This unit introduces the most common greetings. Click on each example, listen to the audio, and read along. Repeat each formula aloud paying attention to Juan Manuel’s pronunciation. Finally, you will also learn several common K’iche’ names.

The following are common greetings:

Saqirik!	Good morning!
Xb’e q’ij!	Good afternoon!
Xok aq’ab’!	Good evening!
Jeb’a’!	Good bye!
Tat	Sir
Nan	Ma’am
Ala	Boy
Ali	Girl
Saqirik tat!	Good morning, sir!
Xb’e q’ij nan!	Good afternoon, ma’am!
Xok aq’ab’ ali!	Good evening, girl!

Social status and greetings in K’iche’ K’iche’ greetings change based on the speakers and the context. There are formal and colloquial greetings. In Nahualá, formal address is required to engage town elders, family in-laws, school teachers, church leaders (Catholic priests, catechists, Evangelical pastors) as well as civil authorities (town mayor, departmental governor, and other high government officials). Formal address is also used to address God and other divine beings in religious rituals. It is required to address adult audiences in public functions such as school graduations, political speeches, and masses. Finally, it is commonly used in radio broadcasts to address listeners. Colloquial forms are expected in informal conversations between kin (except between in-laws) as well as between friends. They are also used in market transactions and in brief exchanges between strangers of the same social status.

Watch each of the following short videos paying special attention to the greetings the speakers utilize.

Speaker	Formal greeting (addressed to persons of high social status such as in-laws and town authorities)
A:	Saqirik tat/nan!
	Good morning!
B:	Saqirik tat/nan!
	Good morning!
A:	La utz wach la?
	How are you (formal)?
B:	Utz maltyox – E k’u ri lal – La utz wach la?
	Well, thank you! – And you? – How are you?
A:	Utz maltyox!
	Well, thank you!

First names are preceded by a particle known as nominal classifier that indicates gender and marital status of the name holder. Some etymologically Spanish names have their own K’iche’ adapted form.

K’iche’ first name classifiers	masculine	feminine
children / young adults	a	al
older adults / married individuals	tat	nan

Some common first names in Nahualá

a Wel (Manuel)	al We’l (Manuela)	tat Xwan (Juan)	nan Xwa’n  (Juana)
a Pal (Gaspar)	al Xe’p  (Isabel)	tat Si’s (Francisco)	nan Ska’ (Francisca)
a Lu’ (Pedro)	al Kante’l  (Candelaria)	tat Ku’ (Domingo)	nan Talin (Catarina)
a Tun (Antonio)	al Re’n (Lorenza)	nan Mari’y (Maria)

Jas ab’i’, ali/ala?What your-name, girl/boy? What is your name, girl/boy?

_________ le nub’i’ _________ this my-name My name is __________

Maltyox chawe! (informal) Thank you!

Maltyox che la! (formal) Thank you!

Maj kab’ij la! (formal)          Maj kub’ano!