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It is not possible to learn to speak a language just by memorizing word lists. To learn a language you must learn natural phrases, words put together which make sense for everyday talking, just as people use any living language.
>><< The Cheyenne alphabet and pronunciation guide >><<
There are only 14 letters in the Cheyenne alphabet but they can combine together to create some very long words, composed of many smaller meaning parts. Following are some words illustrating the Cheyenne alphabet and a prounciation guide for the Cheyenne letters.
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LETTER |
CHEYENNE |
ENGLISH |
PRONUNCIATION OF THE CHEYENNE LETTER
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a |
mahpe |
water |
a as in English "father"
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e |
ehane |
our father |
e as in English "pit" ("i" not "e" sound)
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h |
hese |
fly |
h as in English "happy" |
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k |
kosa |
goat |
k as in English "skip" (unaspirated) |
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' |
he'eo'o |
women |
- as in English "Uh-oh!" |
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m |
me'ko |
head |
m as in English "man" |
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n |
nahkohe |
bear |
n as in English "never" |
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o |
okohke |
crow |
o as in English "note" |
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p |
poeso |
cat |
p as in English "spoon" (unaspirated) |
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s |
semo |
boat |
s as in English "say" |
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š |
še'še |
duck |
š (sh) as in English "shirt" |
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t |
tosa'e |
Where? |
t as in English "stop" (unaspirated) |
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v |
vee'e |
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v as in English "vein" |
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x |
xao'o |
skunk |
x as in German "Achtung!" |
The š symbol has the same sound as the two English letters "sh".
The apostrophe (') stands for the glottal stop, a very frequent "sound" in Cheyenne. It is the quick stopping "sound" between the two syllables of the English exclamation, "Uh-oh!"
Cheyenne "x" has the same sound as German "x". It is a voiceless velar fricative, raspier than English "h".
When Cheyenne "v" comes before an "a" or "o" vowel, it will often sound like English "w". It is still the same sound unit (phoneme), however, whether it is pronounced as "v" or "w".
The Cheyenne "stop" sounds, "p", "t", and "k" are unaspirated. That is, they do not have a puff of air after them as these letters do when they begin English words, such as "pen," "toy", and "kite." Instead, they sound like the letters "p", "t", and "k" when they follow the letter "s," as in the English words "spill," "still," and "skill."
CONFUSED ????
Try this one...
Here is one of the longest Cheyenne words which we have heard:
náohkêsáa'oné'seómepêhévetsêhésto'anéhe, meaning 'I truly do not pronounce Cheyenne well.'
This word has the following meaning parts (technically known as morphemes):
ná- 'I'
ohke- 'regularly'
sáa- 'not' (this also requires the -he at the end of the word)
oné'seóme- 'truly'
pêhéve- 'good, well'
tsêhést- 'Cheyenne'
-o'ane 'pronounce'
This is just a brief introduction to Cheyenne. If you would like to learn more, visit
Cheyenne language reference materials page at the Web site of the SSILA (Society for the Study of the Indigenous Languages of the Americas)
Some Common Words::
mixed with commands and actions
Áahtomónêstse , Listen!
Áahtomónêhéne, Listen later (plural addressee)!
Áahtovoo'o, Listen to him later!
Éháaeho'ta, It's sunny and hot.
Éháoho'ta, It's hot (weather).
Ého'eéto, It's snowing.
Éhoo'koho, It's raining.
E'êha'ôtse, Put your shoes on! E'êha'o, Put your shoes on! (plural addressee)
E'seéstse'henâtse, Put your coat on ! E'seéstse'hena, Put your coat on! (plural addressee)
Éoseetonéto, It's really cold (weather).
Épéva'e, It's good.
Épévatamáno'e, It's good weather.
Éstséhne, Come in! (plural addressee)
Étonéto, It's cold (weather).
Éxanenêstse, Get ready! Éxanene, Get ready! (plural addressee)
hahóo, thank you (This is an inter-tribal word.)
Hámêstoo'êstse, Sit down! Hámêstoo'e, Sit down! (plural addressee)
héehe'e, yes
hë'e, woman; he'eo'o, women
He'kotoo'êstse, Be quiet!
Hémêseestse, Come eat! Hémêsehe, Come eat! (plural addressee)
Hena'háanehe, That's it, that's enough, the end
Hénová'e tséméseto, What are you eating?
hetane, man; hetaneo'o, men
Ho'sóó'êstse, Dance! Ho'sóó'e, Dance! (plural addressee)
hová'âháne, no
ka'êškone, child; ka'êškóneho, children
kâse'ééhe, young woman; kâse'éeheho, young women
kâsovááhe, young man; kâsováaheho, young men
mâhatamááhe, old woman
mahpe, water
ma'háhkéso, old man; ma'háhkêseho, old men
Ma'heo'o, God
ma'xêhohtóvamâheo'o, Lame Deer IGA store (literally, big store)
Méavé'ho'eno nátao'sêtsêhe'eohtse, I'm going to Lame Deer.
mé'êševôtse, baby; mé'êševoto, babies
Méseestse, Eat!
Métseha, Give it to him!
mo'éhno'ha, horse
Mónêhé'še, Are you ready to go?
Motsé'eóeve, Sweet Medicine
môxe'êstónemâheo'o, school
Náháéána, I'm hungry.
Náháomóhtahe, I'm sick.
Nákâhaneotse, I'm tired.
Náne'étamenôtse Ma'heo'o, I depend on God.
Nápévetano, I'm happy.
Nápévomóhtahe, I'm feeling good.
Nátao'semâhoéve'ho'eohtse, I'm going to town.
Nátao'sêsé'eohtse, I'm going to the store (literally, going toward).
Nátsêhéstahe, I'm Cheyenne.
navésé'e, my friend (only said by a female, of a female friend)
Néá'eše, thank you (the "real" Cheyenne word. This is said to one person. Simpler spelling: Nia'ish)
Nêhetáa'e, That's all, That's enough
Né'áahtovêstse, Listen to me! Né'áahtove, Listen to me! (plural addressee)
Né'éstséhnêstse, Come in!
Né'seéstse'henâtse, Take your coat off! Né'seéstse'hena, Take your coat off! (plural addressee)
Né'tó'êstse, Take your shoes off!
Néháeanahe, Are you hungry?
Nékâhaneotsehe, Are you tired?
Nénáasêstse, Come here!
Népévomóhtâhehe, Are you feeling good?
néséne, (only said by a male, of a male friend)
Nêstaévâhósevóomâtse, I'll see you again.
Nêše'šêhe'onâtse, Wash your hands!
Nêše'šévoénêstse, Wash your face!
Nétâháoenama, Let's pray!
Nétâhéve'hoosanémáne, Let's go look on! (for example, watch at a powwow or basketball game)
Néto'sêho'sóehe, Are you going to dance?
Nétónêševéhe, What's your name?
Nétsêhésenêstsehe, Do you talk Cheyenne?
Névááhe, Who? Névááso, Who was that?
Névé'nêheševe, Don't do that!
Nómonêhe'še, Alright, let's do it! (Or, Alright, go ahead and do it!)
Nóxa'e, Wait!
Pévevóona'o, Good morning
póéso, cat
oeškeso, dog
Taanáasêstse, Leave! Taanáase, Leave! (plural addressee)
Tâhée'evonehnêstse, Go get on! (for example, Go get on the school bus!) Tâhée'evonehne, Go get on! (plural addressee)
Tâhéevo'soo'êstse, Go play! Tâhéevo'soo'e, Go play! (plural addressee)
Tâhéhoestónêstse, Go to school! (also means, "Go read!") Tâhéhoestóne, Go to school! (also means, "Go read!") (plural addressee)
Tâhého'xeehahtsêstse, Go practice!
Tâhéhoxomeha nêstotse, Go feed your dog! (The second word literally means "your pet," and can be said of any pet.)
Tâhéovešêstse, Go to bed! Tâhéoveše, Go to bed! (plural addressee)
Tôhévo'éestsêstse, Tie your shoes!
To'êstse, Get up (from bed)! To'e, Get up (from bed)! (plural addressee)
Tósa'e? Where?
Tósa'e éhoo'e, Where is he?
Tósa'e néhéstahe, Where are you from?
Tósa'e néhotse'ohe, Where are you working?
Tósa'e nénêxhé'óhtse, Where did you come from?
Tósa'e nétao'sêtsêhe'ohtse, Where are you going? Tósa'e nétao'sêtsêhe'ôhtséme, Where are you going? (plural addressee)
Tsitsistas, the Cheyennes (technical spelling, Tsétsêhéstâhese) | 
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