First sounds and phrases · Lesson 1
Hello, and my name is…
Fourteen languages, two phrases each. Before grammar, get the sounds in your mouth: say them out loud, play with them, and notice how differently languages say who you are.
Video lesson in preparation.
Warm up like an actor
One minute, out loud. Blow air through loose lips until they buzz. Say la la la with the tip of your tongue, then ga ga ga with the back of it. Hum a low note, then a high one. Every language below uses those parts of your mouth differently, so wake them up first.
Hello
English
Hello. / Hi.
Hi is for friends; hello works anywhere.
French
Bonjour. / Salut.
Bonjour for anyone, salut for friends. The “on” is nasal: let air out through your nose.
Spanish
¡Hola!
OH-la
The h is silent.
Italian
Ciao. / Buongiorno.
chow
Ciao between friends; buongiorno for anyone until the afternoon.
German
Hallo. / Guten Tag.
Guten Tag is the polite one; the g is always hard.
Portuguese
Olá. / Oi.
Oi is everyday Brazil.
Greek
Γειά σου. / Γειά σας.
yiá sou / yiá sas
Σου to one friend, σας to an elder or a group. The accent mark shows the stressed syllable.
Arabic
مرحبا. / السلام عليكم.
marḥaban / as-salāmu ʿalaykum
The ḥ is a breathy h from the throat, not the English h.
Chinese
你好。
nǐ hǎo
Two low tones in a row: the first rises instead, so it sounds like ní hǎo.
Japanese
こんにちは。
konnichiwa
Hold the double n; the last kana, は, is read wa here.
Korean
안녕하세요.
annyeonghaseyo
Polite and everyday; to friends, just 안녕 (annyeong).
Igbo
Ndewo. / Kedụ?
n-DEH-wo / keh-DOO
Kedụ asks how you are. The ụ is the vowel in “book.”
Yoruba
Báwo ni? / Ẹ káàárọ̀.
Báwo ni asks how you are; Ẹ káàárọ̀ is a respectful good morning. Tone marks: ´ high, ` low, none for mid.
Wolof
Na nga def?
na-nga-DEF
How are you? Answer: Maa ngi fi rekk, “I’m right here.”
Recordings in preparation: each hello by a native speaker, in more than one accent where the language has them.
My name is…
| Language | Say | Literally |
|---|---|---|
| English | My name is ___. | my name is |
| French | Je m’appelle ___. | I call myself |
| Spanish | Me llamo ___. / Mi nombre es ___. | I call myself / my name is |
| Italian | Mi chiamo ___. | I call myself |
| German | Ich heiße ___. | I am called |
| Portuguese | Meu nome é ___. / Me chamo ___. | my name is / I call myself |
| Greek | Με λένε ___. | me léne: they call me |
| Arabic | اسمي ___. | ismī: my name (no verb needed) |
| Chinese | 我叫___。 | wǒ jiào: I am called |
| Japanese | 私は___です。 | watashi wa ___ desu: I am ___ |
| Korean | 저는 ___입니다. | jeoneun ___ imnida: I am ___ |
| Igbo | Aha m bụ ___. | my name is |
| Yoruba | Orúkọ mi ni ___. | my name is |
| Wolof | Maa ngi tudd ___. | I am named |
Play it
Pick three languages. Say “Hello, my name is…” in each, four ways:
- As a news anchor, clear and steady.
- As a stage whisper, to someone across a quiet room.
- Calling across a busy market.
- To a grandmother: use the respectful forms (Greek σας, Yoruba Ẹ, French bonjour, Korean 안녕하세요).
Then a two-person scene. One says hello; the other answers and gives their name; switch languages every round. Record it and listen back.
Check yourself
1. Which of these is Yoruba?
2. In 你好 (nǐ hǎo), what happens to the first syllable?
3. Greek Με λένε literally means…
4. Which French hello is for friends only?
5. How do you answer Na nga def?
Keep it
Add the fourteen hellos to your review cards.
Next in this unit: Thank you, please, sorry (in preparation). Spot an error or want your language’s accent heard? hello@agbalumolove.com.