Inuktitut phrasebook
Inuktitut (ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ) is the name for the varieties of Inuit spoken in Canada. It is an Eskimo-Aleut language that is known for having lots of very long agglutinative words, owing to the fact that there are a very large number of infixes (parts of speech which modify the meaning of a word), but it does not have the same irregularities as Indo-European languages. There is also a rumour that the language has hundreds of different words for snow; in reality there are only four (these four are: spread-out snow - aput, snow like salt - pokaktok, newly-drifted snow - akelrorak and soft snow - mauyaôlertok). There are a few (not hundreds) of words relating to snow eg. snow block (auverk), igloo (iglu), snow knife (panar), snow on clothes, boots etc. (ayak). It is primarily spoken in the territory of Nunavut, as well as in the northern regions of Quebec province.
Pronunciation Guide
Vowels
- A a
- Like "a" in "cat".
- E e
- Like "e" in "bet".
- I i
- Like "ee" in "feet".
- O o
- Like "o" in "hot".
- U u
- Like "u" in "put".
Consonants
- D d
- Like "d" in "dad".
- G g
- Like "g" in "get".
- J j
- Like "y" in "yet".
- K k
- Like "k" in "oak".
- L l
- Like "l" in "let".
- M m
- Like "m" in "man".
- N n
- Like "n" in "no".
- P p
- Like "p" in "pan".
- Q q
- Like "c" in "car" but deeper in the throat.
- R r
- Like "r" in "road".
- S s
- Like "sh" in "shot".
- T t
- Like "t" in "stop".
- W w
- Like "w" in "wet".
- Y y
- Like "y" in "yet".
Common diphthongs
- kr
- Like "k" in "king" but pronounced deep in the throat. Like "cr" in "cream".
- ng
- Like "ng" in "sing".
- dlerk
- Like "ts lurk" in "cats lurk".
Phrase list
|
Common signs
|
- Hello.
- Ai. (Ey)
- How are you?
- Qanuipit? (Kan-oo-ee-peet)
- Fine, thank you.
- Qaniungi. (Kan-ee-oo-ngee)
- What is your name?
- Kinauvit? (Keen-a-oo-veet?)
- My name is ______ .
- Uvanga _____ativa (Oov-a-nga _____at-ee-va)
- Nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you. (NIGHSS t' meet YOO)
- Please.
- Please. (pleez)
- Thank you.
- Naqurmiik. (Nak-urm-eek)
- You're welcome.
- Ilaali. (Eel-a-lee)
- Yes.
- Î. (Ee)
- No.
- Nakka. (Nak-a)
- Excuse me. (getting attention)
- Excuse me. (ehkz-KYOOZ mee)
- Excuse me. (begging pardon)
- Excuse me. (ehkz-KYOOZ mee)
- I'm sorry.
- Ogguarpunga. (Og-oo-ar-pu-nga)
- Goodbye (to one person)
- Tavvauvutit. (Tav-a-oov-oo-teet)
- Goodbye (to many people)
- Tavvauvusi. (Tav-a-oov-oo-see)
- I can't speak Inuktitut [well].
- I can't speak Inuktitut [well]. (IGH cant speek IN-ook-tee-toot [wehl])
- Do you speak English?
- Do you speak English? (doo YOO speek ING-lush?)
- Is there someone here who speaks English?
- Is there someone here who speaks English? (IZ thayr SUM-wun heer hoo speekz ING-lush?)
- Help!
- Ikajunga! (Ee-ka-yu-nga!)
- Look out!
- Look out! (look OWT!)
- Good morning.
- Ulaakut. (Ool-ak-oot)
- Good evening.
- Good evening. (guhd EEV-ning)
- Good night.
- Unnukkut. (Oon-oo-koot)
- Good night (to sleep)
- Good night. (good NIGHT)
- I don't understand.
- Tukisinngittung. (Too-kees-ee-ng-toong)
- Where is the toilet?
- Where is the toilet? (WAYR iz thuh TOY-leht?)
Problems
Numbers
Numbers(system in the Greenlandic)
½ - helvä
0 - nul
1 - äts
2 - mare
3 - pen
4 - sisa
5 - tela
6 - arit
7 - arimare
8 - aripen
9 - arisisa
10 - gelu
11 - aqnat
12 - aqnamare
13 - aqnapen
14 - aqnasisa
15 - aqnatel
16 - asut
17 - asumare
18 - asupen
19 - asusisa
20 - marghi
30 - marghâtgelut
40 - penghi
50 - penghâtgelut
60 - sisughi
70 - sisughâtgelut
80 - telaghi
90 - telaghâtgelut
100 - hontrat
200 - mare-hontræt
500 - pen-hontræt
1000 - tuszint
2000 - mare-tuszænt
5000 - pen-tuszænt
10000 - gelu-tuszænt
100000 - huntrat-tuszænt
1000000 - äts-milyin
Time
Clock time
Duration
Days
Months
Writing time and date
Colors
Transportation
Bus and train
Directions
Taxi
Lodging
Money
Eating
Bars
Shopping
Driving
Authority