Quechua (Runa Simi , "language of the people" in Quechua itself) is the most widely spoken indigenous language of the Americas. According to Ethnologue, Quechua is spoken by approximately 8–10 million people across Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina, and Chile. It was the administrative language of the Inca Empire , Tawantinsuyu, the largest empire in pre-Columbian America , and despite five centuries of colonialism, it has survived with extraordinary vitality in Andean communities.
Deepen your learning with our Quechua vocabulary essentials and our Quechua language guide.
Learning to greet in Quechua is an act of connection with one of humanity's great civilizations , the people who built Machu Picchu, who engineered the most extensive road system in the Americas, who developed khipu (knotted string records) in the absence of writing, and whose descendants still number in the millions across the Andes.
- Napaykullayki , The formal Quechua greeting
- Allillanchu? , How are you?
- The Quechua family of languages
- Daily phrases and responses
- Andean philosophy , Sumaq Kawsay
- Cultural context
- Quick-reference table
1. Napaykullayki , The Formal Quechua Greeting
Napaykullayki (pronounced nah-pie-cool-LIE-kee) is the formal greeting in Southern Quechua (the most widely documented variety). It means "I greet you" , a complete sentence compressed into one magnificent word, as Quechua tends to do.
Pronunciation breakdown:
- Na: "nah" , open vowel
- pay: "pie" , like English "pie"
- kul: "cool" , rounded vowel
- lay: "lie" , like English "lie"
- ki: "kee" , final syllable
Usage: ✅ Formal greetings ✅ Meeting someone for the first time ✅ Addressing elders or respected community members ✅ Any situation where you want to show respect
Response: Napaykullaykitaqmi (nah-pie-cool-lie-kee-TAHK-mee) , "I greet you in return"
Or the simpler response: Allillanmi (ah-yee-YAHN-mee) , "I am well"
2. Allillanchu? , How Are You?
Allillanchu? (ah-yee-YAHN-choo) is the most common "how are you?" in Quechua , used in everyday conversation across Andean communities.
Pronunciation breakdown:
- Al: "ahl" , clear 'l' sound (in Quechua, 'l' is always clear, never dark)
- li: "lee" , short
- llan: "yahn" , the double 'l' (ll) in Quechua is pronounced like 'y' in many dialects
- chu: "choo" , chu is the interrogative marker in Quechua
Standard responses:
- Allillanmi (ah-yee-YAHN-mee) , "I am well" (mi = evidential marker meaning "it is so")
- Manan allillanchu (mah-NAHN ah-yee-YAHN-choo) , "I am not well"
- Hinasllataqmi (hee-NAHS-yah-TAHK-mee) , "So-so / Things are the same"
The particle -mi at the end of responses is important in Quechua , it signals that you have direct knowledge of what you're saying ("I know this from personal experience"). It's one of Quechua's remarkable grammatical features: the language grammatically distinguishes between direct knowledge and hearsay.
3. The Quechua Family of Languages
Quechua is not one language but a family of closely related varieties, sometimes called Quechua I (Central Quechua, spoken in Peru's highlands) and Quechua II (Southern Quechua, spoken in Cusco/Bolivia, and Northern Quechua in Ecuador).
The phrases above are from Southern Quechua (also called Cusco Quechua or Qusqu Qhichwa), the most prestigious variety associated with the Inca capital of Cusco. This is the most widely studied and documented variety.
Key differences:
- In Ecuadorian Quechua (Kichwa): "hello" is Imanalla (ee-mah-NAH-yah)
- In Central Peruvian Quechua: Allillanchu may be pronounced differently
If you're going to a specific region, it's worth learning which variety is spoken there.
4. Daily Phrases and Responses
Basic greetings
Kausachun! (kow-sah-CHOON) , "Long live!" / a joyful greeting or toast Sumaq p'unchaw! (soo-MAHK POON-chow) , "Beautiful day!" (good morning/day) Sumaq tuta! (soo-MAHK TOO-tah) , "Beautiful night!" (good evening/night)
Introductions
Nuqa [name] nisqam kani (NOO-kah... nees-KAHM KAH-nee) , "My name is [name]"
- Nuqa = I/me
- nisqa = called/named
Qanri pitaq kanki? (kahn-REE PEE-tahk KAHN-kee) , "And who are you?"
Thank you
Yupaychani (yoo-pie-CHAH-nee) , "Thank you" (literally "I honor/esteem you") Sulpayki (sool-PIE-kee) , "Thank you" (more common in some dialects) Manan imawan (mah-NAHN ee-mah-WAHN) , "You're welcome" (literally "it's nothing")
Yes and No
Arí (ah-REE) , Yes Mana (MAH-nah) , No Manan (MAH-nahn) , No (emphatic, with negative marker)
Farewell
Rinaykikamaymi (ree-nie-kee-kah-MY-mee) , "Until you go" / formal farewell Tupananchiskama (too-pah-NAHN-chees-kah-mah) , "Until we meet again" (literally "until our meeting")
5. Andean Philosophy , Sumaq Kawsay
Quechua greetings cannot be fully understood without Sumaq Kawsay (soo-MAHK kow-SIE) , "Good Living" or "Beautiful Living." This is the Andean philosophical concept of living in harmony with community, nature, and the cosmos.
The word sumaq (beautiful/good) appears throughout Quechua greetings and blessings. It reflects an aesthetic-ethical worldview where beauty and goodness are inseparable , the beautiful life is the good life, and vice versa.
Pachamama (pah-chah-MAH-mah) , "Mother Earth" , is the central spiritual concept in Andean cosmology. Offerings to Pachamama (pagos a la tierra) are still practiced across the Andes. When you greet someone in Quechua, you're participating in a worldview where human greeting is embedded in a broader communion with the living world.
6. Cultural Context
The living legacy
Quechua's survival is remarkable given what it has faced: conquest, forced evangelization, suppression in schools, and centuries of political marginalization. Yet it persists , in Andean markets, in Catholic masses celebrated in Quechua, in contemporary music, in politics (Bolivia's first indigenous president Evo Morales gave many speeches in Quechua), and in a growing movement for linguistic revitalization.
Community and reciprocity
Andean culture operates on the principle of Ayni (AY-nee) , reciprocity. You help me, I help you; the community supports the individual, the individual supports the community. This principle is embedded in the language itself, which has inclusive and exclusive plural forms of "we" , distinguishing between "we (including you)" and "we (not including you)."
When you greet someone in Quechua, you're implicitly acknowledging this web of reciprocal obligation and shared humanity.
Quechua diaspora and urban revival
Significant Quechua communities exist in Lima (where rural-to-urban migration has brought millions of Andean speakers), in major Argentine cities, in Spain, and in the United States. There is a growing movement of young, urban Quechua speakers reclaiming the language as a symbol of pride and identity.
7. Quick-Reference Table
| Quechua | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Napaykullayki | nah-pie-cool-lie-kee | I greet you (formal hello) |
| Allillanchu? | ah-yee-yahn-choo | How are you? |
| Allillanmi | ah-yee-yahn-mee | I am well |
| Sumaq p'unchaw | soo-mahk poon-chow | Good morning / Beautiful day |
| Sumaq tuta | soo-mahk too-tah | Good night / Beautiful night |
| Arí | ah-ree | Yes |
| Mana | mah-nah | No |
| Yupaychani | yoo-pie-chah-nee | Thank you |
| Tupananchiskama | too-pah-nahn-chees-kah-mah | See you again |
| Kausachun! | kow-sah-choon | Long live! / Cheers! |
Say Hello to 10,000 Years of Andean Civilization
Quechua is not a relic , it is alive. In the markets of Cusco and Pisac, in the communities around Lake Titicaca, in the music of urban Lima, in the streets of La Paz and Cochabamba, Quechua pulses with the energy of a culture that refused to disappear.
Napaykullayki , I greet you. Tupananchiskama , until we meet again.
Sources and References
- Quechua — Ethnologue: Quechua is spoken by about 10 million speakers. Language family: Quechuan family.
- Wikipedia — Quechua: encyclopedic information on the language, its geographic area and official status.
- Targumi — Learn Quechua: courses with certified native teachers.
Further Reading
- Learn Quechua on Targumi — courses with native teachers
- All languages on Targumi — 106 languages taught