I, you, we — pronouns and honorifics (lesson 5)
ma, hami, tapai, timi, ta — when to use which, and why mixing them up offends. Drills with the verb hunu (to be).
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FSI 1979, lesson 5. The pronoun ladder: ma (I, neutral) → hami (we) → tapai (you, high formal — use with elders and strangers) → timi (you, mid — peers) → ta (you, intimate or insulting depending on context, never with foreigners you've just met). The corresponding 'to be' forms — chu, chau, hunuhuncha, chau, chas — get drilled extensively around minutes 4–10. The lesson reinforces an important rule: when in doubt, use tapai. Over-formality is forgiven; under-formality is rude. Around minute 12 the lesson covers wahaa (third-person high) which is what you'll use for your trekking guide's superiors.
Attribution
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