![travel phpto to inspire Cherokee language study](../media/sign_cherokee.jpg)
ALPHABET MATCHING GAME VOCABULARY FLASHCARDS
Why Learn Cherokee?
Cherokee is an endangered Iroquoian language and the native language of the Cherokee people. Out of 376,000 Cherokee people, only around 2100 are fluent in the language. The dialect of Cherokee in Oklahoma is 'definitely endangered', and the one in North Carolina is 'severely endangered' according to UNESCO. The Lower dialect, formerly spoken on the South Carolina–Georgia border, has been extinct since about 1900. The dire situation regarding the future of the two remaining dialects prompted the Tri-Council of Cherokee tribes to declare a state of emergency in June 2019, with a call to enhance revitalization efforts.Learning Cherokee improves the knowledge of your own language. You are at a distinct advantage in the global market if you are bilingual. Analytical skills improve when you study Cherokee. Studying Cherokee offers a sense of the past: culturally and linguistically.
Cherokee Alphabet & Pronunciation
Ꭰ
[a]
[a]
Ꭱ
[e]
[e]
Ꭲ
[i]
[i]
Ꭳ
[o]
[o]
Ꭴ
[u]
[u]
Ꭵ
[v]
[v]
Ꭶ
[ga]
[ga]
Ꭷ
[ka]
[ka]
Ꭸ
[ge]
[ge]
Ꭹ
[gi]
[gi]
Ꭺ
[go]
[go]
Ꭻ
[gu]
[gu]
Ꭼ
[gv]
[gv]
Ꭽ
[ha]
[ha]
Ꭾ
[he]
[he]
Ꭿ
[hi]
[hi]
Ꮀ
[ho]
[ho]
Ꮁ
[hu]
[hu]
Ꮂ
[hv]
[hv]
Ꮃ
[la]
[la]
Ꮄ
[le]
[le]
Ꮅ
[li]
[li]
Ꮆ
[lo]
[lo]
Ꮇ
[lu]
[lu]
Ꮈ
[lv]
[lv]
Ꮉ
[ma]
[ma]
Ꮊ
[me]
[me]
Ꮋ
[mi]
[mi]
Ꮌ
[mo]
[mo]
Ꮍ
[mu]
[mu]
Ꮎ
[na]
[na]
Ꮏ
[hna]
[hna]
Ꮐ
[nah]
[nah]
Ꮑ
[ne]
[ne]
Ꮒ
[ni]
[ni]
Ꮓ
[no]
[no]
Ꮔ
[nu]
[nu]
Ꮕ
[nv]
[nv]
Ꮖ
[qua]
[qua]
Ꮗ
[que]
[que]
Ꮘ
[qui]
[qui]
Ꮙ
[quo]
[quo]
Ꮚ
[quu]
[quu]
Ꮛ
[quv]
[quv]
Ꮝ
[s]
[s]
Ꮜ
[sa]
[sa]
Ꮞ
[se]
[se]
Ꮟ
[si]
[si]
Ꮠ
[so]
[so]
Ꮡ
[su]
[su]
Ꮢ
[sv]
[sv]
Ꮣ
[da]
[da]
Ꮤ
[ta]
[ta]
Ꮥ
[de]
[de]
Ꮦ
[te]
[te]
Ꮧ
[di]
[di]
Ꮨ
[ti]
[ti]
Ꮩ
[do]
[do]
Ꮪ
[du]
[du]
Ꮫ
[dv]
[dv]
Ꮬ
[dla]
[dla]
Ꮭ
[tla]
[tla]
Ꮮ
[tle]
[tle]
Ꮯ
[tli]
[tli]
Ꮰ
[tlo]
[tlo]
Ꮱ
[tlu]
[tlu]
Ꮲ
[tlv]
[tlv]
Ꮳ
[tsa]
[tsa]
Ꮴ
[tse]
[tse]
Ꮵ
[tsi]
[tsi]
Ꮶ
[tso]
[tso]
Ꮷ
[tsu]
[tsu]
Ꮸ
[tsv]
[tsv]
Ꮹ
[wa]
[wa]
Ꮺ
[we]
[we]
Ꮻ
[wi]
[wi]
Ꮼ
[wo]
[wo]
Ꮽ
[wu]
[wu]
Ꮾ
[wv]
[wv]
Ꮿ
[ya]
[ya]
Ᏸ
[ye]
[ye]
Ᏹ
[yi]
[yi]
Ᏺ
[yo]
[yo]
Ᏻ
[yu]
[yu]
Ᏼ
[yv]
[yv]
Basic Phrases in Cherokee
Cherokee Grammar
Cherokee Nouns
Man | (a-s-ga-yv) |
---|---|
Woman | (a-gi-ya) |
Boy | (u-wa-gi-a) |
Girl | (a-ge-yu-tsa) |
Cat | (we-sa) |
Dog | (gi-li) |
Fish | (a-tsa-di) |
Water | (a-ma) |
Milk | (u-nv-di) |
Egg | (u-we-tsi) |
House | |
Flower | (a-tsi-la-s) |
Tree | (tsa-li-gu) |
Shirt | |
Pants |
Cherokee Adjectives
Colors in Cherokee
Black | ᎬᎾᎨᎢ (gvnagei) |
---|---|
White | ᎤᏁᎦ (unega) |
Red | ᎩᎦᎨ (gigage) |
Orange | ᎠᏌᎶᏂᎨ (asalonige) |
Yellow | ᏓᎶᏂᎨ (dalonige) |
Green | ᎢᏤᎢᏳᏍᏗ (itseiyusdi) |
Blue | ᏌᎪᏂᎨᎢ (sagonigei) |
Purple | ᎩᎨᏍᏗ (gigesdi) |
Pink | ᎩᎦᎨᎢᏳᏍᏗ (gigageiyusdi) |
Gray | ᎤᏍᎪᎸ ᏌᎪᏂᎨ (usgolv sagonige) |
Brown | ᎤᏬᏗᎨ (uwodige) |
Numbers in Cherokee
Zero | |
---|---|
One | ᏌᏊ (saquu) |
Two | ᏔᎵ (tali) |
Three | ᏦᎢ (tsoi) |
Four | ᏅᎩ (nvgi) |
Five | ᎯᏍᎩ (hisgi) |
Six | ᏑᏓᎵ (sudali) |
Seven | ᎦᎵᏉᎩ (galiquogi) |
Eight | ᏧᏁᎳ (tsunela) |
Nine | ᏐᏁᎳ (sonela) |
Ten | ᏍᎪᎯ (sgohi) |
Eleven | ᏌᏚ (sadu) |
Twelve | ᏔᎵᏚ (talidu) |
Twenty | ᏔᎵᏍᎪᎯ (talisgohi) |
Thirty | (tso so-go) |
Forty | (nu-gi so-go-hi-ne) |
Fifty | (hi-s-gi so-go-hi) |
Sixty | (su-da-li s-go-hi) |
Seventy | (ga-li-qua s-go-hi) |
Eighty | (ne-la s-go-hi) |
Ninety | (so-ne-la s-go-hi) |
Hundred | (a-go-hi-tsu-qui) |
Thousand | (sa-quo I-ya-ga-yv-li) |
Cherokee Verbs
To be | |
---|---|
To have | |
To want | |
To need | |
To help | |
To go | |
To come | |
To eat | |
To drink | |
To speak |
Building Simple Sentences
More Complex Cherokee Sentences
And | |
---|---|
Or | |
But | |
Because | |
With | |
Also | |
However | |
Neither | |
Nor | |
If | |
Then |
Useful Cherokee Vocabulary
Cherokee Questions
Who | |
---|---|
What | |
When | |
Where | |
Why | |
How | |
How many | |
How much |
Days of the Week in Cherokee
Monday | ᎤᎾᏙᏓᏉᏅᎯ (unadodaquohnvhi) |
---|---|
Tuesday | ᏔᎵᏁᎢᎦ (talineiga) |
Wednesday | ᏦᎢᏁᎢᎦ (tsoineiga) |
Thursday | ᏅᎩᏁᎢᎦ (nvgineiga) |
Friday | ᏧᎾᎩᎶᏍᏗ (junagilosdi) |
Saturday | ᎤᎾᏙᏓᏈᏕᎾ (unadodaquidena) |
Sunday | ᎤᎾᏙᏓᏆᏍᎬ (unadodaquasgv) |
Yesterday | |
Today | |
Tomorrow |
Months in Cherokee
January | ᏚᏃᎸᏔᏂ (dunolvtani) |
---|---|
February | ᎧᎦᎵ (kagali) |
March | ᎠᏄᏱ (anuyi) |
April | ᎧᏩᏂ (kawani) |
May | ᎠᎾᎠᎬᏘ (anaagvti) |
June | ᏕᎭᎷᏱ (dehaluyi) |
July | ᎫᏰᏉᏂ (guyequoni) |
August | ᎦᎶᏂᎢ (galonii) |
September | ᏚᎵᎢᏍᏗ (duliisdi) |
October | ᏚᏂᏅᏗ (duninvdi) |
November | ᏄᏓᏕᏆ (nudadequa) |
December | ᎥᏍᎩᎦ (vsgiga) |
Seasons in Cherokee
Winter | |
---|---|
Spring | |
Summer | |
Autumn |
Telling Time in Cherokee
What time is it | |
---|---|
Hours | |
Minutes | |
Seconds | |
O clock | |
Half | |
Quarter past | |
Before | |
After |