Basic greetings
Start with Mara sounds and everyday greetings.
Mara uses Latin script with diacritics. Practice the core sounds so you can read and say greetings confidently.
sounds to notice
- â — long ‘a’, like in “car” but held longer.
- ô — rounded “oh”, like “law”.
- ch — like “church”, aspirated.
Essential phrases
| Mara | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Na y ma? | na yuh mah | Hello? / Are you there? |
| Na tlâh ma? | na tlah mah | How are you? |
| Ei tlâh my | ay tlah mue | I am fine / good |
| Ei châ ly | ay chah lue | Thank you |
| Ei ly ngaitay | ay lue ngai-tie | I am very happy |
| Ei moh cha ___ | ay maw chah ___ | My name is ___ |
Tip: Mara is a tonal language. The circumflex (â, ê, ô) often indicates a long vowel or specific tone shift.
Mini dialogue
A: Na y ma? Na tlâh ma?
B: Ei tlâh my. Ei châ ly.
A: Ei moh cha Maria. Nâ moh a hy?
B: Ei moh cha Lalpa.
Practice tasks
- Say each phrase aloud three times, focusing on â and ô.
- Record yourself saying the dialogue, then check clarity on ch sounds.
- Write a new greeting using Ei (I) and Nâ (You).
Next steps
Move to numbers and polite particles in Lesson 2. Add the next Markdown file with order: 2 to keep the path in sequence.