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                   India

People and Lifestyle

Lifestyle, Values & Beliefs

India is a diverse country, a fact that is visibly prominent in its people, culture and climate. From the eternal snows of the Himalayas to the cultivated peninsula of far South, from the deserts of the West to the humid deltas of the East, from the dry heat and cold of the Central Plateau to the cool forest foothills, Indian lifestyles clearly glorify the geography.

The food, clothing and habits of an Indian differ in accordance to the place of origin.

Culture:

The Indian culture varies like its vast geography. People speak in different languages, dress differently, follow different religions, eat different food but are of the same temperament. So whether it is a joyous occasion or a moment of grief, people participate whole-heartedly, feeling the happiness or pain. A festival or a celebration is never constrained to a family or a home. The whole community or neighbourhood is involved in bringing liveliness to an occasion. Likewise, an Indian wedding is a celebration of union, not only of the bride and groom, but also of two families, maybe cultures or religion too! Similarly, in times of sorrow, neighbours and friends play an important part in easing out the grief. (This information is from India.gov.in)

India: Arts and Culture
Monday, February 27, 2006
By: Claire Scheid

Fall 2005

I spent a good deal of time on the India: Arts and Culture program trying to design the perfect answer for the inevitable question that I knew would haunt me at parties, dinners, and at coffee upon my return: "So, how was India?" In some scenarios, I saw myself saying, "Oh, well, you know how it is," and watching the other person's eyes glaze as they nodded, yes, of course, yes, and imagined.  In others, I envisioned myself stoically meeting my inquisitor's eyes, and letting a single tear wander down my cheek, embodying all of the beauty that words would betray.  In the more realistic versions, I tried out "amazing" (too cliché), "phenomenal" (a bit elaborate), "transformative" (too clinical), and the emphatic but reliable "great, really great."  I developed a quippy response—"hot"—and a truthful one—"intense." These days, I use a handful of these interchangeably, all of them insufficient but practical.  To the equally inevitable "So, what did you do there?" I've worked it out, answering: "Well, I stayed with an Ayurvedic Hindu family in Rajasthan near the Pakistani border, slept through the earthquake, survived the Diwali Delhi bombings, lived in a Sufi mosque, studied sitar with Ravi Shankar's chief disciple, climbed a mountain in the Himalayas on my hands and knees alone, and stayed with an indigenous people who are brought food by the yeti and gave me a magical ginger root."  And that about sums it up.
       
Everything surprised me about India.  It's impossible to prepare for true immersion into another culture, because the experience is uncontainable and defies description.  The things that I thought would plague my psyche—the poverty, the political unrest, the homesickness—while prominent, paled in comparison to the practicalities of existing abroad—the lack of street signs, the belligerent cycle rickshawallahs, the inability to communicate in Hindi the most basic and benign sentiments.  Impromptu traffic jams at cow crossings, with camels as the basic traffic.  The midnight cries in Arabic and Urdu that would drift in through the parlor window, traveling from the mosque three streets away.  The roadside shrines and temples, the deities with bulging eyes, small oases of tranquility for the lost and constant drifters.  The skinny men with turbans and the ladies in their saris, an angry palette of bright colors that challenged the monotone of the Rajasthani desert to impose its neutral color scheme on anything but nature.  Most of all I hadn’t expected the simple and warm undertones of kindness, the pockets of the absurd and the windows into the surreal, the flavor to the air that whispered, here is ancient, here is different, here’s a stranger set of rules. 
 
Academically, I was given a handful of chances anthropologists dream about, including an odd and lucky series of events that led to my stay in a restricted area within a restricted area of the Himalayan jungle, the Dzongu valley in North Sikkim which has been home to the Lepcha people since—according to their mythology—the mother goddess created them from the virgin snows of Mt. Khangchendzonga, the world’s third highest peak.  As a religious studies major, the exposure to this folklore, as it is combined by the Lepchas with Vajrayana Buddhism, was an unparalleled experience, and one which has offered fresh perspective not only in the realm of academia but in my understanding of what constitutes life, humanity, and the construction of faith.
 
I remember sitting in a boat in the Ganges in Varanasi, near the cremation ghats, while the fog rolled in.  It looks the River Styx, someone said, and that was true, it was thick and dark and supernatural.  That night, there was a citywide power outage, another trademark of India, and we climbed up on the roof of our guesthouse.  There had been a solar eclipse that afternoon, so the night was moonless, the sky only a blush of stars on black, with the Milky Way as the centerpiece.  Above the horizon of the river, three stars sat twinkling a violent orange.  Remembering my astronomy class, I pointed out that they were exploding, probably changing phases of star life, essentially coming to the end of their present form.  This place is holy, I said, even the stars come here to die.
 
These descriptions are rich and sweeping, I know.  To be honest, I am still processing.  The experience was rich and sweeping, itself.  I can’t articulate it well, and my mind is probably busy with the present task of romanticizing my months abroad and solidifying their idealized existence.  That’s only natural, I suppose.  India requires it, it’s a legend that exists in everyone’s mind, everyone has their own ideas about it, their own myths and images that they create, their own mystic heartstrings that get played.  And after going there, I mean, after going there, well, you know how it is.

This information is from: http://ourworld.worldlearning.org

Link in Breezgreetings Link section

 Punjab

 Location:

Situated in the north-west of India, Punjab is bordered by Pakistan on the west, the Indian states of Jammu & Kashmir on the north, Himachal Pradesh on it's nort-east and Haryana and Rajasthan on it's south.

Information source, www.allaboutsikhs.com

Society & Culture
 

Marriages in Punjab
As in every society, Punjabi society has its traditions to mark every stage of life from birth to death. Perhaps no other life-event is more surrounded by tradition than marriage. Throughout India, most marriages are arranged by the couple’s families and a generation ago it was not uncommon for bride and bridegroom to meet for the first time at the marriage ceremony itself. Nowadays, the personal preferences of the young people are given greater importance and families accept the children’s’ wish to get to know the potential spouse before making a commitment. Given the fact that marriage in India represents a very strong, lifetime commitment and society accepts divorce only in the most extreme circumstances, this is a very understandable wish. After the young people have made up their mind to marry, the first step is a simple ceremony called rokai or thaka. The girl’s father, accompanied by some friends and relatives, visits the young man’s house and presents sweets and a small gift of money. The engagement ceremony, or mangani, takes place when the boy’s family returns the visit and in the presence of friends and relatives the intended marriage is announced. Prayers are said at this time, and the couple exchange gifts.The wedding itself is a grand affair stretching over several days and attended by all the relatives and innumerable friends. For nights before the ceremony, women gather to sing and dance. The bridegroom’s entourage, the barat, has its own customs to observe – more singing and dancing, decking up the bridegroom, tying a sort of ornamental veil, the sehra, over his face, leading him in procession, often on horseback, to the marriage venue to the accompaniment of a brass band. Milani is the ceremonial welcome of the barat at the gate of the marriage venue – more gifts change hands with the bridegroom’s family on the receiving end. Feasting is on a lavish scale.The Hindu bride and bridegroom along with their parents will sit around the sacred fire while pandits chant the marriage mantras. They are deemed to be married after they have walked around the sacred fire lawan phere. The Sikh couple will sit before the holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, while prayers are said and the granthi instructs them on the duties of marriage; finally they will walk around the Guru Granth Sahib. Prasad, a buttery, wheat-flour based sweet, is distributed to all present and signals the completion of the ceremony. After this, both Sikh and Hindu weddings are marked by more feasting. The concluding item is doli, literally "palanquin", when the bride is given an emotional send off to her new home and family. More ceremonies await the bride at her husband’s home but the main extravaganza is over. Another point of difference between Hindu and Sikh marriages is that Hindu marriages are usually performed at night, while Sikh marriages are performed in the morning. A sect of the Sikhs, the Namdharis, as an article of faith, marry very simply and often in ceremonies where many couples are married at the same time. The parents of the boy and the girl settle the marriage but the approval of the head of the Namdhari sect is essential. Unlike Hindu and conventional Sikh marriages, dowry is not a part of the Namdhari marriage and the couples are dressed in simple white clothes. The scarves worn by the girl and boy and knotted together, and hymns from the Granth Sahib are sung. A trend seen in recent times is to go through the procedures of the Indian Civil Marriage Act. 1956, after the traditional marriage has taken place. This is usually done because the couple plan to migrate to a foreign country and the civil marriage is useful in the matter of getting passports. The civil marriage is also frequently preferred by couples who belong to different castes or religions, or sometimes when they simply want to avoid a very costly and ostentatious ceremony.   

 Information source- punjabgovt.nic.in

                                    -----------------

Brazil: Culture, Development & Social Justice

Monday, February 27, 2006
By: Felipe Herrera

Fall 2005

A friend of mine whom I met on the trip to Brazil: Culture Development and Social Justice program last semester recently sent me a quote he found in his Portuguese textbook. “ O Brasil e um ser parte conhecido e parte misterioso, com um grande e poderso espirito.”  Translated, it means “Brazil is part known, part mystery, like a great and powerful spirit.”   While away last semester in Fortaleza, Salvador, and Juazeiro do Norte, all in the northeast of Brazil, I found myself.   I found out through strong experiences the person who I was being and more importantly, the person who I want to become.   I want to share a few experiences with you that have been very significant in shaping my experiences, past and present.  Like the quote hints, those experiences were both part of the known and unknown, but all very spiritual and eye-opening.
 
My first night in my home stay, in Fortaleza, there was a block-wide power outage.  The whole block was dark, some candles come be seen glistening here and there, and the warm ocean breeze carried on it a sense of frustration that I would soon know personally; frustration with a smile.   My host mom Christina, a strong, tall woman with glasses popping out from underneath a mass of curly hair, welcomed me in to my new house.  There was an open bible on the dining room table, and the lit candles made me feel like I was entering into a church or holy space.  Soon afterwards, the power came on, and I saw in normal light my house.  Saw my room, the balcony, my kitchen all in fluorescent light instead of moon and candle light.  In the clarity of retrospect, this night embodies how I felt about the trip, and foreshadowed what was to come.  I was coming in to a place where everything was very dark to me, both symbolically and metaphorically.  Portuguese was to be learned, and Brazil as a country was unknown to me.  I had my ideas, as everyone does about the beaches and the soccer, but truly I was in the dark.   Also, the open bible and the almost eerie, spiritual feel of the first contact of my house was something unexpected, but would signal later spiritual moments on the trip that I will soon tell about.  But in a very strong way too, it was a homecoming.  I felt going to Brazil that I would be going to my second home, Latin America.  Because my parents are Mexican and I grew up on the border very close to my Mexican culture, I felt at home in this place.  Something was very homely about it, and I felt like I was in for a strong experience. 
 
I wish I could write and let you know all my experiences.  From glances in buses to buildings, to food that I ate, but to do that justice we would have to escape brevity, which at this point it is inconvenient for me to do.  I will tell you however, some of the stronger experiences that I had. 
 Synchronicity and Brazil
 
Coined by Carl Jung, synchronicity is a word that describes a feeling of there not being any coincidences, or accidents.  According to Jung, we all have a way of absorbing information through our conscious and unconscious selves.  The latter way of storing information sometimes leads us, especially during time of high stress or emotion, to experience strong connections.  I should preface this by telling you that during the summer before my departure, a friend of mine here in Houston who is a Jungian analyst was talking to me about this movement. 
 
At the Miami airport, where our group of 31 who were doing the program first met, I felt something really special toward someone who is now one of my best friends from the trip.  It was a special attraction, not romantic or like anything else I had felt before.  It was simply a signal to me to stay close to that person.   It turns out that person’s birthday had been just a couple of days before.  She is now one of my best friends and I shared very many experiences with her during the course of the trip. 
 
When I was in Salvador, the second night I was there my friends and I met some Brazilians.  The one I was talking to had just celebrated her birthday the night before. 
 
At an internet place in Salvador, I met a girl who asked me where I was from.  After telling her I was Mexican, she told me she had just been in Mexico City for a few months learning Spanish, and happened to live down the block from where my relatives live in that city.  The biggest city in the world, and she had lived within a short walk of where I know best.  She apologized, she had to go home because her birthday was the night before and she had gone out until very early that morning and had to go catch up on sleep. 
 
In Juazeiro do Norte, a small town of about 200,000 inhabitants where I did my field research during the latter part of the trip, I was held up at gunpoint by a pair of kids.  Both were about 15 years old and they came up to me on their bike to take my cell phone.  At the time I was engaged by the conversation I was having with someone I was interviewing for my ISP(Independent Study Project).  He was a radio talk show host, who was walking me around his city - all a day after his own birthday. 
 
What I am trying to get at through these small anecdotes is that I felt in Brazil that there were forces acting upon me.  Forces that were pulling me from my presumed linear road to my future through small signs like that of the common birthdays.  I was made aware that not everything in life can be planned, calculated, or taken for granted.  Through these “ coincidences” I found out that I needed to release myself, to not fight what was coming my way, as I sometimes do in the US. It taught me to be flexible, to be like water that molds itself to any surrounding that it is in and keeps it strength and consistency. 
 
Academically, I feel I made a similar growth as in my personal changes.   I went to Brazil and started thinking about working with a Human Rights lawyer in Pirambu, Brazil’s third-largest favela, or shantytown.  He did work that I am interested in doing, working with the poor, voicing their needs legally, and socially helping them better their conditions.   One day however, I felt that I was completely useless in Portuguese.  It was early on in the semester, and I suppose something wasn’t firing that day in my brain, but I couldn’t understand a word that was being spoken to me.  The previous week or so I had surprised myself by how rapidly I understood all the words, but that I day, I was having trouble remembering my name.  I went to Dragao do Mar, a modern center built by an old bridge that the English built in colonial times.  Red I-beams seemingly jutted out of the water to create the new structure, which has a library and a bookstore, along with a museum and gift shop.   I went to the museum, thinking that it would be a good escape from my feelings of uselessness.  Afterwards I went to the bookstore, and picked up the smallest, least imposing thing I could find.   It was a small pastel yellow pamphlet with humorous illustration of a man farting in church and everyone around him watching him.  Above his sweat-drenched brow, the title read “ the man who was jailed for farting in church.”  As a sort of picker-upper to myself I bought the pamphlet and sat outside to read it.  After reading a few stanzas of the little poetic pamphlet, I was approached by a person with a polo shirt on from the state of Pernambuco, a neighboring northeastern state.  He asked me what I was reading, and if I read  Cordel often.  I let him know that I was not aware of what Cordel  was and that I didn’t know what he was talking about.  I told him, although my accent had already revealed, that I was not from Brazil.  He sat down with me and told me the history of Cordel Literature, which would become my focus academically for the rest of my time in Brazil.  He was a minister of culture from Pernambuco, and was actually taking a survey of readership of Cordel in the Brazilian Northeast. 
 
This “chance” meeting fits into the scheme of synchronicity that I spoke of earlier.  Nothing that happened to me in Brazil felt insignificant.  I ended up meeting important people, and had the best experiences of my life through everyday interaction.  I felt the strength and connectedness of humans, and nature.  I now believe, different from when I left, that nothing I do is insignificant, and that is an amazing feeling to acquire. I also feel that this little anecdote also illustrated how things became clear after being unknown.  How one can go from not understanding spoken word to discovering texts that will shape the rest of one’s academic experience. 
 
Brazil has been a series of awakenings, a beginning to a life that I find is much more fulfilling, full of human contact and true experiences that have made me feel real, alive and happy.  Nothing in my life has come close to providing the adrenaline packed learning and exposure to myself that Brazil was able to provide, and for helping that happen, I am eternally grateful.  I hope that I continue learning from people the way I have in Brazil and that others can continue to better their lives the way I have been privileged to have the chance to do. 

Tudo de bom para voce.
(Nothing but good to you)

Information source: http://ourworld.worldlearning.org
Link in Breez links section.

Lists of translations in many languages: ( scroll down )

How to say please in many languages;

Adare, see Harari ]
Adyghe (Middle East) Thamshaga
Afrikaans (Southern Africa) Asseblief
Ainu (Japan) [asking for a gift] Enkore
Ainu (Japan) [asking person to do someth.] Wa enkore
Ainu (Japan) [asking for permission] Yakka pirka ya
Akha (China, Southeast Asia) [polite] ...-de
Akha (China, SE Asia) [polite command] ...-aw de
Aklanon (Philippines) Kon mahimo
Albanian (Albania, Yugoslavia) Ju lutem
Albanian (Albania, Yugoslavia) Të lutem
Altai (Russia) [requesting] Surap turum
Altai (Russia) [requesting] Berzeer
Altai (Russia) [inviting: 'go ahead'] Je kaysïn
Amharic (Ethiopia) [man] Ibakkih
Amharic (Ethiopia) [woman] Ibakkish
Amharic (Ethiopia) [respectful] Ibakkwon
[Anishinaabe, see Ojibwe ]
Arabic (N Africa, Mideast) [to man] Min fadlak
Arabic (N Africa, Mideast) [to woman] Min fadlik
Arabic (N Africa, Mideast) [to group] Min fadlukum
Arabic (N Africa, Mideast) [formal;by man] Law samaht
Arabic (N Africa, Mideast) [formal;woman] Law samahti
Arabic (N Africa, Mideast) [formal;group] Law samahtu
Arabic (Egypt) [please take it; to man] Itfaddel
Arabic (Egypt) [please take it; to woman] Itfaddeli
Arabic (Egypt) [please take it; to group] Itfaddelu
Arabic (Iraq, Syria) Balla
Arabic (Iraq) Rajaa'an
Arabic (Morocco) 'Afak
Arabic (North Africa) Min faDlik
Aragonese (Aragon Spain) [formal] Si fa fabor
Aragonese (Aragon Spain) [informal] Si ne quiers
Aragonese (Aragon Spain) [informal] Si fas fabor
Armenian (Armenia, Russia, Middle East) Hajis
Armenian [Western] (Armenia) Hadjiss
Armenian [Eastern] (Armenia) Kh'ntrem
Aromunian (Greece, Balkans) Ti pãcãrsescu
Asante (Ghana) Mepa wo kyéw
Assyrian (Iran, Iraq, Syria) Inbasmalumkh
Assyrian (Iran, Iraq) [by a man] Inbasmalukh
Assyrian (Iran, Iraq) [by a woman] Inbasmalakh
Assyrian (Iran, Iraq) [by several people] Inbasmalokhun
Assyrian (Iran, Iraq) Sahmat laya
Assyrian (Iran, Iraq) Huch uaden
Asturian (Spain) Si fai'l favor
Ateso (Uganda) Engaingait
[Aukan, see Ndjuka ]
Aymará (Bolivia, Peru, Chile) Mirà
Aymará (Bolivia, Peru, Chile) [to man] Mirà-tata
Aymará (Bolivia, Peru, Chile) [to woman] Mirà-mama
Aymará (Bolivia, Peru, Chile) Mirà amp suma
Aymará (Bolivia, Peru, Chile) Mirasuma
Aymará (Bolivia, Peru, Chile) Ampi mira
Aymará (Bolivia, Peru, Chile) Ampsuma
Aymará (Bolivia, Peru, Chile) Amp
Aymará (Bolivia, Peru, Chile) Jauora
Aymará (Bolivia, Peru, Chile) Maititan
Aymará (Bolivia, Peru, Chile) ...-ya
Azerbaijani (Azerbaijan, Iran) Xaahisediraem
Azerbaijani [Azeri] (Azerbaijan, Iran) Zæhmæt olmasa
[Azeri, see Azerbaijani ]
[Aztec, see Náhuatl ]

[Bangla, see Bengali ]
[Basa Sunda, see Sundanese ]
Bashkir (Russia) Zinhar
Basque (Spain, France) Mesedez
Basque (Spain, France) Arren
[Bavarian, see German (Bavaria) ]
Belorussian (Belarus) Kaliláska
Bengali (India, Bangladesh) Doya kore
Bengali (India, Bangladesh) Onugraha kore
[Bisayan, see Visayan ]
Bislama (Vanuatu) Plis
Bislama (Vanuatu) [if it's OK could you..] Sapos i olraet, yu save...
Blackfoot (Alberta Canada, Montana USA) Kipp
Bosnian (Bosnia and Hercegovina) Molim
Bosnian (Bosnia and Hercegovina) [respect] Molim vas
Breton (Britanny France) Mar plij
Breton (Britanny France) Mar plij ganeoc'h
Brigidian (western Ireland) Ple
Bru (Vietnam) Seiq
Bukusu (Mt. Elgon Kenya) Nosima
Bukusu (Mt. Elgon Kenya) Onyala
Bukusu (Mt. Elgon Kenya) Xuusimisya
Bulgarian (Bulgaria) Molya
Bulgarian (Bulgaria) Ako obichate
Bura (Nigeria) Maraba
Burmese (Myanmar) Chézù pyúpì
Burmese (Myanmar) [added for politeness] -pa
Burmese (Myanmar) [added for politeness] -ba
Burushaski (Northern Pakistan) Meherbaani ne
[Byelorussian, see Belorussian ]

[Cambodian, see Khmer ]
Cantonese [Chinese] (China) Cheng
Cantonese [Chinese] (China) Mm goi
Cassubian (Northweast Poland) Prozsa
Catalan (Andorra, Spain, France) Sisplau
Catalan (Andorra, Spain, France) Si us plau
Catalan (Andorra, Spain, France) Per favor
[Cebuano, see Visayan ]
Chamorro (Guam) Put fabot
Chechen (Russia) Dexar
Chechen (Russia) Deeldah
Chichewa (South Africa, Malawi) Chonde
[Chinese, see dialects: Cantonese , Hakka , Hokkien and Mandarin ]
Chinook (North America) Nixua
[Chippewa, see Ojibwe ]
Chishona (Southern Africa) [to one person] Ndapota
Chishona (Southern Africa) [to a group] Tapota
Chol (Mexico) Awokolik
Chol (Mexico) [for limited time] Poj
Chontal (Guatemala) -watá
Chumash (Santa Barbara California USA) Maype
Chuuk (Chuuk Micronesia) Kose mochem
Chuvash (Russia) Tarkhasshan
[Circassian, see Adyghe ]
Coeur d'Alene (Idaho USA) Huy
Comorian (Comoros) Tafatvali
Cornish (Cornwall UK) Mar pleg
Cornish [unified] (Cornwall UK) Mar peugh-why plesyes
Cornish [unified] (Cornwall UK) Peidgy
Cornish [ancient] (Cornwall UK) Genes mara plek
Corsican (Corsica) Fate u piacè
Cree (Canada) Mâhti
[Creole (Haiti), see Kweyol ]
[Creole (Seychelles), see Seselwa ]
Croatian (Croatia, Bosnia) Molim
Czech (Czech Republic) Prosím

Dagaare (Ghana, Burkina Faso) Nang
Dagaare (Ghana, Burkina Faso) N soro fo la
Danish (Denmark, Greenland) Vær så venlig
Danish (Denmark, Greenland) Værsgo
Danish (Denmark, Greenland) Må jeg bede
Deg Xinag (Alaska) Xisrigidisddhinh
Dekelh [Nak'albun] (Canada) [rarely used] Uhwhe
[Delaware, see Lenape ]
Drehu (New Caledonia) Sipone
Dusun (Sabah Malaysia) Gia kio
Dutch (Netherlands, Belgium) [polite] Alstublieft
Dutch (Netherlands, Belgium) [informal] Alsjeblieft
Dyula (Cote d'Ivore, Burkina Faso, Mali) Sabari

English (America, Australia, UK) Please
English [Strine dialect] (Australia) Pleece
Esperanto (international)[with infinitve] Bonvolu
Esperanto (international)[with imperative] Bonvole
Estonian (Estonia) Palun
[Euskara, see Basque ]

Fante (Ghana, Burkina Faso) Mepawokyew
Faroese (Faroe Islands) Ger so væl
Faroese (Faroe Islands) Gerið so væl
Farsi [Persian] (Iran, Afghani., Tajiki.) Khhelesh mikonam
Farsi (Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan) Balii
Farsi (Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan) Luftan
Fijian (Fiji) Mada
Fijian (Fiji) Yalo vinaka
Fijian (Fiji) Au kerekere mada
Fijian (Fiji) Ni yalovinaka
[Filipino, see Tagalog and Visayan ]
Finnish (Finland) [formal] Olkaa hyvä
Finnish (Finland) [informal] Ole hyvä
Finnish (Finland) [rarely used] Kiitos
Finnish (Finland) [rarely uesd] Pyydän
[Flemish, see Dutch (Belgium) ]
French (France, Africa, America) S'il vous plaît
French (France, Africa, America)[informal] S'il te plaît
Frisian [Westerlauwer Frisian] (Germany) Asjebleaft
Frisian (Netherlands) Asjeblyft
Friulian (Italy) Dibànt
Fulani (West Africa) Njaafodaa
Fulani (West Africa) Tino

Gagauz (Moldova) Buyurun
Galician (Spain) Por favor
Galician (Spain) Se fai o favor
Ganu (Malaysia) Tulunglah gok
Georgian [Kartuli] (Georgia) Too sheh-eedz-leh-ba
Georgian [Kartuli] (Georgia) Too sheydslebah
German (Central Europe) Bitte
German [Südhessisch] (Germany) Bidde
German (Bavaria) [in spoken language] Bittsche
German (Zurich Switzerland) Bis so guet
Greek [Hellenic] (Greece, Cyprus) Parakalo
Gujarati (Gujerat State, India) Kripaa karine
Gujarati (Gujerat State, India) Kripyaa
Guosa (Nigeria) Bíko

Hakka (China, Malaysia) Mm koi
Harari [Adare](Ethiopia) Ma'ruf
Hausa (West Africa) Don Allah
Hawaiian (Hawaii) 'Olu 'olu
Hawaiian (Hawaii) E 'olu 'olu
Hawaiian (Hawaii) Ho'olu
Hebrew (Isreal) Bevakasha
[Hellenic, see Greek ]
Hindi (India, East Asia, Suriname) Merker-bani seh
Hindi (India, East Asia, Suriname) Merhebani kerke
Hindi (India, East Asia, Suriname) Krupaya
Hmong Daw (Laos, Thailand) Thov
Hmong Njua (Laos, Thailand) Ua rua kom zoo sab
Hñähñu (Mexico) Ot'e ra mäte
Hokkien [Chinese] (Taiwan) Chhian
Hungarian [Magyar] (Hungary) Kérem
Hungarian [asking for something, formal] Kérem
Hungarian [asking for something, informal] Kérlek
Hungarian (Hungary) [offering something] Tessék

Icelandic (Iceland) Gjörðu svo vel
Icelandic (Iceland) Gjörð svo vel að
Icelandic (Iceland) Vinsamlegast
Icelandic (Iceland) Takk
Ido (international use) Me pregas
Igbo (Nigeria) Biko
Ilokano (Philippines) Pangaasim man
Ilokano (Philippines) Man
Ilonggo (Philippines) Palihug
Ilonggo (Philippines) Palihog
Indonesian (Indonesia) [do for speaker] Tolong
Indonesian (Indonesia) [for self, eg. sit] Silahkan
Interlingua (constructed) Per favor
Interlingua (constructed) Si il vos place
Inuttut [Greenlandic] (Greenland) Takanna
Irish Gaelic (Ireland, Britain) Le d'thoil
Irish Gaelic (Ireland, Britain) Le do thoil
Irish Gaelic (Ireland, Britain) Mas é do thoil é
Italian (Central Europe, East Africa) Per piacere
Italian (Central Europe, East Africa) Per favore
Italian (Central Europe, East Africa) Prego

Japanese (Japan) [asking for something] Kudasai
Japanese (Japan) [offering something] Dozo
Japanese (Japan) Onegai shimasu
Japanese [Kumamoto Ben] (Japan) Ba haiyo
Japanese [Kumamoto Ben] (Japan) Shite haiyo
Javanese (Indonesia) Kulo-aturi ki
Javanese (Indonesia) Monggo
Jèrriais (Jersey) S'i' vos pliaît

Kabuverdianu (Cape Verde) Pur favor
Kadazan (Sabah Malaysia) Gia kino
Kalmyk (Russia) Byain boltkha
Kanjobal [Q'anjob'al] (Guatemala) Aq'miman k'ulal
Kannada (India) Dayavittu
Kapampangan (Philippines) Puede ba
Kapampangan (Philippines) Maliari meng
Karaim (Trakai Lithuania) Kolabyz
Karelian (Finland, Russia) Ole hyvä
Kathlamet (Oregon USA) [asking for a gift] Igaxitema'qemlam
[Kartuli, see Georgian ]
Kazakh (Kazakstan) Marhamet
Kazakh (Kazakstan) Marhabat
Kekchi (Guatemala) Baanu usilal
Khakas (Russia) ...dax
Khakas (Russia) ...dex
Khmer [Cambodian] (Cambodia) Suom
Khowar (Central Asia) Mehrbanni khori
Kinyarwanda (Rwanda) [giving something] Akira
Kipsigis (Kenya) Kaigai
Kirgiz (Kyrgyzstan) Chaqëruu
Kirundi (Burundi) [giving something] Akira
Kiswahili (Southeast Africa) [to one] Tafadhali
Kiswahili (Southeast Africa) [to several] Tafadhalini
Komi-Permyak (Russia) Kora
Komi-Zyryan (Russia) Bur vylö
Konkani [Konknni] (India) Matrxe
Konkani [Konknni] (India) Upkar kor
Korean (Korea) [formal] -shipshiyo
Korean (Korea) [informal] -seyo
Korean (Korea) [request] Putakhamnida
Korean (Korea) [I beg of you] Jebal
Korean (Korea) Juseyo
Kosraen (Micronesia) Nunak munas
[Kreyòl, see Creole ]
Krio (Sierra Leone) Du ya, ah beg
Kuna (Panama) Uis anga saet
Kurdish (Middle East) Fermo
Kweyol (Haiti) Souplé
Kweyol (Haiti) Silvouple
Kweyol (Haiti) Tanti
Kweyol (Haiti) Tan pri

Ladakhi (India) Djuley
Ladin (Italy) Prëibel
Lakhota (North America) [by male] ...yo
Lakhota (North America) [by female] ...ye
Lao (Laos) Guluna
[Lappish, see Saami ]
Latin (ancient Rome, Vatican) Te amabo
Latin (ancient Rome, Vatican) Sis
Latvian (Latvia) Ludzu
Lenape [Delaware] (United States) Ksi
Lingala (Congo) Paladó
Lingala (Congo) Limbissa ngayi
Lisu (Thailand)[can you; lit. can not can] Dda mat dda
Lithuanian (Lithuania) Prašom
Lithuanian (Lithuania) Prašau
Livonian (Latvia) Palaks
Livonian (Latvia) Palab
Livonian (Latvia) Polaks
Low Saxon (Eastern Friesland) [polite] As Jo 't believt
Low Saxon (Eastern Friesland) [informal] As di 't believt
Low Saxon [Northern Low Saxon] (Germany) Bitte
Low Saxon [Westphalian] (Germany) Sind sau gued und daut mi nen Gefallen
Luganda (Uganda) Mwattu
Luganda (Uganda) Baambi
Luo (Kenya, Tanzania) Kiyie
Lunyoro (West Uganda) [giving something] Tora
Luxembourgish (Luxembourg) Wann ech gelift
Luxembourgish (Luxembourg) Wann ech glift
Luxembourgish (Luxembourg) Wanneschglift
Luxembourgish (Luxembourg) Wat glift

Macedonian (Macedonia) Molam
[Magyar, see Hungarian ]
Malagasy (Madagascar) Azafady
Malay (Malaysia, Brunei) Silakan
Malay (Malaysia, Brunei) Minta
Malay (Malaysia, Brunei) [favor for other] Tolong
Malay (Malaysia)[to do something for self] Sila
Malayalam (Kerala India) Dayewu cide
Malayalam (Kerala India) Dayavayi
Maltese (Malta) Jekk joghgbok
Mandarin [Chinese] (China) Qing
Mandinka (West Africa) Dukare
Manx (Britain) My saillt
Manx (Britain) My sailliu
Maori (New Zealand) Whakawaireka
Maori (Cook Islands) Ine
Marathi (India) Krupaya
Marathi (India) Krupaya karuna
Mari (Russia) Pozhaluysta
Marshallese (Marshall Islands) Jouij
[Mayan, see Kanjobal , Tzotzil and Yucatec ]
Mayangna [Panamahka] (Nicaragua) Plisma palni
Mazahua (Mexico) Tsjakuda ts'i favor
Mende (Sierra Leone) Conelli
[Miao, see Hmong ]
Mien (Laos, Thailand) Oc
Mikmaq (Canada) Ké
Milanese [Lombard] (Milan Italy) Per piasè
Minangkabau (West Sumatra Indonesia) Tolong
Miskito (Nicaragua) Pliskam
Miskito (Nicaragua) Pliskam pali
Miskito (Nicaragua) Dupali
Mixtec (Oaxaca Mexico) Sani faboor
Monagasque (Monaco) Per pieijè
Mongolian (Monolia) [asking for a favor] Tanaas neg yum khuse
Mordvin (Russia) Inesket
Motu (Papua New Guinea) Mani
Motu (Papua New Guinea) Mani emu kara
Motu (Papua New Guinea) Pilisi

Náhuatl [Aztec](Mexico, El Salvador) Tla
Náhuatl [Aztec](Mex., El Salvad.) [formal] Nimitzmotlahtlauhtilia
Náhuatl [Aztec](Mex., El Salvad.) [formal] Nimitzmotlatlauthtilia
Náhuatl [Aztec](Mexico, El Salvador) Nimitztlatlauhtia
Náhuatl [Aztec](Mexcio, El Salvador)[inf.] Tlatlauhtilia
Náhuatl [Aztec](Mexico, El Salvador)[inf.] Tlatlautia
Náhuatl [Aztec](Mexcio, El Salvador)[inf.] Tlatlahtia
Náhuatl [Aztec](Mex., El Salvad.) [plural] Nanmechtlatlauhtia
Nama (Namibia) Toxoba
Nandi (Kenya) Kaigai
Navajo (United States) T'aa shoodi
Ndebele (Zimbabwe) Uxolo
Ndjuka (Suriname) Gaantangi
Nepali (Nepal) [formal] Kripaya
Nepali (Nepal) [informal] ...hos
Nepali (Nepal, Bhutan) Khaanuhos
Newari (India, Nepal) Pleej
Nganasan (Russia) Birki
Nhirrpi (Australia) -inga
Nigerian Pidgin (Nigeria) A beg
Niuean (Niue) Fakamolemole
Norwegian [Nynorsk, Bokmaal] (Norway) Vennligst
Norwegian (Norway) [Bokmaal] Vær så snill
Norwegian (Norway) [Nynorsk] Ver så snill
Norwegian [Sortlandsk] (Sortland Norway) Værsåsnill

[Occitan, see Provencal ]
Ojibwe [Chippewa, Anishinaabe] (USA) Daga
Oriya (India, Bangladesh) Dayakari
Oromo [Galla] (Kenya, Somalia) Si kadada
Ossetian (Georgia) Tabuafsi
Ossetian (Georgia) Dæ uæ
Ossetian (Georgia) Khorzækhæi
Otetela (Lodja Congo-Kinshasa) Lamalange

Papiamentu (Dutch Antilles, Aruba) Pa fabor
Pashto (Afghanistan, Pakistan) Lutfan
Pashto (Afghanistan, Pakistan) Meher bani
[Persian, see Farsi ]
[Pidgin English, see Nigerian Pidgin , Pijin and Tok Pisin ]
Pijin (Solomon Islands) Plis
Pipil (El Salvador) Xik-chiwa ne hwabór
Plattdeutsch (Germany) Bitscheen
[Plautdietsch, see Plattdeutsch ]
Pohnpeian (Pohnpei Micronesia) Menlau
Polish (Poland) Prosze
Polish (Poland) Poprosze
Polynesian (Polynesia) Si'arei
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) Se faz favor
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) Por favor
Provencal [Occitan] (France) [informal] Te prègui
Provencal [Occitan] (France) [formal] Vos prègui
Provencal [Occitan] (France) [formal] Siuplet
Punjabi (India) Merhebani kerke

[Q'anjob'al, see Kanjobal ]
Quechua (South America) Allichu
Quechua Ayacuchano (Ayacucho Peru) Ama hinachu kawah
Quechua Ayacuchano (Ayacucho Peru) Ama hina kaspa
Quechua Cuzqueño (Cuzco Peru) Ama hina kaychu

Rapanui (Easter Island) Ana hanga koe
[Raramuri, see Tarahumara ]
Romanian (Romania) Vã rog
Romansch (Switzerland) Per plaschair
Romansch (Switzerland) Fa il bain
Rotuman (Pacific Islands) Figalelei
[Runasimi, see Quechua ]
Russian (Russia) Pozhaluista

Saami [Lappish] (northern Scandinavia) Leage siivu
Saami [Lappish] (Northern Scandinavia) Leage buorre
Samoan (Samoa, South Pacific] Fa'amolemole
Samoan (Samoa) Fa'amolemole lava
Saramaccan (Suriname) Gaántangi
Sardinian (Italy) Pro piaghére
Sarnami (Suriname, Holland) [formal] Mihrbaan se
Sarnami (Suriname, Hollnad) [informal] Mihrbaan le
Savonian (Ylä-Savo Finland) He
Scottish Gaelic (Scotland) Mas e bhur toil e
Scottish Gaelic (Scotland) Mas e do thoil e
Scots (Scotland) Pleise
Scots (Scotland) Please
Sepedi (South Africa) Hle
Serbian (Bosnia, Yugoslavia) Molim
Serrere (Senegal, Gambia) A fela ngang
Seselwa [Seychelles Creole] (Seychelles) Silvouple
Sesotho (Lesotho, South Africa) Ako
Sesotho (Lesotho, South Africa) Ka kopo
Sesotho (Lesotho, South Africa) ...hle
Setswana (Botswana, South Africa) Tsweetswee
Setswana (Botswana, South Africa) Ka kopo
Shanghai (Shanghai China) Te kue zhou
Shelta (USA, Ireland) [old;no longer used] Grawsi
Sherpa [Helambu] (Nepal, Tibet) Worche
Sherpa [Solu] (Nepal, Tibet) Thakur
Shimasiwa (Comoros) Tafatvali
Shina (Central Asia) Mehrbani teh
[Shona, see Chishona ]
[Shqip, see Albanian ]
Silozi (Zambia) Nangu
Silozi (Zambia) A mu ke mu
Silozi (Zambia) [please give me] A ku ni fe
Sindhi (India, Pakistan) Mehrbani
Sinhalese (Sri Lanka) Karunakarala
Siswati [Swazi] (Swaziland) Tsine
Slovak (Slovakia) Prosím
Slovenian (Slovenia) Prosim
Somali (Somalia, Ethiopia) Min fadlak
Sorbian (eastern Germany) Prošu
Spanish (Spain, America) Por favor
Spanish (Spain, America) [formal] Hágame el favor de...
Spanish (Spain, America) [formal] Hága el favor de...
Spanish [formal to more than one person] Háganme el favor de...
Spanish [formal to more than one person] Hágan el favor de...
Spanish [formal by more than one person] Háganos el favor de...
Sranan (Suriname) Tangitangi
Sranan (Suriname) Dankidanki
Sundanese (Indonesia) Mangga
Susu (Guinea) Awabe
Swabian (Central Europe) Bidde
[Swahili, see Kiswahili ]
[Swazi, see Siswati ]
Swedish (Sweden, Finland) Tack
Swedish (Sweden, Finland) Varsågod
Swedish (Sweden, Finland) Var snäll och...
Swedish (Sweden, Finland) Var vänlig
Swedish (Sweden, Finland) [more formal] Vänligen

Tagalog (Philippines) Pakikunin
Tagalog (Philippines) Paki
Tagalog (Philippines) Pakikuha
Tagalog (Philippines) Pakisuyo
Tagalog (Philippines) [formal/polite] Paki...hó ninyo
Tagalog (Philippines) [familiar] Paki...mo
Tahitian (Tahiti) Ha'amauruuru
Tajik (Tajikstan) Lutfan
Tamashek (West Africa) Alak
Tamil (India, Southeast Asia) Dhayavu seydhu
Tamil (India, Southeast Asia) Koncham dhayavuseydhu
Tarahumara [Rarámuri] (Mexico) Pe risensi
Tarahumara [Rarámuri] (Mexico) Pe risénsia
Tarahumara [Rarámuri] (Mexico) Pericó
Tashkorghani (Central Asia) Marhamat
Tatar (Russia) Rekhim itegez
Tatar (Russia) Zinhar
Telugu (India) Dayachesi
Tetum (East Timor) Halo favor
Tetum (East Timor) Halo favor ida
Tetum (East Timor) Favor
Tetum (East Timor) Favór ida
Thai (Thailand) Daiprod
Thai (Thailand) Garunah
Tibetan (Tibet, China) Kuchi
Tibetan (Tibet, China) Gong dhaa
Tibetan (Tibet, China) Tujay-sig
Tigrinya (Ethiopia) [to male friend] Bedjakha
Tigrinya (Ethiopia) [to female friend] Bedjakhi
Tigrinya (Ethiopia, Eritrea) [to male] Bejaka
Tigrinya (Ethiopia, Eritrea) [to female] Bejaki
Tok Pisin [Pidgin English] (New Guinea) Plis
Tupi [Tembe Tenetehar] (Amazon Brazil) Mo-murangatu-haw-zéwi
Turkish (Turkey, Northern Cyprus) Lütfen
Tuvan (Russia) [requesting] Körüñer
Tuvan (Russia) [inviting: 'go ahead'] Moorlañar
Turkmen (Turkmenistan) Bash yustüne
Tzeltal (Chiapas Mexico) Wokoluk
Tzotzil (Chiapas Mexico) Abulajan

Uchinaaguchi (Okinawa Japan) Sooree
Udmurt (Russia) Pozhaluysta
Ukrainian (Ukraine) Bud' laska
Ukrainian (Ukraine) Proshu
Ulwa (Nicaragua) Pilisma
Ulwa (Nicaragua) Pilisma palka
Urdu (India, Paksitan) Merher-bani seh
Urdu (India, Paksitan) Merhbaanii karke
Uyghur (Central Asia) Märhämät
Uzbek (Uzbekistan, Afghanistan) Marhamat
Uzbek (Uzbekistan, Afghanistan) Teleu

Valencian (Spain) Per favor
Veps (Russia) Ola hüvä
Vietnamese (Vietnam) Xin
Vietnamese (Vietnam) Xin moi
Vietnamese (Vietnam) Xin ông làm ón
Vietnamese (Vietnam) Xin vui lòng
Vietnamese (Vietnam) Ông làm ón
Visayan [Cebuano] (Philippines) Palihog
[Vlaams, see Dutch (Belgium) ]

Wakhi (Central Asia) Mehrboni
Wali (Northern Ghana) Gaafera
Welsh (Wales) [to older person or plural] Os gwelwch yn dda
Welsh (Wales) [to young person or friend] Os gweli di'n dda
Wolof (West Africa) Baal ma
Wolof (West Africa) Su la nexee

Xhosa (South Africa) Nceda

Yapese (Yap Micronesia) Weniig
Yapese (Yap Micronesia) Wenig
Yiddish (Europe) Bite
Yiddish (Europe) Biteh
Yiddish (Europe) Zayt azoy gut
Yoruba (West Africa, Nigeria) [honorific] E jòwó
Yoruba (West Africa, Nigeria) [non-hon.] O jòwó
Yoruba [to age mate or younger] Jo
Yoruba [to person older than speaker] E jo
Yucatec Maya (Mexico) [rarely used] Por favor
Yucatec Maya (Mexico) [rarely used] Chan

Zapotec (Villa Alta Mexico) Guklenha nea
Zapotec (Yatzachi Mexico) -sh
Zapotec (Yatzachi Mexico) -shga
Zapotec (Yatzachi Mexico) -tgua
Zapotec (Yatzachi Mexico) Ben goclen
Zapotec (Zoogocho Mexico) Ben goklen
Zapotec (Zoogocho Mexico) -gach
Zarma (Niger, Nigeria, Burkina Faso) Al hanan
Zulu (South Africa, Lesotho) Jabulisa
Zulu (South Africa, Lesotho) Siza
Zulu (South Africa, Lesotho) Uxolo good morning , good afternoon , good evening and good night , how are you? , welcome , goodbye , please , thank you , what is your name? , my name is... , do you speak English? , yes , no , and I don't understan. This information is from www.elite.net/~runner/jennifers/index.htm
I have a link of this site in breezgreetings link section. -----------------------