Learn simple greeting expressions in Tiv and improve your everyday communication skills. This lesson teaches common greetings used in daily conversations, including how to say hello, ask about someone's well-being, respond politely, and greet people in different situations. Whether you're a beginner, reconnecting with your Tiv heritage, or interested in learning the language, this video provides clear explanations and practical examples to help you speak with confidence.
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This lesson builds on the basic greetings in Episode 2 with the expressions that make up a full everyday exchange: greeting someone at different times of day, asking after their family, replying politely and taking leave.
How a Tiv greeting unfolds
A Tiv greeting is usually a short conversation, not a single word. In the morning it begins by asking whether the other person has woken well, U nder ve?, and in the evening with U pande ve?. Many greetings are questions answered with the same verb: someone asked U nder nena? replies M nder dedo. From there the speakers often ask after each other's children, mother and household, and each answers that they are well. There are also greetings for particular moments, such as encouraging someone who is working, inviting a visitor to eat, and saying goodbye.
How to practise
Read each phrase below with its English meaning, then listen to it in the video and repeat it aloud, copying the speaker's tone. Practise with a partner: one opens the greeting and the other replies, then the first asks after the other's family. The literal meanings in brackets, such as "How did you wake up?", show how Tiv thinks about the greeting and help you remember it.
Greetings and replies
| Tiv | English |
|---|---|
| U nder ve? | Good morning (Are you awake?) |
| En, we kpa u nder ve? | Yes, good morning to you too (Yes, you too are awake?) |
| U nder nena? | How are you? (How did you wake up?) |
| M nder dedo | I am fine. (I woke up well) |
| Wan wou ngu nena? | How is your child? |
| Wan wam ngu dedo. | My child is fine. |
| Mbayev ou mba nena? | How are your children? |
| Mbayev av mba dedo. | My children are well (fine). |
| Ngôu ngu nena? | How is your mother? |
| Ngôm ngu dedo. | My mother is well. |
| U pande ve? | Good evening (Did you subtract?) |
| U pande nena? | How are you (in the evening)? |
| M pande dedo, we kpaa ga? | I am well, how about you? (and you too?) |
| Ve cii mba dedo; kwagh er ve ga. | They are all well; nothing happened to them. |
| We kpa u ngu dedo ga? | You too are well? |
| M sugh kpishi | Thank you very much. |
| M sugh tom | Well done (Greetings when someone is working) |
| Kuma memen | It is time to rest. |
| M soo u memen ga; saa me bee. | I don't want to rest; I must complete. |
| Va ya kwaghyan | Come (and) eat food. |
| Saa shie gen | Bye, bye |
| Wan wam, M sugh da van. | I'm glad you came, my son |
| Mama nder ve? | Good morning, mother |
These tables are drawn from the archive's own records. If you spot a mistake, please tell us through the contribution form.
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