haalá áńtʼé

Navajo

Navajo phrasebook

This entry is part of the phrasebook project, which presents criteria for inclusion based on utility, simplicity and commonness.

Etymology

haa (“how”) + lá (exclamatory suffix) + áńtʼé (“you are”)

Phrase

haalá áńtʼé?

how are you doing?

Usage notes

This phrase is not used in the same situations that we use it in English. In Navajo, it is not used as a mere pleasantry or greeting, but it is an earnest inquiry into one’s health or welfare, and it may seem intrusive and pushy if you do not have a sufficiently close relationship to be asking such a question. For the equivalent of the English pleasantry, see ąąʼ.

Synonyms