First Nation Greetings

Whitehorse (Southern Tutchone)

All 8 Yukon Native languages do not have exact translations for “hello” or “good bye” instead, people would ask how one another and their families were doing and say only “see you later” or wish each other well, when parting ways.

Phrase	Written greeting	Final pronunciation
How are you?	Dänch’ea	DON-jah
It is sunny	Shra Kwälį	SHAW-koo-lee
It is cloudy	K’u Kwälį	KOO-koo-lee
Thank you Thank you Thank you/Thank you very much	Shäw nἱthä* or Gunalchîsh* or Màhsi’ / Màhsi’ cho* (not Southern Tutchone, but commonly used)	Show-knee-thun* or Gwen-ish-geesh* or Mah-see / Mah-see-cho*
Take care	Shäwthän dek’ànnta	SHOW-thun dah-gun-tah

*For ‘Thank You’
Shäw nἱthän = Southern Tutchone
Gunalchîsh = Southern Tutchone, Tlingit and Tagish
Màhsi = Hän, Gwich’in and Northern Tutchone