✅ BASICS
- 👍 Yes: Inn (in)
- 👎 No: Men (men)
- 🙏 Please: ʻZhu gay may?ʼ (zhoo gey may?) — May I…?
- 😊 Thank you: Kadrin chhe la (kah-DRIN chhay lah)
- 🤗 You’re welcome: Jembalaekso (jem-bah-LAYK-soh)
- 😬 Sorry / Excuse me: Tsip maza (tsip mah-zah)
👋 GREETINGS
- 👋 Hello: Kuzu zangpo la (koo-ZOO zang-po lah)
- 👋 Goodbye: Shu lay log jay gae (shoo lay log jeh geh)
- 🌞 Good morning: Kuzu zangpo la (same as Hello)
- 🌙 Good night: Chiru delek (chee-roo deh-lek)
❓ QUESTIONS
- ❓ What is it?: Ani ga chi mo? (ah-nee ga chi moh?)
- 👤 Who?: Ga? (gah?)
- 🕒 When?: Gatey? (gah-tey?)
- 📍 Where?: Gatey? (gah-tey?)
- 🛠️ How?: Gaday bay zhui? (gah-day bay zh-wee?)
- 🤔 Why?: (not commonly used by kids in Dzongkha)
- 🤷 I don’t know: Nga mi she (nga mee sheh)
- 😕 I don’t understand: May shey (may shey)
- 🔁 Again: Chung phabd nang (choong pab nahng)
- 🙋♂️ Can I…?: Zhu gay may? (zhoo gey may?)
🍎 WHAT?
- 🌟 Good: Zhim bay (zeem bay)
- 👎 Bad: (context-based or use “me ju”)
- 😋 Yummy: Zhim bay! (zeem bay!)
- 🤢 Yucky: Me ju (meh joo)
- 🧸 I like it: Nga gi nyo ge (nga gi nyo geh)
- 💔 I don’t like it: Me ju (meh joo)
- 💧 Water: Chu (choo)
- 🍝 Food: Shay go (shay go)
- 👉 This: Ani (ah-nee)
- 👉 That: (contextual or demonstrative gesture)
🧍♂️ WHO?
- 🧒 My name is: Nga gi ming … in. (nga gi ming … in)
- 🗣️ What’s your name?: Chhoe gi ming ga chi mo? (chho-ay gi ming ga chi moh?)
- 🙋 I am: Nga… (nga…)
- 👉 You are: Chhoe… (chho-ay…)
😀 FEELINGS
- 😃 I’m happy: Legshom bay rang yoey (leg-shom bay rang yo-ey)
- 😢 I’m sad: Nga nau may (nga now may)
- 😴 I’m tired: Nga chab may (nga chahb may)
- 😡 I’m mad: Nga tsap bay (nga tsahp bay)
- 🤕 I’m hurt: Nga nau may (nga now may)
- 🫤 I don’t feel good: Nga nau may (nga now may)
- 🥰 I love you: Nga gi che lu ga (nga gi che loo gah)
- 🍽️ I’m hungry: Nga dto khe chi (nga dto khe chee)
- 🥤 I’m thirsty: Nga chu gila (nga choo gee-lah)
⏰ WHEN?
- 📅 Today: Dhari (dha-ree)
- 📆 Tomorrow: Naba (nah-bah)
- 🕰️ Yesterday: Khatsa (khat-sah)
- 🌅 Morning: Dhari chab (dha-ree chahb)
- 🌌 Night: Chiru (chee-roo)
- ⏳ Now: Dhato (dha-toh)
- 🔜 Later: Gyel thur (gyehl thoor)
📍 WHERE?
- 🔜 Right: Yaechhog (ya-chhog)
- 🔙 Left: Yoenchhog (yo-en-chhog)
- ⬆️ Straight: Thrang dhi (thrahng dee)
- ⬅️ Front: Dong kha (dong kha)
- ➡️ Behind: Jab kha (jab kha)
- ⬆️ Top: Go (go)
- ⬇️ Bottom: Meya (meh-yah)
- 🏠 Inside: Nang la (nahng lah)
- 🌳 Outside: Che la (chay lah)
- 🚪 Entrance / in: Nang-la (nahng-lah)
- 🏃♀️ Exit / out: Ja-la (jah-lah)
🔢 HOW MUCH?
- 💵 How much?: Ga de chi mo? (gah de chee moh?)
- 😮 Too much: Gong phab nang! (gong pahb nahng!)
- 👌 A little: Tsi tsu (tsee tsoo)
- 1️⃣ Chi
- 2️⃣ Nyi
- 3️⃣ Sum
- 4️⃣ Zhi
- 5️⃣ Nga
- 6️⃣ Dru
- 7️⃣ Duen
- 8️⃣ Gay
- 9️⃣ Gu
- 🔟 Chu
- 💯 One hundred: Chu chi (choo chee)
🧠 WHY?
- 🤔 Because: Ka bay ray (kah bay ray)
- 🧩 So…: Ji bay… (jee bay…)
- 👀 If…: Na bay… (nah bay…)
- 🆚 But: Na ray… (nah ray…)
- 🔄 Or: Ni bay… (nee bay…)
- ➕ And: Dang (dahng)
💬 ACTIONS
- 🤲 I need: Nga drow na may (nga droh nah may)
- 🙋♀️ I want: Nga gi nyo ge (nga gi nyo geh)
- 🙌 I give: Nga thob la (nga thohb lah)
- 🤝 I help: Nga gay la (nga gay lah)
- 🙋 I ask: Nga bay la (nga bay lah)
- 🗣️ I say: Nga chim la (nga cheem lah)
- 👂 I listen: Nga len la (nga len lah)
- 👀 I see: Nga tong la (nga tohng lah)
- 🦶 I go: Nga gom la (nga gohm lah)
- 🍽️ I eat: Nga za la (nga zah lah)
- 🥤 I drink: Nga chhu za la (nga choo zah lah)
- 🛌 I sleep: Nga nyin la (nga neen lah)
🔊 IMPORTANT WORDS
- 🆘 Help!: Gay la! (gay lah!)
- 🔇 Quiet!: Shub la! (shoob lah!)
- 🛑 Stop!: Tag la! (tahg lah!)
- 👀 Look!: Tong la! (tohng lah!)
- 🥱 Calm down: Zhim bay la (zeem bay lah)
- 👏 Come here: Yoe la! (yo eh lah!)
- ⏳ Wait: Tey la! (tay lah!)
- 🌟 Good job!: Zhim bay la! (zeem bay lah!)
- 🤝 Let’s go!: Gom bay la! (gohm bay lah!)