Greetings

Greetings are fundamental to any culture, and the Mayan culture is no exception. Moreover, greetings are a great way to practice any new language. Here are a few greetings you can learn.

As a new K'iche' student, it's import to understand the literal meaning of the words you say. For example, in English the greeting "good morning" or "good day" expresses good wishes when meeting or parting at a specific time of the day. In contrast "saqirik" means "to whiten" or "there is light" when directed to someone else. We're simply reminding the other person that the sun is out. Similarly, "xeq'ij" means that the sun is gone and "xok aq'ab'" means that the night is here.