It is necessary to know some of the local terms when you are visiting any foreign land. Especially if you can speak a few greetings, it helps you to bond more with the people, and it gets easier for you to delve deeper into the secrets of the land. ‘Tashi delek’ is the most common Tibetan greeting. Both the tourist and the local will welcome each other by uttering this greeting. The purpose of greeting someone in the native tongue is just to build an initial rapport, and this gracious greeting is sure to bring a smile on the faces of the Tibetan people, who are already known for their warmth towards visitors.
Greet People on Your Visit
It is a known saying that ‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do’. The same applies for your trip to Tibet! ‘Tashi delek’ conveys wishes of good health, blessing and luck, and for this reason, it is spoken to both strangers and families alike. Tibetans are normally known for their good-hearted nature, and they will happily exchange the greeting after you say it to them. One of the unique customs says that sticking your tongue out shows sincerity and respect. So if you find any old man sticking his tongue out at you after you utter ‘Tashi delek’ at him, do not be offended as he is just following his culture of showing respect!
If you want to initiate a communication with anyone, just say ‘Tashi delek’ and see how he warmly he smiles back at you. Every person all over the Tibetan Plateau responds heartily to this Tibetan greeting, which is the key for any conversation. Traditionally, it was mostly used during Losar, the Tibetan New Year, but is used for general greeting nowadays. If a Tibetan wants to show respect, he will add ‘la’ after the word. Since some of the words might be long, it will be decent to keep patience while a Tibetan speaks to you.
Some of the common greetings to use during your visit are:
- How are you – Kehrang kusu debo yinpeh
- Thank you – Tuchi che
- Goodbye – Kahleh phe
- You are beautiful – Nying Je po duk
- It’s very good – Yak po duk
If you are worried about using the right words on the trip, our guides will help you to interact properly with the natives.