Basic Conversational Manipuri : 2
Now that we are kinda familiar with the basic words, let us dig in a little bit more and always keep in mind that, Manipuri is a very easy language if spoken the way I do :)
I should have introduced this in my previous lesson, but then who doesn’t mess up, right? Anyways, our language is called ‘Meiteilon’ which means the language of the ‘meiteis’. And we hail from the beautiful Northeastern Indian state of Manipur. Easy peasy yea....Â
Here we go,
1)Â Â Â Â What is this/ that - Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â asise keino?/ aadeise keino?
2)Â Â Â Â Come - Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Lak o
3)Â Â Â Â Go - Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Chatlo
4)Â Â Â Â Okay/ Yes - Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Hoi
5)    Enough –                  Yare
6)    No –                       YadeÂ
7)    Don’t want –                 Paamde
8)    Want –                     Paame
9)    Don’t know-                 Khangde
10)Â Wait - Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Ngaikho
11)Â Nothing much- Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Kem leite
12) Understand? –               khangabara?
13) I don’t understand –           Ei bhap tade
14)Â I know - Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Ei khange
15) Listen –                    Taba/ tawo(asking someone to listen to you)/     tabara?(asking someone if they can hear)
16) Be quiet –                  Tumina leiyo/ Laanganu
17) Good/ very good –           Phei/ Yaam phei
18) Family/ home/ house –        Emoong/ Yoom
19) Mountain –                 Ching
20) River –                     Turel
21) Teacher –                  Oja
22)Â Student - Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Shatra (There is another word for it I guess, but I only know this)
23)Â Book - Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Lairik
24)Â Flower - Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Lei (Leirang is the formal and poetic version, we usually stick to Lei)
25) Bird –                     Uchek
26)Â Beautiful - Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Phajeiye/ Phajaba/ Phajabi ( ba is for male and bi is for female)
27)Â Ugly - Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Thiye/ Athiba/ Athibi (The same goes for this one too. Let's not used this much on people yea.)
28) Big –                     Achouba (Achoubi is the female version of it, for example addressing a big lady.)
29)Â New - Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Anouba (Anoubi , again is the female version, for example, addressing a newlywed is called Mou(bride)Â Anoubi)
30)Â How many? - Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â kaya no?
31) How much? –              Kaya no? / kaya pigey? (value for money?)
32)Â Cost - Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Mamal
33) Money –                   Paisa
34) Time –                    Matam
35)Â Half/ Full - Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Tangkhai/ Mapoom
36) To talk –                   Wa ngangba
37) To write –                  Eeba
38)Â Book - Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Lairik
39)Â To read - Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Paba/ Lairik paba (to study or read a book)
40)Â To sit - Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Phamba
41)Â To Stand - Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Leppa
42)Â To stay - Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Leiba
43)Â To run - Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Chenba
44) To walk –                   Chatpa
45)Â To Cry - Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â kappa
46) To smile –                   Nokpa
47)Â To eat - Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Chaba
48) Toilet-                      khonghampham/ toilet (It’s more common to use toilet)
49) Shower - Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Erulujapham
50)Â To Dance - Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Jagoi saba
51)Â School - Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Lairik Tampham (It literally means a place where you study book)
52)Â Shop - Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Dukan (There must a Manipuri word for it, though, please correct me if I am wrong.)
And here we come to an end to the kits and bits of some basic conversation in Meiteilon. Till then Phajana leiyo... Amuk thengnarase (Let’s meet again)

















