ᎣᏏᏲ
osiyo/oː˨.si˧.jo˧˨/
The Cherokee phrase for "nice to meet you" is ᎣᏏᏲ (osiyo).
While often used to mean "nice to meet you" in a greeting context, the word ᎣᏏᏲ is more broadly used as a general "hello" or "hi".
How do you pronounce it?
The three syllables of osiyo are pronounced /oː˨.si˧.jo˧˨/.
Did you know?
- The Cherokee syllabary used to write ᎣᏏᏲ was adopted so rapidly that the Cherokee nation became one of the most literate populations in North America in the 19th century.
- When using ᎣᏏᏲ, the 'melody' of your voice is just as important as the words. Because Cherokee is a tonal language, changing the pitch of the syllables can alter the meaning of what you are saying.
- While ᎣᏏᏲ is a general greeting, Cherokee has a sophisticated system of kinship terms that dictates how you must modify your speech depending on the age and status of the person you meet.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ᎣᏏᏲ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
