Cree Language Guide
“Y” Dialect
Conversation
- tân'si
- Hi, how are you?
- namôya nân'taw
- I'm fine./Not bad.
- kîya mâka
- And how about you?
- pêyakwan
- About the same.
- kâyas
- It's been a long time.
- pihtokwê
- Come in!
- ay-api
- Please have a sseat.
- ay hay
- Thank you.
- tatâwaw
- Welcome! (lit. there is room.)
- tân'si ê-isiyihkâsoyan
- What is your name?
- Sylvie nit'sihkâson
- My name is Sylvie.
- tân'tê ohci kîya
- Where are you from?
- mikisiwacîhk ohci nîya
- I'm from Eagle Hills.
- kinêhiyawân?
- Do you speak Cree?
- ap'sîs
- A little bit.
- tâpwe cî
- Is that right?
- kin's'tohtên cî?
- Do you understand?
- ap'sîs nin's'tohtên
- I understand a little.
- kinôhtêhkatân cî
- Are you hungry?
- tâpwê pikwâni
- Very true!/Indeed!
Months of the Year
- kisepîsim
- cold month
- mikisowipîsim
- bald eagle month
- niskipîsim
- goose month
- ayikipîsim
- frog month
- opiniyâwêwowipîsim
- egg-laying month
- opâskâwêwiwipîsim
- egg-hatching month
- opaskowipîsim
- moulting month
- ohpahowipîsim
- flying month
- onôcihtowipîsim
- mating month
- kaskatinowipîsim
- freezing month
- iyikowpiwipîsim
- frost month
- pawahcakinasîs
- drift-clearing month
Interrogative Particles
- awîna
- Who
- kîkway
- What
- tân'spî
- When
- tân'te
- Where
- tânêhki
- Why
- tân'sîyisi
- How
Come and ____!
- pê mîciso
- Come and eat!
- pê apik
- Come and sit! (2P)
- pê nîmihito
- Come and dance!
Days of the Week
kîsikâw is an AI verb means “it is day”- pônayâmihêw kîsikâw
- Monday
- nîso kîsikâw
- Tuesday
- nisto kîsikâw
- Wednesday
- nêwo kîsikâw
- Thursday
- nîyânano kîsikâw
- Friday
- nikotwâsik kîsikâw
- Saturday
- ayamihêw kîsikâw
- Sunday
My relations
niwahkomâtanak
- nohtâwiy
- my father
- nikâwiy
- my mother
- nimosom
- my grandfather
- nôhkom
- my grandmother
- nîtisânak
- my brothers and sisters
- nâpew
- man
- nâpesis
- boy
- iskwêw
- woman
- iskwêsis
- girl
Personal pronouns
| 1S | (I) | nîya |
|---|---|---|
| 2S | (you) | kîya |
| 3S | (he/she) | wîya |
| 1P | (us but not you) | nîyanân |
| 2I | (all of us) | kîyânaw |
| 2P | (all of you) | kîyawâw |
| 3P | (all of them) | wîyawâw |
Emphatic pronouns
| 1S | (me too) | nîsta |
|---|---|---|
| 2S | (you too) | kîsta |
| 3S | (he/she too) | wîsta |
| 1P | (us too (but not you)) | nîstanân |
| 2I | (us too) | kîstanaw |
| 2P | (all of you too) | kîstawâw |
| 3P | (all of them too) | wîstawâw |
Verb Conjugation [nipâ] = to sleep
| Independent Mode | Conjunct Mode | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1S | ninipân | (I sleep) | ê-nipâyân | (I am sleeping) |
| 2s | kinipân | (You sleep) | ê-nipâyan | (You are sleeping) |
| 3s | nipâw | (He/she sleeps) | ê-nipât | (He/she is sleeping) |
| 1P | ninipânân | (We (excl) sleep) | ê-nipâyâhk | (We (excl) are sleeping) |
| 2I | kinipânaw | (We (incl) sleep) | ê-nipâyahk | (We (excl) are sleeping) |
| 2P | kinipânâwâw | (You all sleep) | ê-nipâyêk | (You all are sleeping) |
| 3P | nipâwak | (They sleep) | ê-nipâcik | (They are sleeping) |
| 3' | nipâyiwa | (John's son sleeps) | ê-nipâyit | (John's son is sleeping) |
Counting
- 1
- pêyak
- 2
- nîso
- 3
- nisto
- 4
- nêwo
- 5
- nîyânan
- 6
- nikotwâsik
- 7
- têpakohp
- 8
- ayinânêw
- 9
- kêkâ-mitâtaht
- 10
- mitâtaht
- 11
- pêyakosâp
- 12
- nîsosâp
- 13
- nistosâp
- 14
- nêwosâp
- 15
- nîyânanosâp
- 16
- nikotwâssosâp
- 17
- têpakohposâp
- 18
- ayinânêwosâp
- 19
- kêkâ-mitâtahtosâp
- 20
- nîstanaw
Telling time
tipahikan = time/hour; cipahikanis = minute (little time)| What time is it? | tân'tahto tipahikan | |
|---|---|---|
| 1:00 | pêyak tipahikan | |
| 2:00 | nîso tipahikan | |
| and a half | mînâpihtaw | |
| 3:30 | nisto mînâpihtaw | |
| 5:30 | nîyânan mînâpihtaw | |
| after | mîyâskam | |
| 4:05 | nîyanân cipahikanis mîyâskam nêwo tipahikan | |
| 4:20 | nîstanaw cipahikanis mîyâskam nêwo tipahikan | |
Animals (NA)
- atim
- dog
- minôs
- cat
- mistatim
- horse
- kôhkôs
- pig
- môstôs
- cow
- sîsîp
- duck
- niska
- goose
- maskwa
- bear
- mâhkêsîs
- fox
- kâkwa
- porcupine
Parts of the body
- mistikwân
- head
- mîscakâsa
- hair
- miskîsik
- eye
- mihtawakay
- ear
- mikot
- nose
- mitôn
- mouth
- mispiton
- arms
- micihciy
- hand
- miskât
- leg
- misit
- foot
Types of verbs
- II
- Inanimate Intransitive
- AI
- Animate Intransitive
- TI
- Transitive Inanimate
- TA
- Transitive Animate
Tenses
- kî
- completed action
- wî
- intended action (going to)
- ka
- will (future marker)
Demonstrative Pronouns
| awa | (this) | awa nâpêw | (this man) |
| ana | (that) | nâpêw ana | (That is a man) |
| ôki | (these) | nâpêwak ôki | (These are men) |
| aniki | (those) | aniki nâpêwak | (Those men) |
| ôma | (this) | tehtapiwin ôma | (This is a chair) |
| anima | (that) | maskisin anima | (That is a show) |
| ôhi | (these) | wîyâkana ôki | (These are dishes) |
| anihi | (those) | anihi maskisina | (Those shoes) |
Directions (NI)
- kîwetinohk
- north (towards the north)
- âpihtâkîsikanohk
- south (sun at mid day)
- sâkâstenohk
- east (towards the sunrise)
- pahkisimôtahk
- west (towards the sunset)
Consonants
- p
- t
- k
- c
- s
- h
- m
- n
English Sounds
p, t, k sound more like b, d, g, especially when they occur between two vowel sounds.
p as in _p_ay
t as in _t_ake
k as in _k_in
c as in ca_ts_
s as in _s_ay
h as in _h_ay
m as in _m_e
n as in _n_ap
| Long vowels | ê | î | â | ô |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Similar sound in English | egg | see | aah | moose |
| Short vowels | i | a | o |
|---|---|---|---|
| fit | sun | mow |
| Semi-vowels | y | w |
|---|---|---|
| you | wet |
| Dipthongs | askiy | ay-ay | apoy | napêw | mîcisow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bee | ice | boil | like saying e in egg followed by w in woo | soon |