fine
Gaawiin got(ino) - Nothing unusual
Giin dash? - And you.
Miigwech - Thank you.
Giga-waabamin minawaa - I'll see you again.
Minawaa giga-waabamin - I'll see you again.
Giga-waabamininim minawaa - I'll see you people again.

New Words:

aaniin - hallo (also: "how", "what")
nimino-ayaa - I'm well, I'm fine, I'm good
gaawiin - no
giin dash? - and you? (word by word: you and?)
minawaa - again, also, and
giga-waabamin - I will see you (to a single person)
giga-waabamininim - I'll see you people

Note.

Most European greetings have no equivalents in Ojibwe. Ojibwe also don't have words for 'good-bye'.
giga-waabamin and giga-waabamininim - are translations from English, which are widely used now instead of good-bye by modern Ojibwe speakers.

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Grammar note.

Aaniin has two meanings. When it stands alone - it is a greeting. Another meaning of aaniin is 'how', 'what'.

giga-waabamin. In Ojibwe language personal pronouns are not used in verb conjugations. Instead of them personal prefixes and suffixes (affixes) are used. They help to understand who is performing an action and whom or what this action affects. Personal affixes (prefix + suffix) are parts of a word, so English phrase "I will see you" in Ojibwe is one word: gi-ga-waabam-in (you-will-see-I).
Different prefixes are very important part of Ojibwe language you will meet lots of them.

 

lessons | lesson 2