Mini: How to say hi and ask others for their name

Mini uses one word for salutations:

• salu - Hi - Bye.

There are also other ways to say “hi”:

• bon maten - Good morning.
• bon afa-semi-dia - Good afternoon.
• bon eve - Good evening - Good night.
• bon dia - Good day.

Mini is all about simplicity, so we usually just use “salu”. To ask someone their name we say

• tu name a ke? - What is your name?

Notice that translating this word by word we have “your name is what?”. And we can answer:

• Tom.
• mi name a Tom - My name is Tom.

Let’s see a quick conversation with these:

• Mia: salu, Leo! - Hi, Leo!
• Leo: salu. sori, tu name a ke? - Hello. Sorry, what is your name?
• Mia: e bon! mi name a Mia - It’s ok! My name is Mia.
• Leo: sori, Mia. mi i dimenti o fasile a name - Sorry, Mia. I easily forget names.

Grammar

Pronouns

There are only three:

• mi - I, me.
• tu - You.
• si - He, she, it.

Questions

For open questions one uses “ke” (what):

• tu name a ke? - What is your name?
• tu i manja a ke? - What do you eat?

Adjectives and adverbs

For an adverb follow a verb with o and a word:

• mi i dimenti o fasile a name - I easily forget names.
• mi i manja o rapi a poma - I eat quickly an apple.

Exercises

Translate the sentences:

1. What is my name?
2. What is his name?
3. si name a Leo.
4. salu, Leo.
5. bon dia, Mia. mi i dimenti o fasile.
6. tu i dimenti a ke?
7. tu name a Mia.
8. si i manja a ke?
9. It eats quickly.
10. e bon.

Notes

• Answers to exercises.
• Mini-English dictionary: buku-name.
• Download audio as MP3, OGA, M4A.
• Mini grammar.
• Mini resources.