This lesson is covered in more detail in Week 1 of Introduction to Sindarin

Now that you are able to start pronouncing the Sindarin words properly let's get started with your first lot of vocabulary; learning how to greet friends and strangers and how to say 'yes' and 'no'.

Yes and No

Go not to the Elves for counsel for they will answer both no and yes.
Much like the Gaelic languages of the United Kingdom and Ireland, Sindarin does not have single words for the concepts of 'yes' and 'no'.

Athon = Yes, I will. The plural form is Athof = Yes, we will.
û = No, not
Baw! = No, don't! (Said with a shake of the head)

Ways of saying 'no'

û is the normal way of saying 'no' or 'not', for example:
Anírog i mass? û. Do you want the bread? No.
Te û edlon = He is not an outsider/stranger

Baw is the more emphatic 'No! Don't!' that you might say to a naughty child or when you are particularly upset about something. You wouldn't use it generally.

Ways of saying 'yes'

Athon/Athof can only be used as a reply to questions where the answer is 'Yes I will' or 'Yes we will'. It does not just mean 'Yes' on its own. For example:

Den carathog? Will you do it?
Athon, I will.
Den carathodh? Will you all do it?
Athof, we will.

For questions where 'I will' isn't an appropriate answer, you can say 'yes' by reversing the emphasis or repeating for confirmation:
Q: Dagrant in yrch? Did she battle the orcs?
A: Dagrant in yrch. She battled the orcs.

Q: Den serog? Do you like it?
A: Den seron. I like it.

Greetings

Amdiron: Suilad Siron! Ci mael?
Siron: Ai, mae govannen! Ni mael, a gin?
Amdiron: Ni mael eithro.
Siron: Ma! Boe menin. Novaer!
Amdiron: Novaer.

Some of these words might already be familiar to you, or perhaps none of them are. Here's the English translation.

Amdiron: Greetings Siron! Are you well?
Siron: Hail, well met! I'm well, and you?
Amdiron: Ah, I'm well also.
Siron: Good! I must go. Farewell!
Amdiron: Farewell!

Let's take a closer look at the vocabulary; Siron and Amdiron are friends, and so they greeted each other informally.

Vocabulary
Suilad = Greetings
Ci mael? = Are you well? (How are you?)
Ai = Hail!
Mae govannen = Well met
Ni mael (eithro) = I am well (too, also)
A gin? = And you?
Ma = Good!
Boe menin = I must go
Novaer = Farewell (literally, 'be well')

For an explanation of the greeting 'Mae g'ovannen' and why I teach what I do, please click here

Asking somebody their name

Amdiron and Ivrinel are here meeting for the first time, so they are using formal language.

Ivrinel: Mae lovannen! Man i eneth lîn?
Amdiron: Len suilon mellon. I eneth nîn Amdiron. Man i eneth lîn?
Ivrinel: Im Ivrinel, ach im eston Ivy.
Amdiron: Gellon len covad. Len nathlon na Imladris!

Ivrinel: Well met! What is your name?
Amdiron: I greet you friend. My name is Amdiron. What is your name?
Ivrinel: I am Ivrinel, but I call myself Ivy.
Amdiron: I rejoice to meet you. I welcome you to Imladris (Rivendell)!

Vocabulary
Mae lovannen = Well met
Man i eneth lîn? = What is your name?
Len suilon = I greet you
I eneth nîn = My name is...
Im... = I am...
ach = but
im eston... = I call myself...
Gellon len covad = I rejoice to meet you, I am pleased to meet you
Len nathlon = I welcome you
na Imladris = to Rivendell

Formal vs Informal

Until you have learnt the different pronouns, I will list the differences between the formal and informal.

Formal (an authority figure or stranger)	Informal (someone you know well)	Meaning
Len suilon	Gin suilon	I greet you
Mae lovannen	Mae govannen	Well met
Man i eneth lîn?	Man i eneth gîn?	What is your name?
A len?	A gin?	And you?
Le mael?	Ci mael?	Are you well? How are you?

Further vocabulary

Click here to view

Testing your knowledge