Greetings

1. Buorre beaivi

   Good day

   Usage

   Daytime greeting. The reply is Ipmel atti (an old-fashioned answer) or the same phrase

   Grammar Note

   Adjective buorre (good) + noun beaivi (day). Same pattern: buorre iđit (good morning), buorre eahket (good evening), buorre idja (good night)

2. Bures

   Hello

   Usage

   The most common all-purpose greeting, used with anyone at any time of day. The reply is Bures or Bures bures

   Grammar Note

   Bures is identical to the adverb "well" and is used alone as a greeting. North Sami has no polite/informal variants of it

3. Buorre iđit

   Good morning

   Usage

   Morning greeting. The reply is the same phrase or Ipmel atti

   Grammar Note

   Adjective buorre (good) + noun iđit (morning), nominative singular

4. Buorre eahket

   Good evening

   Usage

   Greeting for evening. The reply is the same phrase or Ipmel atti

   Grammar Note

   Adjective buorre + noun eahket (evening). Buorre idja is the separate goodnight wish

5. Oaidnaleapmái

   Goodbye / See you

   Usage

   A parting greeting meaning roughly "until we meet again", usable with anyone

   Grammar Note

   A fixed expression based on oaidnaleapmi "meeting again". The spelling Oaidnaleapmai also occurs

6. Giitu

   Thank you

   Usage

   The basic word for thanks. Stronger is Ollu giitu. A fixed "you're welcome" formula is not given

   Grammar Note

   A noun meaning "thanks"; the verb is giitit. It does not mean "please"

7. Ándagassii

   Sorry / Excuse me

   Usage

   Used both to apologise and to get someone's attention

   Grammar Note

   A fixed form: the illative ("to") of the noun ándagas "forgiveness"

8. Hupmet go don eŋgelasgiela?

   Do you speak English?

   Usage

   Asks whether the other person speaks English. North Sami has no polite "you"; don is used with everyone

   Grammar Note

   Composed sentence from known words and a known pattern. Yes/no questions put the particle go after the verb. For two addressees the dual doai replaces don, and the verb form changes too

9. Mo manná?

   How are you? / How is it going?

   Usage

   A casual way to ask how things are. Typical answer: Bures (dat manná) "well, it goes well"

   Grammar Note

   Literally "how goes (it)?" with the subject omitted; no gender involved

10. Bures boahtin

    Welcome

    Usage

    Said to greet an arriving person. Bures boahtin buohkaide means "welcome, everyone"

    Grammar Note

    A fixed expression meaning roughly "well come"; boahtin is a form used only in this greeting. For a group add the addressee word (buohkaide "to everyone")

11. Gos lea hivsset?

    Where is the toilet?

    Usage

    Asks where the toilet is. Hivsset is the word for toilet/WC

    Grammar Note

    Composed sentence from known words and a known pattern. The question word gos comes first, as in Gos lea lagamus …? "Where is the nearest …?"

12. Mun in máhte hupmat sámegiela

    I can't speak Sami

    Usage

    Tells people you cannot speak Sami; easy to follow with the language you do speak

    Grammar Note

    Composed sentence from known words and a known pattern. Negation uses the conjugated negative verb in; the main verb máhte stays in a fixed connegative form

13. Boađán fas

    I will come again

    Usage

    Said when leaving to mean "I'll be back". The present tense also covers the future

    Grammar Note

    Composed sentence from known words and a known pattern. The subject mun may be dropped, and the present tense expresses the future

14. Giitu, oaidnaleapmái!

    Thanks, see you!

    Usage

    Thanks and goodbye in one, for example when leaving a shop or a guesthouse

    Grammar Note

    Composed from two greeting words placed side by side

15. Buorre idja

    Good night

    Usage

    A wish before going to bed. For meeting someone in the evening say Buorre eahket

    Grammar Note

    Adjective buorre + noun idja (night), the same pattern as buorre beaivi

16. Ferten vuolgit dál

    I have to go now

    Usage

    Used to leave a conversation or a visit

    Grammar Note

    Composed sentence from known words and a known pattern. The verb after ferten is in the infinitive vuolgit

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