Useful Inuktitut phrases

A collection of useful phrases in Inuktitut, an Eskimo-Aleut language spoken in Canada, Greenland, Alaska and Siberia.

Key to abbreviations: sg = singular (said to one person), pl = plural (said to more than one person).

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See these phrases in any combination of two languages in the Phrase Finder. If you can provide recordings, corrections or additional translations, please contact me.

English ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ (Inuktitut)
Welcome ᑐᙵᓱ (Tunngahugit/Tunngasugit)
Hello (General greeting) ᐊᐃ (Ai)
ᐊᐃᓐᖓᐃ (Ainngai)
How are you? ᖃᓄᐃᐱᑦ (Qanuitpin/Qanuippit?)
Reply to 'How are you?' ᖃᓄᐃᓐᖏ (Qaniungi)
ᖃᓄᐃᖑᑦᑐᖓ (Qanuinngittunga)
Long time no see ᑕᑯᓇᓵᕐᓇᑯᓂ (Takunahaarnakuni)
What's your name? ᑭᓇᐅᕕᑦ? (Kinauvit?)
My name is ... ᐅᕙᖓ ...ᐊᑎᕋ (Uvanga ...atira)
...ᐅᔪᖓ (...ujunga)
Where are you from? ᓱᒥᙶᖅᐱᑦ (Huminngaaqpin)
ᓇᑭᙶᖅᐱᑦ (Nakinngaaqpit)
I'm from ... ...ᙶᖅᐳᖓ (...nngaaqpunga)
Pleased to meet you ᑲᑎᒐᒃᑭᑦ ᖁᕕᐊᓇᖅ (Katigatkit Quvianaq)
ᑲᑎᒐᒃᑭᑦ ᐊᓕᐊᓇᐃᖅ (Katigatkit Alianaiq)
Good morning
(Morning greeting)
ᐅᓪᓛᓴᒃᑯᑦ
(Ublaahatkut/Ullaasakkut)
Good afternoon
(Afternoon greeting)
ᐅᓐᓄᓴᒃᑯᑦ (Unnuhatkut/Unnusakkut)
Good evening
(Evening greeting)
ᐅᓐᓄᓴᒃᑯᑦ (Unnuhatkut/Unnusakkut)
Good night ᐅᓐᓄᓴᒃᑯᑦ (Unnuaqhatkut/Unnuaqsakkut)
Goodbye
(Parting phrases)
ᐃᓛᓂᓗ (Ilaanilu)
ᑕᓪᕙᐅᔪᑎᑦ Talvauyutin/Tagvauyutit
ᑕᕝᕙᐅᔪᑎᑦ (Tavvaujutit) - sg
ᑕᕝᕙᐅᔪᓯ (Tavvaujusi) - pl
ᐊᑦᓱᓇᐃ (Atsunai)
Good luck! ᐊᔪᙱᒋᐊᕐᓗᑎᑦ (Ajunngigiarlutit)
Cheers! Good Health!
(Toasts used when drinking)
ᐃᓅᓯᖃᑦᓯᐊᖅ (Inuuhiqatsiaq/Inuusiqatsiaq)
Have a nice day ᐅᓪᓗᖃᑦᓯᐊᕆᑦ (Ubluqatsiarit/Ulluqatsiarit)
Bon appetit /
Have a nice meal
ᐊᑏ ᓂᕆᓕᖅᑕ (Atii niriliqta)
Bon voyage /
Have a good journey
ᓈᒻᒪᒃᑦᓯᐊᕆᑦ (Naammaktsiarit)
I don't understand ᑐᑭᓯᓐᖏᑦᑐᖕ (Tukisinngittung)
Please speak more slowly ᐊᑏ ᐅᖄᓚᓗᐊᙱᓚᑎᑦ
(Atii uqaulahaluanngilutit/uqaalasaluanngilutit)
Please say that again ᐊᑏ ᐅᖃᒃᑲᓐᓂᕆᑦ (Atii uqakkannirit)
Please write it down ᑎᑎᕋᖅᑑᓗᐊᖅᐱᐅᒃ?
(Titiraqtuuluaqpiuk?)
Do you speak Inuktitut? ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑑᓲᖑᕖᑦ?
(Inuktituuhuunguvin? / Inuktituusuunguvit?)
Yes, a little
(reply to 'Do you speak ...?')
How do you say ... in Inuktitut? ...ᓂ ... ᖃᓄᖅ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖃᖅᐱᑦ?
(...ni ... qanuq uqauhiqaqpin?/uqausiqaqpit?)
Excuse me ᐄᑯᓗ (Iikuluga)
How much is this? ᐅᓇ ᖃᑦᓯᑦ? (Una Qapsit/Qassit/Qatsit?)
Sorry ᐄᑯᓗᒃ (Iikuluk)
ᐊᐃᑦᑖ (Aittaaq)
ᓂᑲᔪᖅ (Nakujuq)
Thank you ᖁᔭᓇᐃᓐᓂ (Quyanainni)
ᖁᐅᓇ (Quana)
ᒪ'ᓇ (Ma'na)
ᖁᔭᓐᓇᒦᒃ (Qujannamiik)
ᓇᑯᕐᒦᒃ (Nakurmiik)
Reply to thank you ᐃᓛᓕ (Ilaali)
Where's the toilet / bathroom? ᓇᐅᖕ ᐊᓇᕐᕕ (Naung anarvik?)
This gentleman will pay for everything ᑕᐃᓐᓇ ᐊᖑᑦ ᐊᑭᓖᓂᖅᑐᔪᖅ
(Tainna angut akiliiniqtuyuq)
This lady will pay for everything ᑕᐃᓐᓇ ᐊᕐᓇᖅ ᐊᑭᓖᓂᖅᑐᔪᖅ
(Tainna arnaq akiliiniqtuyuq)
Would you like to dance with me? ᒧᒥᓘ? (Mumirluu?)
I love you ᓇᒡᓕᒋᕙᒋᑦ (Nagligivagit/Nalligivagit)
Get well soon ᓈᒻᒪᖕᓂᓗᒡᓗᑎᑦ (Naammangniluglutit)
Leave me alone! ᐊᖄ ᐊᕙᓂ (Aqaa avani)
Help! ᐃᑲᔪᖅ! (Ikajuq!)
Fire! ᐃᑯᒪ! (Ikuma!)
Stop! ᐊᓱ! (Ahu! / Asu!)
Call the police! ᐳᑭᖅᑕ ᓖ ᓯᕙᓂᕐᒋᑦ (Pukiqtaliit hivanirlugit!)
ᐳᓖᓯ ᓯᕙᓂᕐᒋᑦ (Puliisi sivanirlugit!)
Christmas greetings ᑯᕕᐊᓇᒃ ᐃᓄᕕᐊ (Kuvianak Inovia)
Easter greetings
Birthday greetings ᓇᓪᓕᐅᓂᖅᓯᐅᑦᓯᐊᕆᑦ
(Nalliuniqsiutsiarit)
One language is never enough ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖅ ᐊᑕᐅᓯᖅ ᓈᒻᒪᔪᐃᑦᑐᖅ
(Uqauhiq atauhiq naammayuittuq /
Uqausiq atausiq naammajuittuq)
My hovercraft is full of eels ᐅᒥᐊᕐᔫᑉ ᐳᓪᓕᓕᒫᐸᒐ ᑕᑦᑕᕐᓂᖅ ᐊᒻᒪᔭᖅ
(Umiaryuap Publimaaqpaga tattaurniq ammayaq /
Umiarjuap Pullimmaqpaga tattaurniq nimiraq)

Inuktitut translations provided by Halluuq Unqunqai

If you would like to make any corrections or additions to this page, or if you can provide recordings, please contact me.

Information about Inuktitut | Phrases | Numbers | Tower of Babel

Links

Other collections of phrases in Inuktitut (some with audio)
https://www.uaf.edu/anlc/resources/phrases/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPGAbctSHuY http://wikitravel.org/en/Inuktitut_phrasebook
http://icor.ottawainuitchildrens.com/node/15
http://icor.ottawainuitchildrens.com/node/60

Phrases in Eskimo-Aleut languages

Aleut, Greenlandic, Inuktitut, Iñupiaq

Phrases in other languages

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