Ka hmangaih che
The English phrase "I love you" is expressed in Mizo as Ka hmangaih che.
This phrase is used as an affirmation of romantic feeling.
Meaning: affirmation of romantic feeling (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase breaks down into Ka (I), hmangaih (love) and che (you).
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb hmangaih is used in its base form in this phrase, as the subject and object are indicated by the particles Ka and che rather than by verb conjugation.
Did you know?
- The verb hmangaih is built from two parts: hma, meaning 'front', and ngai, meaning 'to yearn'. This suggests that to love someone is to long for them to be at your 'front' or in your presence.
- Mizo is a tonal language, meaning the pitch used to say Ka hmangaih che can change the meaning of the individual words.
- Mizo uses a Latin-based script adopted by missionaries, which is why Ka hmangaih che looks familiar to English readers despite being a Tibeto-Burman language.
Example conversation
A couple is saying goodbye before going to work.
- KimiKa kalnawm lo che, ka hmangaih che.I hate to leave you, I love you.
- LalnuamKei pawh ka hmangaih che, Kimi.I love you too, Kimi.
- KimiI hman hman dawn nia.Have a good day.
- LalnuamKa lo let leh dawn nia.I will come back later.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries che, hmangaih, ka, CC BY-SA 4.0.
