How to Say Hello in Mizo
The everyday Mizo greeting is Chibai (chi-bai). Here is how to use it, plus good morning, goodbye and how are you.
To say hello in Mizo, say Chibai (chi-bai). It is the most common Mizo greeting and works at any time of day.
Greetings for different times of day
- Chibai (chi-bai) – Hello
- Zing lam chibai (zing lam chi-bai) – Good morning
- Tlai lam chibai – Good evening
- Mangṭha (mang-tha) – Goodbye, and also good night
How do you ask "how are you?" in Mizo?
Ask I dam em? (i dam em), which literally means "Are you well?". The usual answer is Aw, ka dam e (aw, kah dam eh): "Yes, I am fine."
Is a bow part of the greeting?
Chibai comes from a traditional bow. When you greet elders or are in a formal setting, adding a slight bow or nod is polite. Among younger Mizo speakers, a simple "hello" or "hi" is fine too. Read more in Chibai: More Than Just a Greeting.
Why hear it before you say it?
Mizo uses the Roman alphabet, so most words look familiar. A few sounds are new, though: the ṭ in Mangṭha is a t made with the tongue curled back. That is hard to learn from text alone.
The free Lesson 1 has every greeting recorded by a native speaker, plus a full first conversation to practise. From there, the course takes you through numbers, family, food, directions and shopping in 12 short lessons.
