Unit 1 guide · Greetings

Greetings carry real weight in Oshikwanyama: you greet first, you answer properly, and you close with a wish. This unit gives you the morning greeting, the answers, and the goodbyes.

Every phrase in this unit

Good to know

• 1

  “Wa lele po?” literally asks whether you slept well: the natural reply is “Ee, onda lele po nawa.”

• 2

  Time of day changes the greeting: wa lele po (morning), wa uhala po (afternoon), wa tokelwa po (evening).

• 3

  “Kala po nawa” (stay well) is said by the one leaving; “Enda po nawa” (go well) by the one staying.

• 4

  Respect matters: greet elders first, and add meme or tate when addressing them.