ሰላም፡ ስመይ
selam, semey
The phrase "hi, my name is" in Tigrinya is ሰላም፡ ስመይ (selam, semey).
This phrase is used to introduce yourself to another person.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of the word ሰላም (selam), which means "Hi", followed by ስመይ (semey).
How does it change in a sentence?
The word ስመይ is a combination of the noun for "name" and a suffix that indicates possession by the speaker.
How do you pronounce it?
selam, semey
Did you know?
- The word ሰላም (selam) shares a root with the Arabic word 'salam' and the Hebrew word 'shalom', all meaning 'peace'.
- In very traditional contexts, a person might introduce themselves by their father's name rather than their own first name to establish their lineage and identity.
- The Ge'ez script used to write ሰላም፡ ስመይ is an abugida, meaning each character represents a consonant-vowel combination rather than just a single letter.
Examples in context
- ሰላም፡ ስመይ ኤለን እዩ።selam, smey Ellen eyu.Hi, my name is Ellen.
- ሰላም፡ ስመይ ዳዊት እዩ።selam, smey Dawit eyu.Hi, my name is Dawit.
- ሰላም፡ ስመይ ማርያም እዩ።selam, smey Maryam eyu.Hi, my name is Maryam.
Example conversation
Two people meeting for the first time at a community event.
- ዮናስ Yonasሰላም፡ ስመይ ዮናስ እዩ።Selam, simay Yonas eyu.Hi, my name is Yonas.
- ርእሳ Re'esaሰላም ዮናስ፡ ኣነ ርእሳ እየ።Selam Yonas, ane Re'esa eye.Hi Yonas, I am Re'esa.
- ዮናስ Yonasተተኻዒስና ርእሳ።Tetekayisna Re'esa.Nice to meet you, Re'esa.
- ርእሳ Re'esaኣነ እውን ተተኻዒስና።Ane ewun tetekayisna.Nice to meet you too.
