Below are some translations of everyday phrases you can use when writing your sister.
Afghanistan · Bosnia and Herzegovina ·
Democratic Republic of Congo · Iraq (coming soon!) · Kosovo
Nigeria · Rwanda
Afghanistan
Fifty percent of the 22 million people living in Afghanistan speak a language known as Dari, or Afghan-Persian. Below you will find some everyday expressions that women in our programs use written in English letters. When written in Dari, these expressions are read and written from right to left.
English |
Dari |
| Hello |
Salam |
| How are you? |
Sihateh shuma chetor ast? |
| How is your family? |
Sihateh fameel suma chetor ast? |
| Please tell me about yourself |
Lutfan dar bareh khod soobaat nemayed |
| My name is . . . |
Ismeh man . . . |
| I am happy to write you |
Man khushaalam ke barayat meenooweesam |
| I am thinking of you |
Man dar bareh shuma fikir mekunam |
| Congratulations |
Tabreek bashad |
| Thank You |
Tashakur |
| Goodbye |
Khuda Hafiz |
Bosnia
and Herzegovina
Below
you will find some everyday expressions that women in our program in Bosnia
and Herzegovina use. Depending on a woman’s ethnic and political
affiliation, the language she speaks is known as Serbian, Croatian or
Bosnian. Although the written language is virtually identical, different
parts of the country speak different dialects that identify the language.
English |
Serbian/Croatian/Bosnian |
Dear________ |
Draga_______ |
How
are you? |
Kako
si? |
How
is your family? |
Kako
je tvoja familiya? |
Please
tell me about yourself |
Molim
te pisi mi o sebi |
My
name is . . . |
Je
se zovem . . . |
I
am happy to write you |
Sretna
sam stu ti mogu pisati |
I
am thinking of you |
Mislim
na tebe |
Congratulations |
Cestitam |
Thank
you |
Hvala |
Goodbye |
Pozdrav |
Democratic
Republic of the Congo (DRC)
Below
you will find some everyday expressions that women in our program in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) use. Most women in our program
in the DRC speak Swahili.
English |
Swahili |
Hello |
Jambo |
How
are you? |
Habari gani? |
How
is your family? |
Habari
za jamaa lako? |
Please
tell me about yourself |
Tafazali unijulishe habari
zako binafsi. |
My
name is . . . |
Jina
langu …. |
I
am happy to write you |
Nina furaha kubwa ya kukuandikia
(barua). |
I
am thinking of you |
Niko nawaza ju yako. |
Congratulations |
Hongera! |
Thank
you |
Aksanti. |
Goodbye |
Kwa
heri ya kuonana. |
Kosovo
Below
you will find some everyday expressions women in our program in Kosovo
use. Most women in our program in Kosovo speak Albanian. We recommend
using these phrases in your next letter to your sister. She will be so
excited to see her language in a letter from you!
English |
Albanian |
| Dear_________ |
E
dashura __________ |
| How
are you? |
Si
jeni? |
| How
is your family? |
Si është familja juaj? |
| Please
tell me about yourself |
Të
lutem më trego diçka per veten. |
| My
name is . . . |
Emri
im është |
| I
am happy to write to you |
Unë
jam e lumtur qe të shkruaj ty |
| I
am thinking of you |
Unë mendoj për ty |
| Thank
you |
Faleminderit |
| Goodbye |
Mirupafshim |
| Sincerely |
Sinqerisht |
Nigeria
Below
you will find some everyday expressions that women in our program in Nigeria
use. Most women in our program in the Nigerian state of Enugu
speak Igbo, the language listed in the middle column. In the
righthand column, you will find common phrases that women in our program
in the Nigerian state of Jos speak, Hausa. If your sister
belongs to any of the Sarki & Gwong Woman Groups,
she lives in the Jos State; please use the second set of translations
to communicate with her in her native language.
English |
Igbo
(For
sisters who live in Enugu state)
|
Hausa
(For
sisters who live in Jos, or who are in the Sarki or Gwong woman
groups) |
| Dear... |
Ezi gbo… |
Zuwa
ga… |
| How
are you? |
Kedu
ka I mere? |
Yaya
ki ke? |
| How
is your family? |
Kedu
maka ezi n’ulo gi? |
Yaya
iyalinki? |
| Please
tell me about yourself. |
Biko
gwa m maka onwe gi. |
Ina
so ki fada mani abubuwa game da ke, game da iyalinki? |
| My
name is... |
Aha
m bu… |
Sunana… |
| I
am happy to write you! |
Obi
di m uto idere gi leta! |
Ina
da farin ciki nia rubuta maki wannan
wasi ka. |
| I
am thinking of you. |
Ana
m eche make gi. |
Ina
tunaninlci kullam. |
| Thank
you |
Daalu |
Na
gode. |
| Goodbye |
Kemesia |
Sai
na ji daga gareki. |
Rwanda
Below
you will find some everyday expressions that women in our program in Rwanda
use. Women in our program in Rwanda speak Kinyarwanda. It primarily a
spoken language however as most written communication is Rwanda is in
French.
English |
Kinyarwanda |
| Dear__________ |
Nshuti
yange__________ |
| How
are you? |
Mumeze
mute? |
| How
is your family? |
Umulyango
wawe umeze ute? |
| Please
tell me about yourself |
Ndagusaba
ko wa nyibwira (OR) Ushobora ku nyibwira |
| My
name is . . . |
Amazina
yange ni . . . (OR) Nitwa . . . |
| I
am happy to write you |
Nejejwe
no kukwandikira |
| I
am thinking of you |
Mpora
ngutekereza (OR) Ndagutekereza (OR) jya ngutekereza |
| Thank
you |
Urakoze
(OR) Murakoze |
| Goodbye |
Na'hubutaha
(OR) murabeho |
|
