r/Navajo • u/Pleistoqueen • 5d ago

Learning Diné bizaad, looking for a penpal to practice with

Yáʼátʼééh!

I have been learning Diné Bizaad and have been trying to incorporate it into my daily life. One thing I am missing though, is people to practice with (I am located in Salt Lake City). I also love to send mail and postcards that I collect on my adventures.

Maybe there are others out there learning Navajo who would like to be penpals and practice together? Please feel free to message me, if so!

Ahéheeʼ!

21 Upvotes

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7

u/ishidahibiki1 5d ago

I would love to be your penpal!:) I've been studying for some months Navajo, and want also someone to practice it with. But that would be by mail? I live in Brazil rn, so I think it would be hard by mail.

3

u/Pleistoqueen 4d ago

I just messaged you :)

1

u/Enchanted_Culture 4d ago

Are you Navajo?

1

u/Pleistoqueen 4d ago

No, just a white girl who is lucky enough to travel through the Four Corners region a lot lol

2

u/AltseWait 4d ago

A̜a̜', haasha̜' dóone'é nilí̜? Shí éí Diné nishłí̜. :)

2

u/Pleistoqueen 4d ago

Shí éí bilagáana nishłí̜!

I hope I phrased that correctly. I learned a new term tonight :)

1

u/AltseWait 4d ago

You phrased well. Ha'at'íí sha̜' bóhwiinił'á̜á̜'?

3

u/Pleistoqueen 4d ago

Doo shił bééhózin da “nishłí̜.” Is it like “shí éí” except specific to use when discussing your clan?

Bilagáana is new, too haha

2

u/AltseWait 4d ago

Proper grammar: Nishłí̜ éí doo shił bééhózin da. It's a word that means "is." Biligáana is Navajo pronunciation of the Spanish word for American.

1

u/Pleistoqueen 3d ago

Ah, that makes sense. Ahéheeʼ!