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DERGE DIALECT: A TRAVELER'S SURVIVAL GUIDE
Many Khampas understand Chinese, and it's always worth trying if you can't get your meaning across in Tibetan. Lhasa dialect is not widely spoken or understood but that's worth trying too, as some words and phrases are also used in Derge. For textbooks on the Derge dialect, please see the Kham reading list.
PRONOUNS |
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| I | nga | ||
| you | chö | ||
| he/she | koh | ||
| us | ngantso | ||
| you (plural) | chötso | ||
| they | kotso | ||
|
||
| Hard journey? (standard greeting) | Ga-uh-ti | |
| Not hard. (standard reponse) | Ga-muh-ti | |
| What county are you from? | Cho payu kana re? | |
| Thank you | Khatro. | |
| How much (money)? | Gormo chitse re? | |
| How many hours? | Chutso chitse re? | |
| Don't understand | Ha muh go. | |
| Don't know | muh she* | |
| Don't like | muh ga | |
| Don't need | muh go | |
| I need ___. | Nga _____-la go. | |
| I like ___. | Nga _____-la ga. | |
| Goodbye (said by person leaving) | Yammo deh. | |
| Goodbye (said by person staying) | Yammo sum. | |
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| car | gadri | ||
| horse | da | ||
| ride a horse | da che | ||
| walk | gongtong che | ||
| road | lom | ||
| Where are you going? | Cho gana ndro? | ||
| Going to Babang | Babang la ndro. | ||
| From Baiya | Baiya neh | ||
| Where is Babang? | Babang gana yö? | ||
| Is it far? | Ta ringpo re le? | ||
| Not far. | Ta ringpo ma re. | ||
| house | kongpa | ||
| monastery | genpa | ||
| hotel/guest house | drunkong | ||
| toilet | chakong | ||
| mountain | ri | ||
| river | chu | ||
| hospital | menkong | ||
| doctor | menpa | ||
| friend | shapo* OR rokpa | ||
|
|
| food | zama |
| eat food | zama za |
| drink | tung |
| drink tea | ja tung |
| meat | sha* |
| butter | mar |
| tea | ja |
| hot (boiled) water | chuki |
| vegetable | ngo-se |
| yogurt | sho |
| beer | biru |
| clear tea (without butter) | ja-no |
| butter tea | su-ja |
| That's enough now. | Da re ti. |
ADJECTIVES |
|
| Many | mangpo |
| big | chenpo |
| small | chung-chung |
| good | yammo |
TIME |
|
| today | tering |
| tomorrow | nongnyi |
| day after tomorrow | nongnyi |
| day | nyima |
| month | dawa |
*In some parts of Derge the "sh" sound in pronouced out of the back of your throat, like a Chinese H, a Russian X, or a Spanish J.