Language/Burmese/Culture/Greetings-and-Politeness
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Burmese culture places a strong emphasis on respecting and showing gratitude towards others. One of the most important ways to demonstrate this is through greetings and politeness. In this lesson, you will learn about the customs and etiquette for greeting others in Burmese culture, as well as how to show respect and gratitude. By mastering these important cultural aspects of the Burmese language, you will gain a deeper understanding of the language and its people.
Finish this lesson and explore these related pages: Burmese New Year & Visiting a Burmese Home.
Greeting in Burmese
In Burmese culture, greetings are an important part of daily life. Saying hello and goodbye is a way to show respect and acknowledge the presence of others. Here are some common ways to greet someone in Burmese:
Hello
- မင်္ဂလာပါ (mingalaba): This is the most common greeting in Burmese and can be used any time of day.
- ဟယ်လို (heleiyo): This greeting is less formal and is often used among friends and in casual settings.
- ပြည်လုံးရဲ့ ကြောံပြိုင် (pyinlone ya kyaukpyin): This greeting is used by younger people to show respect to elders. It means "may I touch your feet".
Goodbye
- ထွက်ချိန်း (htwak chone): This is the most common way to say goodbye in Burmese.
- ဘွတ်ချိန်း (but chone): This is a more formal way to say goodbye to someone.
Other greetings
- မေမေတို့တွေကို ခင်မောက်ပေးဖို့ (ma ma toetair tawe kyamauk pe): This greeting is said to someone who is arriving or just returned from a trip. It means "welcome back".
- မင်္ဂလာနယ်ကို သွားပါ (mingalar nu kyo twar par): This phrase is used to wish someone a good trip.
- အရောင်းအဝတ်စားပါ (arong aht sai ba): This greeting is used for someone who is leaving for a long time or for good. It means "take care".
Politeness and Respect
In Burmese culture, showing politeness and respect to others is essential. These are some common ways to show politeness and respect:
Addressing Others
- ကျော်ရွှင့် (kyay zuhn): This term of address is used for elder people or those in a position of authority, such as teachers or bosses.
- သရုပ်ပြန်ထောင်ကြိုစို့ (tha-yu-ba-dein-haung-kyau-shwe): This term of address is used as a sign of respect towards monks and nuns.
Non-Verbal Communication
- Body Language: In Burmese culture, it is important to maintain eye contact when speaking with someone as a sign of respect. Additionally, people often bow or lower their head slightly when greeting someone older or more senior.
Gift Giving
- Gifts are an important part of Burmese culture, particularly when visiting someone's home. Some common gifts include food or fruit baskets, sweets, or flowers. It is also traditional to bring new clothing or household items when visiting someone who has recently had a child or who has just moved into a new home.
Conclusion
In Burmese culture, greetings and politeness are essential for showing respect and gratitude towards others. By learning these customs and etiquette, you will be able to communicate more effectively in Burmese while at the same time gaining a deeper understanding of the culture and its people.
Congratulations on finishing this lesson! Explore these related pages to keep learning: Other Important Festivals & Myanmar Timeline.
Other Lessons
- Other Important Festivals
- Communication Styles
- Myanmar Timeline
- Visiting a Burmese Home
- Burmese New Year
Sources
| ◀️ Ordering at a Restaurant — Previous Lesson | Next Lesson — Visiting a Burmese Home ▶️ |