Greetings and Farewells in Bengali



Lesson Objective:


By the end of this lesson, learners will be able to understand and use common greetings and farewells in Bengali, and apply them in simple conversations.



Vocabulary List:



  • Nomoskar (নমস্কার): Hello / Good day (formal greeting)

  • Salam (সালাম): Peaceful hello (used often in Muslim communities)

  • Shubho Shokal (শুভ সকাল): Good morning

  • Shubho Dupur (শুভ দুপুর): Good afternoon

  • Shubho Sondha (শুভ সন্ধ্যা): Good evening

  • Biday (বিদায়): Goodbye

  • Pore dekha hobe (পরে দেখা হবে): See you later

  • Abar dekha hobe (আবার দেখা হবে): See you again

  • Apni kemon achen? (আপনি কেমন আছেন?): How are you? (formal)

  • Ami bhalo achi (আমি ভালো আছি): I am fine



Grammar Point:


In Bengali, greetings change depending on the time of day. For example:



  • Shubho Shokal is used for "Good morning".

  • Shubho Dupur is used for "Good afternoon".

  • Shubho Sondha is used for "Good evening".


When asking someone how they are in a formal way, use Apni(you - formal).


Apni kemon achen? is the standard formal greeting for “How are you?”.


The reply is usually Ami bhalo achi(I am fine).



Exercises:



Reading Comprehension:


Dialogue:


(In English)


Rahul: Hello, good morning! How are you?


Karim: Good morning! I am fine. And you?


Rahul: I am also fine. See you later!


Karim: Goodbye!



(In Bengali)


Rahul: Shubho Shokal! Apni kemon achen?


Karim: Shubho Shokal! Ami bhalo achi. Apni?


Rahul: Ami-o bhalo achi. Pore dekha hobe!


Karim: Biday!



Listening Comprehension:


Listen to a native speaker say the following phrases and try to identify the greeting used.



  • "Shubho Shokal! Apni kemon achen?"

  • "Abar dekha hobe, biday!"


Task: Write down what time of day is indicated by the greeting and what farewell phrase was used.



Speaking Practice:


Practice the following dialogue with a partner:



  • Partner A: Greet your friend in the morning and ask how they are.

  • Partner B: Reply that you are well and ask how your friend is doing.

  • Partner A: Respond and say goodbye respectfully.



Summary:


In this lesson, you learned basic greetings and farewells in Bengali. Greetings vary by time of day, and politeness is shown through the use of formal pronouns. You practiced reading, listening, and speaking common phrases used to greet and say goodbye in Bengali.



Homework:



  • Write a short dialogue (5 lines) using at least three of the vocabulary words from this lesson.

  • Practice saying all the vocabulary terms aloud until you can say each one without reading it.

  • Watch a Bengali video (TV show or YouTube clip) and try to identify any greetings or farewells used.