ka duh che
The phrase "I like you" in Mizo is ka duh che.
The phrase ka duh che is the standard way to express romantic interest or attraction to someone.
Meaning: I like you (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, ka duh che translates to "I want you".
How does it change in a sentence?
To say "I don't like you", you can form the negative phrase ka duh lo che by inserting the negative particle lo between the verb and the object.
Did you know?
- Because ka duh che literally means 'I want you', using it in a non-romantic context can be easily misinterpreted by native speakers.
- The object marker che evolved from a Proto-Kuki-Chin word that originally functioned as a copula meaning 'you are'.
- The word duh is part of a linguistic cluster shared across the Kuki-Chin languages, reflecting the migrations of people across the Indo-Burma highlands.
Examples in context
- Ka duh che.I like you.
- Engtin nge ka duh che tih i hria?Do you know that I like you?
Example conversation
Lalrempuia tells Zirconi how she feels during a walk.
- LalrempuiaZirconi, ka duh che.Zirconi, I like you.
- ZirconiKa duh che tih i sawi nge?Are you saying that you like me?
- LalrempuiaAw, ka duh che hliah hliah.Yes, I really like you.
- ZirconiKa lawm e, Lalrempuia.I am happy, Lalrempuia.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries che, duh, ka, CC BY-SA 4.0.
