yáʼátʼééh, shí éí … yinishyé
The English phrase "hi, my name is" translates to Navajo as yáʼátʼééh, shí éí … yinishyé.
This phrase is a greeting used when introducing yourself to another person.
What does it mean word for word?
In the expression shí éí … yinishyé, the literal meaning is "I am … (it is said/it is called)".
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the phrase shí éí … yinishyé, you should replace the ellipsis with your name.
Did you know?
- Traditional Navajo culture historically avoided using personal names in casual conversation, making the phrase shí éí … yinishyé less common in ancestral settings than in modern ones.
- Navajo is part of the Athabaskan language family, meaning shí shares an ancient root with languages spoken by indigenous peoples in Alaska and Canada.
- Because Navajo is a tonal language, changing the pitch of the vowels in yáʼátʼééh can change the word entirely, potentially turning a greeting into something else.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries shí, yáʼátʼééh, CC BY-SA 4.0.
I am Navajo, some of these terms are correct and some are incorrect, or would depend on the gender of the speaker.