yáʼátʼééh iʼííʼą́
yáʼátʼééh iʼííʼą́ is the Navajo way to say good evening. Wiktionary also lists nizhónígo hííłchʼįʼ neeʼaʼdooleeł.
Meaning: greeting said in the evening (intj)
Ways to say it
| Navajo |
|---|
| yáʼátʼééh iʼííʼą́ |
| nizhónígo hííłchʼįʼ neeʼaʼdooleeł |
This phrase is used as a greeting during the evening hours.
Which one should you use?
yáʼátʼééh iʼííʼą́ is the standard greeting, while nizhónígo hííłchʼįʼ neeʼaʼdooleeł is an alternative way to express the sentiment.
Did you know?
- The standard greeting yáʼátʼééh iʼííʼą́ literally translates to 'it is well the sun set'.
- The term yáʼátʼééh contains a neuter imperfective stem, meaning the 'goodness' is described as a continuing state rather than a one-time event.
- Navajo is a verb-heavy language, and even a simple 'good evening' relies on a complex system of prefixes and stems to establish the state of being.
Example sentences for Navajo are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Jessica and Tyler meet outside a restaurant at sunset.
- JessicaYáʼátʼééh iʼííʼą́, Tyler.Good evening, Tyler.
- TylerYáʼátʼééh, Jessica.Hello, Jessica.
- JessicaNizhónígo hííłchʼįʼ.I am doing well.
- TylerShiʼashįʼ nihíníyááł.Let's go inside.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good evening” translations and entries yáʼátʼééh iʼííʼą́, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nizhónígo, yáʼátʼééh, yáʼátʼééh iʼííʼą́, CC BY-SA 4.0.
