Hopkins, which is the closest settlement to Hamanasi, is a traditional Garifuna fishing village. Of all the diverse cultures in Belize, visitors are most likely to get a taste of the Garifuna culture while at Hamanasi. The word Garifuna refers to the people and language and is also used as an adjective to describe the food, clothing, implements, and dances. The plural form of Garifuna, Garinagu, is used to refer to the people collectively or for more than one person.
The Garinagu are a unique fusion of the Carib (Kalinagu), Arawak (Lokono) and African people, which was birthed in St. Vincent. They continue many of their ancestral customs such as fishing in dugout dories, farming and basket weaving, among other crafts. The Garifuna language is 45% Arawak, 25% Carib, 15% French, 10% English, and 5% dependent on the official national language of the speaker (for example in Belize it is English and in Honduras it is Spanish).
At Hamanasi, 97% of our employees are Belizean, nearly half of whom are Garifuna. Before your next visit with us, learn a few phrases to practice while here!
Common Garifuna Phrases
Greetings
- Mábuiga —Hello
- Buíti binafi —Good morning
- Buíti amidi —Good afternoon
- Buíti ranbá weyu —Good evening
- Buíti gúyoun —Good night
- Ayóu —Goodbye
Well Wishes
- Seremei —Thank you
- Úwati mégeiti —You’re welcome
- Belú —Come in or Welcome
- Buída lámuga lidi bin —Good luck
- Adüga ba —Congratulations or ‘You made it’
- Buídu lá buweyasu —Have a good trip
- Bungíu bún —God bless you (when someone sneezes)
- Bungíu buma —Go with God
- Magadei bámuga —Get well soon
- Buíti báüsteragüle —Happy birthday
- Mábuiga Fedu — Merry Christmas
Miscellaneous
- Yurumein —Homeland
- Wagücha —Our roots
- Wanichigu —Our values
- Wechun —Our custom
- Inebesei —Respect
- Singanga -–Dragonfly
- Hamanasi —Hamans (Almond) tree
- Marin —Mosquito
- Hanou —Trigger fish
Other Helpful Resources
Here are a few helpful links to hear the Garifuna language and practice a few phrases.
1. In this music video from Hopkins Village’s very own, C-Wills, enjoy a song in Garifuna celebrating cultural pride and learning the language. An English translation can be found in the comment box for extra support:
2. In this video practice common Garifuna phrases and pronunciation:
3. This video gives some interesting facts about the Garifuna history and formation of the language. See the similarities of Garifuna to Araway, Carib and French languages:
So, have fun learning a few new phrases in Garifuna. We hope you will try speaking Garifuna the next time you visit Hamanasi and Hopkins Village!
