Rahajeng rauh
The English word welcome is translated into Balinese as Rahajeng rauh.
Rahajeng rauh is a greeting used to welcome someone upon their arrival.
Meaning: greeting given upon someone's arrival (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of rahajeng, meaning happy or blessed and rauh, meaning to arrive, literally translating to happy or blessed arrival.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Rahajeng rauh is a polite and formal way to welcome someone.
When do people say it?
When welcoming guests or initiating a conversation with respected individuals, speakers often use the formal greeting Om Swastiastu, which means "May the blessings of God be with you."
Did you know?
- The word rauh for 'arrive' shares a surprising linguistic root with the word ḍawuh, which means 'to fall'. This creates a hidden poetic connection between the act of arriving and the concept of descending into a space.
- A verbal welcome in Bali is rarely just spoken. It is almost always accompanied by the 'sembah' gesture, where the palms are pressed together in a prayer-like position to show respect to the arriving guest.
- The choice of words used to welcome a person in Bali can change based on the guest's position in the social caste system.
Examples in context
- Rahajeng rauh ring Bali.Welcome to Bali.
- Rahajeng rauh ring jeroné.Welcome to my house.
Example conversation
Putu welcomes her friend Nyoman to her home.
- PutuRahajeng rauh, Nyoman!Welcome, Nyoman!
- NyomanSuksma, Putu.Thank you, Putu.
- PutuDurus ngranjing.Please, come inside.
- NyomanNggih, matur suksma.Okay, thank you very much.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries rahajeng, rauh, CC BY-SA 4.0.
