tʼááhadiilʼééʼ
The English phrase 'dress' is translated into Navajo as tʼááhadiilʼééʼ. If unsure, use tʼááhadiilʼééʼ. Wiktionary also lists tłʼaakał.
Meaning: item of clothing which both covers the upper part of the body and includes a skirt below the waist (noun)
Ways to say it
| Navajo |
|---|
| tʼááhadiilʼééʼ |
| tłʼaakał |
In Navajo, a dress refers to an item of clothing that covers the upper part of the body and includes a skirt below the waist.
When do people say it?
For formal attire worn by Navajo women on ceremonial occasions, the phrase bááh bééhání is used to denote 'traditional dress'.
Did you know?
- The word tłʼaakał is a compound of the word for 'buttocks' and the word for 'leather', tracing its origins to the material used for traditional-style garments.
- The Navajo language describes many items of clothing based on the specific body part they cover, rather than using a single generic term for 'garment'.
- The word for a dress can change its entire shape depending on whether the speaker is focusing on what the item does or what it is made of.
Example sentences for Navajo are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Michelle and Brandon are looking at a piece of clothing.
- MichelleTʼááhadiilʼééʼ bee náyááʼ.She is wearing a dress.
- BrandonÁáʼáąʼ, tʼáá áánígo beeʼąąʼ.Yes, it is the same color.
- MichelleTʼááhadiilʼééʼ tʼáá áánígo biʼąąʼ.The dress is just like that one.
- BrandonŁáʼáí bił hózhǫ́.It looks beautiful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dress” translations and entries tłʼaakał, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tłʼaakał, CC BY-SA 4.0.
