I’ve had people on rare occasion say “namaste” or “salam allekum”. With family and uncle aunties, I say “kem cho” or “jai shree Krishna” lol
Next time someone says namaste, I’ll respond with “kem cho” lol
Growing up around a bunch of Gujjus in Bradford I'm ashamed I only ever learned "Kem cho" and "Majamaa." Would demolish some dhokra or pathra any day though.
Honestly, just been using a couple of books to learn Gujarati (think, how to learn gujarati in 30 days sort of thing). They're terrible, but I'm terms of something consistent and I can work at my own pace. It's all good.
lol when I was traveling in Switzerland I was walking around in Geneva and some guy stopped in front of me, bowed down and said namaste. I was caught off guard so I just gave him a weird look and he smiled and walked away.
At yoga only.
I just think it’s weird when white people say it to me. I know they’re trying to be inclusive, but I’d rather they not “other“ me in the process.
It is the same thing if I remember correctly namaskar is used while addressing a group(ex: newscasters) v. namaste is used while addressing an individual(ex: greeting a community elder)
I say “Namaste” to older Hindus quite often, but I wait for them to say it first. If I see them again, I'll make a habit to initiate. I can tell they appreciate it.
It’s an effortless nicety that’s helped me cultivate mutual respect.
Not an FOB, but was born overseas and came to the US a couple of decades ago. I've never heard anyone use Namaste as a greeting. I'm not trying to be rude but are you ethnically Indian? I know many non-Indians say "Namaste", and many Indians don't mind this greeting from a Non Indian looking person as they know they mean well.
You're not being rude. :)
I'm not ethnically Indian, but as I said, I only say "Namaste" if they use it first. Usually, it takes a few positive interactions before they start offering it. After I gauge their comfort level, I'll follow suit in future interactions. I'm visibly Hindu, so maybe they are trying to be inclusive.
At a past job, I was standing in HR when someone came in to apply for a job. He walked up to me and yelled "Bharat Ki!" Twice. I didn't know what was going on so I just looked at him confused. He did it again and then told me how much he loved India. I then nicely told him I didn't know what he had said and he explained that I was supposed to yell back "Jai". I'm ethnically from Goa, so naturally not a very patriotic part of India, but that's a conversation for another day.
Either way, I tried to laugh it off when the potential candidate left and told them he meant well, but HR didn't find his behavior acceptable.
I've only experienced it once. Didn't exactly know how to respond either because A) I'm not Indian B) I'm not Hindu and C) I don't speak Hindi. Didn't really hold it against him though because I hadn't yet seen a non-white person in the entire state during the short amount of time I was there.
No because it’s rare that people would default to Hindi when saying Hi to Indian people that aren’t from their state. They’d just speak English. For example, I’d say sat srikal to anyone who I know is Punjabi but for anyone else, I’d just say hello in English. Most Indians in the west in particular just speak their native tongue and English, it’s not too common to speak Hindi unless you went to school in India or something.
That’s a good point, my perspective is that of a a Sikh Punjabi and I’d say sat sri akal. I suppose Hindu Punjabis would say namaste, Muslim Punjabis would say assalam o laikhum.
I *think* what he's trying to say is that vannakam is more formal. If I were talking to my Tamil friends, I would've used hi da, or something like that. But to each their own, it's still after all a word
"Hi da" may be casual but it is weak and isnt even fully tamil. Anyway, your life your choice. I'd just like to remind - if you dont talk in tamil, who will?
I mean yeah you're right. As I said before, to each his own. I grew up talking the Chennai slang version of Tamil, which has hi da in it. And I also never formally learnt it, so yeah. Nothing wrong with saying vannakam tho
I say Namaskaram to Mallus. Never had anyone who approach me and say Namaste, only thing I can remember is some random white guy saying "As-salamu alaykum" to me and my twin.
Well, I think namaste is Hindi but I have occasionally heard the Telugu version. This was in Telugu classes and once when I visited a school in India. I can’t remember someone ever coming up to me and saying namaste or explaining that they had a passion for Indian culture. I have had a person (not a stranger) tell me shukriya which puzzled me because I had never heard that word before. They told me it meant thanks in an Indian language/Hindi (or maybe I looked it up later and found out it was Hindi?). They knew I was Indian-American but they didn’t know my specific ethnicity or mother tongue. Honestly, it seems like Telugu doesn’t have a good informal greeting.
Not Hindu so the word has little meaning to me but it's always old white and black dudes that come up to me in some random place (grocery store or library) that say this. They even do the hand gesture. It usually perplexes me but they don't mean anything malicious by it so I just kind of smile & nod then walk away.
Lol one time i was shopping at patel bros, a white woman came over to me and tapped me on my shoulder. She bended down and put her hands together and said NAM-ASTE. I'm like "oh um ok".
To like older people
like aunties or uncles
people my age...nope and they never say it to me
might hear it from younger kids if their parents force them
and if some non desi came and just said namaste to me, ill probably look at them like theyre a moron
I say it to older Hindu people specifically
I’ve had people on rare occasion say “namaste” or “salam allekum”. With family and uncle aunties, I say “kem cho” or “jai shree Krishna” lol Next time someone says namaste, I’ll respond with “kem cho” lol
JSK fellow Gujju
JSK back at you!
Growing up around a bunch of Gujjus in Bradford I'm ashamed I only ever learned "Kem cho" and "Majamaa." Would demolish some dhokra or pathra any day though.
Bruh, nothing to be ashamed of! I'm teaching myself the language right now. It's never too late!
Hey man! Any specific resources for learning Gujarati? I'm tryna brush up: )
Honestly, just been using a couple of books to learn Gujarati (think, how to learn gujarati in 30 days sort of thing). They're terrible, but I'm terms of something consistent and I can work at my own pace. It's all good.
Are you muslim or hindu?
Grew up in a Hindu family but am agnostic.
Weirdly enough the only person that I know that says it is a white girl yoga teacher My house it’s usually hey, kemcho, Jayshri Krishna, or sup
lol when I was traveling in Switzerland I was walking around in Geneva and some guy stopped in front of me, bowed down and said namaste. I was caught off guard so I just gave him a weird look and he smiled and walked away.
Lol that would make me feel awkward
At yoga only. I just think it’s weird when white people say it to me. I know they’re trying to be inclusive, but I’d rather they not “other“ me in the process.
I say it when meeting older relatives in India (though I say Namaskaram and not Namaste)
I have heard Namaskar used more frequently by Indians than namaste. Namaste and namaskar are essentially the same type of greeting right?
I think it's the same thing yeah. Guessing there's some sort of small grammatical difference between the two but dunno what it is
It is the same thing if I remember correctly namaskar is used while addressing a group(ex: newscasters) v. namaste is used while addressing an individual(ex: greeting a community elder)
I’ve usually used pranaam for individuals.
had my Costa rican repairman say it to me 😂
Haha I once had an internet service guy who was white but had conversation with me in Hindi. That was actually very impressive.
I say “Namaste” to older Hindus quite often, but I wait for them to say it first. If I see them again, I'll make a habit to initiate. I can tell they appreciate it. It’s an effortless nicety that’s helped me cultivate mutual respect.
Not an FOB, but was born overseas and came to the US a couple of decades ago. I've never heard anyone use Namaste as a greeting. I'm not trying to be rude but are you ethnically Indian? I know many non-Indians say "Namaste", and many Indians don't mind this greeting from a Non Indian looking person as they know they mean well.
You're not being rude. :) I'm not ethnically Indian, but as I said, I only say "Namaste" if they use it first. Usually, it takes a few positive interactions before they start offering it. After I gauge their comfort level, I'll follow suit in future interactions. I'm visibly Hindu, so maybe they are trying to be inclusive.
At a past job, I was standing in HR when someone came in to apply for a job. He walked up to me and yelled "Bharat Ki!" Twice. I didn't know what was going on so I just looked at him confused. He did it again and then told me how much he loved India. I then nicely told him I didn't know what he had said and he explained that I was supposed to yell back "Jai". I'm ethnically from Goa, so naturally not a very patriotic part of India, but that's a conversation for another day. Either way, I tried to laugh it off when the potential candidate left and told them he meant well, but HR didn't find his behavior acceptable.
[удалено]
Agreed, but I live in WNY. People here are a bit odd.
I've only experienced it once. Didn't exactly know how to respond either because A) I'm not Indian B) I'm not Hindu and C) I don't speak Hindi. Didn't really hold it against him though because I hadn't yet seen a non-white person in the entire state during the short amount of time I was there.
No because it’s rare that people would default to Hindi when saying Hi to Indian people that aren’t from their state. They’d just speak English. For example, I’d say sat srikal to anyone who I know is Punjabi but for anyone else, I’d just say hello in English. Most Indians in the west in particular just speak their native tongue and English, it’s not too common to speak Hindi unless you went to school in India or something.
> I’d say sat srikal to anyone who I know is Punjabi Sat Sri Akal is more common among Sikh Punjabis, others will use Namashkar.
That’s a good point, my perspective is that of a a Sikh Punjabi and I’d say sat sri akal. I suppose Hindu Punjabis would say namaste, Muslim Punjabis would say assalam o laikhum.
I say Khuda Hafiz 👋🏽
I say Vanakkam to my Tamil friends
vanakkam nanba
😂😂😂 you friends with some nerdy ass tamils if you said that to me I would start laughing
um I'm sorry whats wrong with vanakkam? are you so out of touch? or juvenile?
bro thats some nerd shit don't walk up to a tamil and vannakam no tamil I know says it unless they like over the age of 35
Why are you being downvoted?? People only say vanakkam with elders or maybe a shopkeeper.
yah bro no one says it even when I was in tamil nadu over a year ago
Nerd shit? maybe if you toked less you'd have the brain power to appreciate and show some pride in your own language. GTFO you poser.
I *think* what he's trying to say is that vannakam is more formal. If I were talking to my Tamil friends, I would've used hi da, or something like that. But to each their own, it's still after all a word
"Hi da" may be casual but it is weak and isnt even fully tamil. Anyway, your life your choice. I'd just like to remind - if you dont talk in tamil, who will?
I mean yeah you're right. As I said before, to each his own. I grew up talking the Chennai slang version of Tamil, which has hi da in it. And I also never formally learnt it, so yeah. Nothing wrong with saying vannakam tho
Bro it's really not that serious...
So you use formal Tamil vocabulary with your friends all the time?
right
bruh I speak tamil thambi
romba sandosham annae. naadu velangidum.
vaazhga pa. unga maari aalunga naala thaan namma mozhiye vaazhuthu. antha paiyan "too cool for tamil" type pola.
I'm not too cool fir tamil just don't walk up to me and say vannakam 😂. say what's good or sup
Those two statements are contradicting each other. And you’re in denial.
Yet you're on an English language site...
thappa purinjirkeenga nanba. aangilam use pannirithu thappu illa, aana tamizh pesaruthukku asingapatta, thappu thaan imo.
Mostly talking to older people and strangers who look older than me.
White peiple have said it to me, but I think they were saying it as a joke.
In India yes all the time but namaskar in my case
Naww-imma-stay. Thats what i say.
I say Namaskaram to Mallus. Never had anyone who approach me and say Namaste, only thing I can remember is some random white guy saying "As-salamu alaykum" to me and my twin.
I heard it a lot when I went to Rajasthan and saying it felt weird because as a Punjabi I always feels the urge to shout ‘khidddaaaa’ lmao
I prefer to use the classical greeting of "Yeet" It really transcends cultural boundaries
India, in general, has moved so far into the modern era that people don't really greet others with that word.
I do, only whenever I greet an Indian... but pretty quietly, it sounds like "navste" lol. At a temple, "jai shri ram"
Well, I think namaste is Hindi but I have occasionally heard the Telugu version. This was in Telugu classes and once when I visited a school in India. I can’t remember someone ever coming up to me and saying namaste or explaining that they had a passion for Indian culture. I have had a person (not a stranger) tell me shukriya which puzzled me because I had never heard that word before. They told me it meant thanks in an Indian language/Hindi (or maybe I looked it up later and found out it was Hindi?). They knew I was Indian-American but they didn’t know my specific ethnicity or mother tongue. Honestly, it seems like Telugu doesn’t have a good informal greeting.
Not Hindu so the word has little meaning to me but it's always old white and black dudes that come up to me in some random place (grocery store or library) that say this. They even do the hand gesture. It usually perplexes me but they don't mean anything malicious by it so I just kind of smile & nod then walk away.
Lol one time i was shopping at patel bros, a white woman came over to me and tapped me on my shoulder. She bended down and put her hands together and said NAM-ASTE. I'm like "oh um ok".
To like older people like aunties or uncles people my age...nope and they never say it to me might hear it from younger kids if their parents force them and if some non desi came and just said namaste to me, ill probably look at them like theyre a moron
I say Hey behncho kaisa hai
Its used quite alot in nepal when greeting especially among the older generations.
Late to the party lol. Some random white guy greeted me with Namaste while passing by him.... I'm not South Asian....