Greenlandic phrasebook
Sourced from Wikivoyage. Text is available under the CC-by-SA 3.0 license.
There are quite big differences between dialects. The name Kalaallisut can refer either to the language or to the main variety, Western Greenlandic. Tunumiit oraasiat or East Greenlandic and Inuktun or Polar Eskimo are the other main varieties, the latter especially close to Inuktitut.
Greenlandic is a polysynthetic language that allows the creation of long words by stringing together roots and suffixes. Inflection is quite complex. Greenlandic usually constructs new words made from Greenlandic roots, by the very rich derivative mechanisms, but Greenlandic also has many loans from Danish and English.
Pronunciation guide
Vowels
- A
- E
- I
- O
- U
Vowels for loanwords and names
- Æ
- Ø
- Å
- Y
Consonants
- F
- G
- H
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- P
- Q
- R
- S
- T
- V
Consonants for loanwords and names
- B
- C
- D
- W
- X
- Y
- Z
Common diphthongs
Phrase list
Basics
; Hello. : Haluu. ( )
; Hello. (informal) : Kutaa. ( )
; How are you? : Qanoq ippit?( ?)
; Are you well/good? : Ajunngilatit? ( )
; Fine, thank you. : Ajunngilanga, qujanaq. ( )
; It's good/fine. : Ajunngilaq. ( )
; What is your name? : Qanoq ateqarpit? ( ?)
; My name is ______ . : ______-mik ateqarpunga . ( _____ .)
; Nice to meet you. : . ( )
; Please. : . ( )
; Thank you. : Qujanaq. ( )
; You're welcome. (you too) : Illillu. ( )
; Yes. : Aap/Aappi/Suu. ( )
; No. : Naa/Naamik. ( )
; Maybe. : Immaqa. ( )
; Right? : Ilaa? ( )
; Excuse me. (getting attention) : . ( )
; Excuse me. (begging pardon) : . ( )
; I'm sorry. : Utoqqatserpunga. ( )
; Goodbye : Baaj/Baj/Baabaj ( )
; See you! : Takuss!( )
; I can't speak name of language . : . ( )
; Do you speak English? : Tuluttut oqaluttarpi? ( ?)
; Is there someone here who speaks English? : ? ( ?)
; Help! : Ikiu! ( !)
; Look out! : Mianersorit! ( !)
; Good morning. : Kumoorn. ( )
; Good afternoon : . ( )
; Good evening. : . ( )
; Good night. : Kunaat. ( )
; Good night (sleep well, to one person) : Sinilluarit. ( )
; I don't understand. : Paasinngilanga. ( )
; Where is the toilet? : Anartarfik sumiippa? ( ?)
Problems
Numbers
Cardinal Numbers
In Greenland only 1–12 in Greenlandic are used. This is caused by a system of numerals used in the past where the toes and fingers were used to count to 20 which would be inuk naallugu or a complete human. 79 would be four complete humans minus one.; 0 : nuulu, noor'lu (NOO-loo, NOR-loo)
; 1 : ataaseq (at-AR-sek)
; 2 : marluk (MAR-look)
; 3 : pingasut (PEEN-ga-soot)
; 4 : sisamat (SEE-sa-mat)
; 5 : tallimat (TAL-li-mat)
; 6 : arfineq (when counting and with time), arfinillit (when counting objects) (AR-feen-ek, ar-FEEN-eel-lit)
; 7 : arfineq marluk (AR-feen-ek MAR-look)
; 8 : arfineq pingasut (AR-feen-ek PEEN-ga-soot)
; 9 : (Northern Greenlandic) qulingiluat (counting/time), qualaaluat (objects) (kwel-LING-il-yoo-at, kwal-AA-loo-at)
(Southern Greenlandic) qulaaluat (kwul-AA-loo-at)
; 10 : qulit (kwulit)
; 11 : aqqaneq (counting/time), aqqanillit (objects) (AK-kan-ek, ak-KAN-eel-lit)
(Northern Greenlandic) isikkaneq (counting/time), isikkanillit (objects) (ISI-kan-ek, isi-kan-EEL-lit)
; 12 : aqqaneq marluk (AK-kan-ek MAR-look)
(North Greenlandic) isikkaneq marluk (ISI-kan-ek MAR-look)
The numerals after 12 are Danish now but 13–20 in old Greenlandic are underneath as well as 100 and 1000:
; 13 : aqqaneq pingasut (AK-kan-ek PEEN-ga-soot)
; 14 : aqqaneq sisamat (AK-kan-ek SEE-sa-mat)
; 15 : aqqaneq tallimat (AK-kan-ek TAL-lee-mat)
; 16 : arvirsanillit (arv-ER-san-eel-lit)
; 17 : arvirsani marluk (arv-ER-san-ee MAR-look)
; 18 : arvirsani pingasut (arv-ER-san-ee PEEN-ga-soot)
; 19 : arvirsani sisamat (arv-ER-san-ee SEE-sa-mat)
; 20 : arvirsani tallimat (arv-ER-san-ee TAL-lee-mat) or inuk naallugu (een-ook narl-loogoo)
; 100 : untriti (un-TREE-tee)
; 1000 : tuusinti (too-SEEN-tee)
Ordinal Numbers
; first : siulleq (SEE-oo-leek); second : aappaa (ARP-par)
; third : pingajuat (peen-GA-joo-at)
; fourth : sisamaat (SEE-sa-mart)
; fifth : tallimaat (tal-LEE-mart)
; sixth : arvirnat (arv-ERN-at)
; seventh : arviniq aappaat (ARV-in-ik ARP-part)
; eighth : arviniq pingajuat (ARV-in-ik peen-GA-joo-at)
; ninth : qulingiluaat (Northern), qulaaluaat (Southern) (kwoo-LEENG-eel-yoo-art, KWOO-lar-loo-art)
; tenth : qulingat (kwoo-LEENG-at)
; eleventh : aqqarnat (ak-KAR-nat)
; twelfth : aqqaneq aappaat (AK-kan-ek ARP-part)
Numbers over 12th are Danish loan-numerals such as tretteniat is 13th and tyviat is 20th.
Time
; yesterday : ippassaq ( ); the day before yesterday : ippassaani ( )
; today : ullumi ( )
; tomorrow : aqagu ( )
; the day after tomorrow : aqaguagu ( )
; morning : ullaaq ( )
; day : ulloq ( )
; evening : unnuaq ( )
; year : ukioq ( )
; spring : upernaq ( )
; summer : aasaq ( )
; fall/autumn : ukiaq ( )
; winter : ukioq (same as year, )
Clock time
Duration
North Avannaq /South Kujataa /
East Kangia /
West Kitaa /
Days
; Monday : ataasinngorneq ( ); Tuesday : marlunngorneq ( )
; Wednesday : pingasunngorneq ( )
; Thursday : sisamanngorneq ( )
; Friday : tallimanngorneq ( )
; Saturday : arfininngorneq ( )
; Sunday : sapaat ( )
Months
; January : Januaari ( ); February : Februaari ( )
; March : Marsi ( )
; April : Apriili ( )
; May : Maaji ( )
; June : Juuni ( )
; July : Juuli ( )
; August : Aggusti ( )
; September : Septembari ( )
; October : Oktobari ( )
; November : Novembari ( )
; December : Decembari ( )
Writing time and date
Colors
West Kitaa /; white : qaqortoq ( )
; black : qernertoq ( )
; red : aappalaartoq ( )
; green : qorsoq ( )
; blue : tungujortoq ( )
; yellow : sungaartoq ( )
Transportation
; car : biili ( ); bicycle : sikkili ( )
; boat (small, personal) : umiatsiaq ( )
; boat (traditional, for women) : umiaq/umiak ( )
; boat (big) : umiarsuaq ( )
; kayak : qajaq ( )
; dog sled : qimusseq ( )
Bus and train
; bus : bussi ( )Directions
; forward : siumut ( )Taxi
; taxa : tarssa ( )Lodging
; house : illu/illoq ( ); room : ini ( )
; apartment : inissiaq ( )
Money
; money : aningaasat ( ); Danish Kroner : koroonit ( )
; Danish Øre : oorit ( )
Eating
Bars
Shopping
Driving
Authority
; police : politii ( ); doctor : nakorsaq ( )