ka ngai che
The English phrase "I miss you" is expressed in Mizo as ka ngai che.
Meaning: I miss you (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of ka (I), ngai (miss/need/want) and che (you).
How does it change in a sentence?
To say "I miss you so much," you can add lutuk after the verb ngai to form ka ngai lutuk che. This intensifies the feeling to mean "very much" or "so much".
Did you know?
- Mizo is a tonal language, meaning the pitch used to say ngai can change the meaning of the word entirely. Using the wrong tone might make the phrase unintelligible to a native speaker.
- Because Mizo was not written down until the late 19th century, the spelling of ka ngai che was standardized using the Latin alphabet by Christian missionaries.
- The word che evolved from the Proto-Kuki-Chin root *teʔ, which originally functioned as a copula meaning 'you are'.
Examples in context
- Ka ngai che, thian.I miss you, friend.
- Ka ngai che hle.I miss you very much.
- Ka ngai che thin.I miss you often.
Example conversation
Hnuni and Rova are talking on the phone.
- HnuniRova, ka ngai che.Rova, I miss you.
- RovaKei pawh ka ngai che, Hnuni.I miss you too, Hnuni.
- HnuniEngtikah nge i lo kal dawn?When are you coming back?
- RovaThla mai hian ka lo kal ang.I will come back next month.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries che, ka, ngai, CC BY-SA 4.0.
