Affiliate Disclaimer: Lingalot is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate this site earns from qualifying purchases. We may also use affiliate links for other programmes. (See full affiliate disclosure.)

How To Say ‘Hello’ In Navajo + Other Useful Navajo Greetings

Wondering how to say ‘hello’ in Navajo? 

This post covers how to greet people in Navajo and teaches you some essential phrases including ‘hello’, ‘good morning’, ‘good afternoon’ and ‘good night’. 

It also covers some other greeting etiquette in Navajo such as handshakes and gestures. 

Hopefully you’ll leave this page knowing some essential Navajo greetings.

How Do You Say ‘Hello’ In Navajo?

If you want to say ‘hello’ to someone in Navajo then you can do so with the following phrase:

EnglishNavajo
HelloYá’át’ééh

This phrase is pronounced as ‘yah-aat-eh’.

You can use this phrase with anyone – it can be used with elders, people younger than you and people your age. 

Check out the video below to hear the pronunciation of ‘Yá’át’ééh’ by a native Navajo speaker:

There are actually several different scenarios where you can use the word ‘Yá’át’ééh’ in Navajo however saying ‘hello’ is the most common use.

After greeting someone you may want to ask them how they are. You can check out my post on how to say ‘how are you?’ in Navajo for guidance on this.

How Do You Greet Someone In Navajo?

The best way to greet someone in Navajo is using the phrase ‘Yá’át’ééh’ which is used to say ‘hello’. This phrase actually has a much deeper meaning and means a lot more than just ‘hello’. 

‘Yá’át’ééh’ literally means ‘it is good’ and not ‘hello’. A deeper meaning of ‘Yá’át’ééh’ is ‘everything on the surface of the Earth and everything in my life is good’. 

You can also use the Native American hand gesture to greet someone. This is used by many Native American people and not just the Navajo people. It’s a universal sign language used between all Native Americans. You point to your heart with your thumb and then move your hand away from it.

You can see the Native American hand motion in the video below:

Shaking Hands In Navajo

Many Native Americans, including the Navajo, don’t shake hands by gripping each other’s hand. Instead, they do this by just touching each other’s fingertips. 

How To Say Other Greetings In Navajo e.g. ‘Good Morning’

You may want to use some other greetings in Navajo such as ‘good morning’, ‘good afternoon’ and ‘good night’. Check out these other Navajo greetings below:

How To Say ‘Good Morning’ In Navajo

To say ‘good morning’ in Navajo, you can say:

EnglishNavajo
Good morningYá’át’ééh abíní

This phrase is pronounced as ‘yah-aat-eh ah-bih-nih’.

You can hear the pronunciation of ‘Yá’át’ééh abíní’ in the following video:

If it’s morning time then you may prefer to use this phrase over ‘hello’.

How To Say ‘Good Afternoon’ In Navajo

To say ‘good afternoon’ in Navajo, you can say:

EnglishNavajo
Good afternoonYá’át’ééh

In Navajo, there is no specific word for ‘good afternoon’ so they just use the phrase ‘Yá’át’ééh’ to say ‘good afternoon’ which is also used to say ‘hello’.

How To Say ‘Good Evening’ In Navajo

To say ‘good evening’ in Navajo, you can say:

EnglishNavajo
Good eveningYá’át’ééh ałní’íní

This is pronounced as ‘yah-aat-eh ahl-ni-ini’.

How To Say ‘Good Night’ In Navajo

To say ‘good night’ in Navajo, you can say:

EnglishNavajo
Good nightYá’át’ééh hiiłchi’į’

This is pronounced as ‘yah-aat-eh heel-chi’ 

You can use this phrase in the evening or at night instead of saying ‘hello’ or also as a parting phrase.


Thanks for reading this post on how to greet someone in Navajo. Hopefully you now know how to say ‘hello’ in Navajo and also how to say ‘good morning’, ‘good afternoon’ and ‘good night’ in Navajo.

If the person you’re talking with is someone you love then why not also learn how to tell them ‘I love you’ in Navajo.

It’s really important that people keep learning Navajo to keep the language alive. You can check out our other posts about the Navajo language here.

Related Posts: