Greetings and Basic Phrases

This unit covers essential greetings and basic phrases for initial contact in Bengali-speaking contexts. You will learn multiple greeting forms appropriate for different situations, the formal and informal pronoun system, and the basic Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) sentence structure. The copula verbs achhe, achhi, and achhen are introduced for stating existence and identity.

Basic Sentences

Bengali (romanized)	English
Namaskar.	Hello. (formal, Hindu)
Assalamu alaikum.	Peace be upon you. (formal, Muslim)
Kemon achhen?	How are you? (formal)
Bhalo achhi, dhonnobad.	I am well, thank you.
Apni kemon achhen?	How are you? (to you, formal)
Tumi kemon acho?	How are you? (informal)
Ami bhalo achhi.	I am well.
Eta bhalo.	This is good.

Key Vocabulary

Bengali	English
namaskar	hello (formal greeting)
assalamu alaikum	peace be upon you (Muslim greeting)
kemon	how
achhen	you are (formal)
achhi	I am
acho	you are (informal)
bhalo	good, well
dhonnobad	thank you
apni	you (formal)
tumi	you (informal)
tui	you (very informal)
ami	I
eta	this

Grammar Notes

Greeting Forms: namaskar, assalamu alaikum, kemon achhen

Bengali has several greeting options. Namaskar is a neutral, formal greeting used widely. Assalamu alaikum is the traditional Muslim greeting; the response is Wa alaikum assalam. Kemon achhen? (How are you?) is a common follow-up. The response Bhalo achhi (I am well) is appropriate in most situations.

Formal vs. Informal Pronouns: apni, tumi, tui

Bengali has three levels of “you”:

• apni – formal, for elders, strangers, officials, and diplomatic contexts
• tumi – informal, for peers and acquaintances
• tui – very informal, for close friends and children

In diplomatic and professional settings, apni is the default. Use tumi only when invited or with close colleagues.

Basic SOV Sentence Structure

Bengali follows Subject-Object-Verb order. Example: Ami Bangla shikchhi (I Bengali learn) = “I am learning Bengali.” The verb typically comes last.

Copula: achhe, achhi, achhen

The copula (to be) has person-specific forms:

• achhi – I am
• acho – you are (informal)
• achhen – you are (formal)
• achhe – he/she/it is, they are
• achhi – we are (also “I am”)

Achhe is used for third person and for general existence: Paani achhe (Water exists / There is water).

Drills

Drill 1: Greeting Substitution

Situation	Greeting	Response
Formal meeting	Namaskar. Kemon achhen?	Bhalo achhi, dhonnobad.
Muslim context	Assalamu alaikum.	Wa alaikum assalam.
Informal	Kemon acho?	Bhalo achhi.

Drill 2: Pronoun Selection

Addressee	Pronoun	Example
Ambassador	apni	Apni kemon achhen?
Colleague (close)	tumi	Tumi kemon acho?
Child	tui	Tui kemon aachis?

Drill 3: SOV Structure

Subject	Object	Verb	English
Ami	Bangla	shikchhi	I am learning Bengali.
Apni	bhaashaa	bolen	You speak the language.
Eta	bhalo	achhe	This is good.

Drill 4: Copula Forms

Bengali	English
Ami bhalo achhi.	I am well.
Apni bhalo achhen.	You are well. (formal)
She bhalo achhe.	He/She is well.
Paani achhe.	There is water.

Narrative

Ekjon byaktir sathe apni kothay mukh khulechhen. She namaskar korechhe. Apni bollen, “Namaskar. Kemon achhen?” She bollen, “Bhalo achhi, dhonnobad. Apni kemon achhen?” Apni bollen, “Ami o bhalo achhi.” Eta ekta bhalo shomoy.

You have met someone somewhere. They said namaskar. You said, “Namaskar. How are you?” They said, “I am well, thank you. How are you?” You said, “I am also well.” This is a good moment.