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A very important question!
It is very important to know how to ask and answer this question. Listen to it a
few times and practice it yourself.
Asking someone for their name
What is your name?
Tawnshi eyishinikawshoyan
What is her/his name?
Tawnshi eshnikasheut
Responding
My name is…
Dishinikawshon…(name)
Her name is (Margaret)
Margaret dishnikasho
How to ask simple questions and respond to them
It is important to begin to look at how to form your own questions in Michif. Just like in English we have question words that we use. Right now we are just going to look at a few basic question forms and give you a few ideas of how to respond to them. Good luck!
How - Tanshi
Add tanshi to the verb niya and you get a greeting.
Examples
How are you?
tawnshi kiya
How is she?
tawnshi wiya
How is he?
tawnshi wiya
How are they?
tawnshi wiwawow
How are we?
tawnshi kiyanan
How are you (plural?)
tawnshi kiyawow
Responding to “How are you?”
You’ll need to respond when somebody asks “how are you?” Here’s some easy
ways to respond. Notice how easy the structure is once you understand!
Examples
How are you?
tawnshi kiya
I am good.
nimiyou ayaan
I am not good.
nimoya nimiyouayaan
I am hungry.
noohteh gataan
I am sick.
dakoshin
I am thirsty.
noohteh awpawgwan
How is she/he?
tawnshi wiya
She is good.
miyoyow
She is not good.
nimoya miyoyow
She is hungry.
noohteh gatayo
She is sick.
akoshiow
She is thirsty
noohteh awpawgweyo
How are you plural.
tawnshi kiyawow
We are good.
Nimiyou anan
We are not good.
Nimoya nimiyouanan
We are hungry.
noohteh gatanaan
We are sick.
dakoshinaan
We are thirsty.
noohteh awpawgwanaan
How is your family?
tawnshi ta famee
They are good.
miyoiyawuk
They are hungry.
notay gatayowuk
They are not good.
nimoya miyoiyawuk
They are sick.
akoshishaywuk
They are thirsty.
notay apayagwawuk
Asking More Questions!
We have already talked a little about forming questions with tanshi and the verb
to be, we can make more questions the same way just by adding the correct
question word. Below we will just take a quick look at Who and Where. Click on
the words and phrases and practice them as you learn!!
Who - Awana
Who am I?
Awana niya
Who are you?
Awana kiya
Who is she?
Awana wiya
Who is he?
Awana wiya
Who are they?
Awana wiyawow
Who are we?
Awana kianaan or Awana niyanaan
Who are you (plural)?
Awana kiyawow
Where - Taande
Where am I?
Taande niya
Where is she?
Taande wiya
Where is he?
Taande wiya
Where are they?
Taande wiyawow
Where are you plural?
Taande kiyawow
Taking questions a little farther
On the previous page you were introduced to Who and Where with the verb –to
be in questions. Lets take it a little farther and look at some common questions
that we ask when we first meet people. The verb in these questions change form depending on who you are asking the question to.
One way to ask:
Where are you from?
Tawnday pe'oototayan?
I live in Victoria.
Victoria niwiken
A different way to ask:
Where do I live?
Taande wiikiyaan
Where do you live?
Taande wiikiyaen
Where does he live?
Taande wiikit
Where does she live?
Taande wiikit
Where do we live?
Taande aiwikiyaak
Where do they live?
Taande wiikachik
Where do you live plural?
Taande wiikiyaek
Here are some ways we can respond to the question:
“Where do you live?”
I live in Victoria.
Victoria niwiiken
You live in Saskatoon.
Saskatoon kiwiiken
He lives in Moncton.
Moncton wikeow
She lives in Moncton.
Moncton wickeow
We live in Ontario.
Ontario niwiikinan
They live in Regina.
Regina wikiiwuk
You live in Alberta (Plural).
Alberta kiniwikinawow
