Ways to say it
| Assamese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| তই | toi | /tɔi/ | |
| তুমি | tumi | /tu.mi/ | familiar |
| আপুনি | apuni | /ɑ.pu.ni/ | honorific |
Assamese uses a three-tier system of 'you' based on the social relationship and level of respect between the speaker and the listener.
Which one should you use?
The three primary forms differ by their level of intimacy and respect: তই is used for very close friends, younger siblings or children. তুমি is the standard way to say 'you' to peers, friends or people of similar social standing. আপুনি is the polite/honorific form used for elders, teachers, strangers or in professional settings. Additionally, আপোনালোক is a respectful way to address a group of people in Assamese.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
তই is used for very close friends, younger siblings or children. তুমি is an informal way of saying 'you' in Assamese. আপুনি is a polite way of saying 'you' in Assamese.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization for তুমি is tumi. It is pronounced as /tu.mi/ and consists of 2 syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
The form তই can sound rude if used with strangers or elders.
Did you know?
- The highly informal তই is a distant relative of the English word 'thou'. Both descend from the Proto-Indo-European root *túh₂.
- Because the choice of 'you' is so critical, an Assamese speaker might avoid using any pronoun at all in a sentence to avoid accidentally choosing the wrong level of respect.
Examples in context
- তই কি কৰি আছ?What are you doing?This sentence is useful for asking about someone's current activity using তই.Tatoeba #11895095 by Mohsin_Ali, translation #16492 by CK
- ঐ! তই কেনে আছ?Hi! How are you?This sentence is useful for a casual greeting using তই.Tatoeba #11895076 by Mohsin_Ali, translation #30316 by Zifre
- তই শুই আছ নেকি?Are you sleeping?This sentence is useful for asking a question about sleeping using তই.Tatoeba #12025905 by Mohsin_Ali, translation #2244966 by CK
- আপোনালোক কোন বিষয়ে আগ্ৰহী?What are you interested in?
- তুমি কেনেকৈ আছিলা?How have you been?
- 1393 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mounita and Pritom are talking about an upcoming plan.
- মৌনিতা Mounitaতুমি ক'লৈ যাবা?tumi koloi jaba?Where will you go?
- প্রীতম Pritamমই বজাৰলৈ যাম।moi bazaroloi zam.I will go to the market.
- মৌনিতা Mounitaতুমি কি ল'ব বিচাৰা?tumi ki lobo bisara?What do you want to buy?
- প্রীতম Pritamমই কিছুমান ফল কিনিম।moi kisuman phol kinim.I will buy some fruits.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “you” translations and entries তই, তুমি, আপুনি, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries আপুনি, তই, তুমি, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
