Vocabulary Words in Native American Languages: Cherokee

We have included twenty basic words, enough to give you a feeling for each language. All the nouns are singular and all the verbs are 3rd person singular ("he or she sings") because many Native American languages don't have a separate infinitive ("to sing") the way English and French do.

You can find a broader selection of Cherokee words in our online picture glossaries. If you would like to know a word that is not included in any of these wordlists, you can take part in our Indian translations fundraiser, buy a Cherokee dictionary, or visit our main Cherokee language site for more free resources.

Thanks for your interest in Native American languages!

˜Cherokee Word Set

(Click here for pronunciation guide)

English (Français)	Cherokee
One (Un)	Sagwu
Two (Deux)	Ta'li
Three (Trois)	Tso'i
Four (Quatre)	Nvgi
Five (Cinq)	Hisgi
Man (Homme)	Asgaya
Woman (Femme)	Agehya
Dog (Chien)	Gihli
Sun (Soleil)	Nvda
Moon (Lune)	Nvda
Water (Eau)	Ama
White (Blanc)	Unega
Yellow (Jaune)	Dalonige
Red (Rouge)	Gigage
Black (Noir)	Gvhnige
Eat (Manger)	Agi'a
See (Voir)	Agowatiha
Hear (Entendre)	Atvgi'a
Sing (Chanter)	Dekanogi'a
Leave (Partir)	Ahnigi'a or Ahiya'a

Click here to see Cherokee words compared to words in related Iroquoian languages: Iroquoian Indian Words

Cherokee Picture Dictionaries

Here are some themed Cherokee word lists we have put together and illustrated for language learners. Feel free to print them out for classroom purposes!

Cherokee animal words

Cherokee body parts

Cherokee color words

Additional Resources

   North Carolina Indians
   Online Native American dictionaries
   Native American names
   Iroquoian

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Learn more about the Cherokee Indian tribe.

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