Learn Manipuri: Manipuri alphabet chart and letters

Manipuri (Meiteilon) is the language of the Meitei people and the shared language of Manipur. It has its own script, Meetei Mayek, in which each letter is named after a part of the body: kok (head), sam (hair), lai (forehead) and so on. Manipur has brought Meetei Mayek back into schools and offices; the Bengali script is also used.

Manipuri vowels

Manipuri	Written in English	Sounds like
ꯑ	a	'a' as in 'about'
ꯑꯥ	ā (aa)	'a' as in 'father'
ꯏ	i	'ee' as in 'feet'
ꯎ	u	'oo' as in 'pool'
ꯑꯦ	e	'e' as in 'they'
ꯑꯩ	ei	'ei' as in 'eight'
ꯑꯣ	o	'o' as in 'go'
ꯑꯧ	ou	'ou' as in 'out'
ꯑꯪ	ang	a nasal 'ng', as in 'hung' (nung)

Manipuri consonants

ꯀkok · ka
ꯁsam · sa
ꯂlai · la
ꯃmit · ma
ꯄpa · pa
ꯅna · na

ꯆchil · cha
ꯇtil · ta
ꯈkhou · kha
ꯉngou · nga
ꯊthou · tha
ꯋwai · wa

ꯌyang · ya
ꯍhuk · ha
ꯐpham · pha

These are the letters of the old alphabet (Iyek Ipee), each with its name and sound. Letters for sounds from other languages follow (Lom Iyek), then the short forms used at the end of a syllable (Lonsum Iyek).

Added letters (Lom Iyek)

ꯒgok · ga
ꯓjham · jha
ꯔrai · ra
ꯕba · ba
ꯖjil · ja
ꯗdil · da
ꯘghou · gha
ꯙdhou · dha
ꯚbham · bha

Letters at the end of a syllable (Lonsum Iyek)

ꯛk
ꯜl
ꯝm
ꯞp
ꯟn
ꯠt
ꯡng
ꯢi

Vowel signs

After a consonant, each vowel is written as a sign joined to it. Here they are with ꯀ:

ꯀka
ꯀꯥkā
ꯀꯤki
ꯀꯨku
ꯀꯦke
ꯀꯩkei
ꯀꯣko
ꯀꯧkou
ꯀꯪkang

Everyday Manipuri phrases

ꯈꯨꯔꯨꯝꯖꯔꯤkhurumjariHello (a respectful greeting)
ꯅꯪ ꯀꯝꯗꯧꯔꯤ?nang kamdouri?How are you?
ꯑꯩ ꯐꯔꯤ, ꯊꯥꯒꯠꯆꯔꯤei phari, thāgatchari.I am fine, thank you.
ꯃꯃꯜ ꯀꯌꯥ?mamal kayā?How much is it?
ꯍꯣꯌ / ꯅꯠꯇꯦhoy / natteYes / no
ꯑꯃꯨꯛ ꯍꯟꯅ ꯎꯅꯁꯤamuk hanna unasiSee you again

About Manipuri

Manipuri (Meiteilon) is one of the 22 languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India and the official language of Manipur. The 2011 Census counted 17.6 lakh people in India whose mother tongue it is. It is written in Meetei Mayek and in the Bengali script. It was added to the Eighth Schedule in 1992.