Basic Greeting Variations and Alternative Responses

I. Introducing Another Person

Introduction plus basic greeting

.wav file of this conversation*

A: Njo, byan shote'. Byenkweshke'w Bob. Joe, come here and meet Bob.
B: Bozho, Bob, nije na gin? Hello, Bob, how are you?
C: Bozho. Iw zhe anwe', Gin je'? Hello. Just fine, and you?
B: Iw zhe anwe' ge' nin. I'm fine, too.

II. Variation on Basic Greeting

Another way to ask "how are you?" is to inquire, nije' e'zhe' madseyen?

.wav file of this conversation*

A: He. Hey. (Calls to get attention).
B: Wa, gin nugne'. Well, so it's you.
A: Nije' e'zhe' madzeyen? How are you?
B: Iw zhe na ayapen, gin je'? Just the same, and you?
A: Nmno bmades. I feel very good.

III. Alternative Responses (to nije na OR nije' e'zhe' madzeyen)

.wav file of this conversation*

1. Iw ayapen, OR Iw zhe'na iw ayapen. Just the same.
2. Com noye'si. I'm not well.
3. Nmno bmades. I feel well; I'm getting along.
4. Com zhe' kwe'c. Not real well.
5. Mzhe'na anwek. Better, I guess.
6. Nye'kwes mazhe' na. I'm really tired.
*Note on the sound files: These files are rather large (several hundred k), any may take a couple of minutes to download at slower modem speeds. Hopefully your computer will compute wav files. We recorded them straight into a Windows machine at the office. You might want to consider setting your browser to SAVE the files to your harddrive, then use them from there. In any case, don't repeatedly download the file (clicking on the link each time), but instead position the sound helper window so that you can view the text and repeatedly "play" the sound file. You can also, you know, do a File-Save of the entire page ("save as source"), along with the three sound files. As long as all four files are in the same folder/directory, the page will work just fine from your own computer (saving you internet time). Now, as MIsho is fond of saying, is that thick as mud?

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A Kansas History & Kansas Heritage Group site.