Mbyá Guaraní
Tupian (Tupí-Guaraní)
Mbyá Guaraní (ISO 639-3: gun) is a vulnerable Tupí–Guaraní language spoken by Mbyá communities across Paraguay, southern and southeastern Brazil, Misiones Province in Argentina, and parts of Uruguay. Its speakers maintain networks across the Atlantic Forest region, and the language remains central to religious practice, oral tradition, and community identity. Mbyá is distinct from Paraguayan Guaraní and from Ñandeva, although all belong to the Guaranian subgroup; published estimates place the native-speaking population in the tens of thousands. Its sound system has six oral vowels /a e i o u ɨ/ with nasal counterparts and pervasive nasal harmony, while regional orthographies use the Latin script with some country-specific differences.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Mbyá Guaraní
Water
y
/ɨ/
Fire
tata
/ta.ˈta/
Sun
nhamandu
/ɲã.mɑ̃.ˈdu/
Moon
jaxy
/ʒa.ˈʃɨ/
Star
jaxy tata
/dʒaʃɨ taˈta/
Mother
sy
/ˈsɨ/
Father
tupa
/ˈtu.pa/
I
xee
/ʃeː/
You
ndee
/ndeː/
Name
téra
/ˈteɾa/
Eye
ãg̃u
/ɑ̃.ɡ̃u/
Hand
tape
/ta.ˈpe/
Heart
py'a
/pɨ.ˈa/
Love
rohayhu
/ro.ha.ˈɨ.u/
Tree
yvyra
/ɨ.vɨ.ˈra/
House
óga
/ˈo.ɡa/
Dog
asu
/a.ˈsu/
Cat
jaguá
/ʒa.ɡu.ˈa/
Eat
jepota
/ʒe.ˈpo.ta/
Drink
inumbo
/i.ˈnum.bo/
One
peteĩ
/pe.te.ˈĩ/
Two
mokõi
/mokõˈĩ/
Hello
mba'éichapa
/m.ba.ˈe.i.ʃa.pa/
Thank you
aguyje
/a.ɡu.ˈɨ.ʒe/
Good
porã
/po.ˈrɑ̃/
Words compared
Compared with related Tupian (Tupí-Guaraní) languages
| Meaning | Mbyá Guaraní | Guaraní | Tupinambá | Xavante | Nheengatu | Portuguese (Cape Verdean) | Greek |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | y /ɨ/ | y /ɨ/ | 'y /ʔɨ/ | a'ri /aʔɾi/ | ig /iɡ/ | água /ˈa.ɣwɐ/ | νερό /neˈɾo/ |
| Fire | tata /ta.ˈta/ | tata /tata/ | tatá /taˈta/ | tsadã /tsaˈdɐ̃/ | tatá /tata/ | fogo /ˈfo.ɣu/ | φωτιά /foˈtʲa/ |
| Sun | nhamandu /ɲã.mɑ̃.ˈdu/ | kuarahy /kwaɾahɨ/ | kuarasy /kwaɾaˈsɨ/ | marã /maˈɾɐ̃/ | kuarasi /kwaɾasi/ | sol /ˈsɔɫ/ | ήλιος /ˈiʎos/ |
| Moon | jaxy /ʒa.ˈʃɨ/ | jasy /dʒasɨ/ | iasy /jaˈsɨ/ | damã /daˈmɐ̃/ | yasi /jasi/ | lua /ˈlu.ɐ/ | φεγγάρι /feˈŋɡaɾi/ |
| Star | jaxy tata /dʒaʃɨ taˈta/ | mbyja /mbɨˈdʒa/ | jasytata /jasɨtaˈta/ | wasi /waˈsi/ | yasytatá /jasɨtaˈta/ | estrela /ʃˈtɾelɐ/ | αστέρι /aˈsteri/ |
| Mother | sy /ˈsɨ/ | sy /sɨ/ | sy /sɨ/ | atéze /aˈteze/ | mãi /mãi/ | mãe /ˈmɐ̃j̃/ | μητέρα /miˈteɾa/ |
| Father | tupa /ˈtu.pa/ | túva /tuva/ | tuba /ˈtuβa/ | adzé /aˈdze/ | paiá /paja/ | pai /ˈpaj/ | πατέρας /paˈteɾas/ |
| I | xee /ʃeː/ | che /ʃe/ | ixé /iˈʃɛ/ | wa /wa/ | ixé /iˈʃe/ | eu /ew/ | εγώ /eˈɣo/ |
| You | ndee /ndeː/ | nde /nde/ | endé /ẽˈdɛ/ | ã /ã/ | indé /ĩˈde/ | tu /tu/ | εσύ /eˈsi/ |
| Name | téra /ˈteɾa/ | téra /ˈtera/ | tera /ˈtɛra/ | 'madö'ö /maˈdɤʔɤ/ | sera /seˈɾa/ | nome /ˈnomɨ/ | όνομα /ˈonoma/ |
| Eye | ãg̃u /ɑ̃.ɡ̃u/ | tesa /tesa/ | t-esá /teˈsa/ | watimhã /watiˈmɦɐ̃/ | sesa /sesa/ | olho /ˈo.ʎu/ | μάτι /ˈmati/ |
| Hand | tape /ta.ˈpe/ | po /po/ | pó /po/ | wahé /waˈhe/ | pó /po/ | mão /ˈmɐ̃w̃/ | χέρι /ˈçeɾi/ |
| Heart | py'a /pɨ.ˈa/ | pyʼa /pɨʔa/ | nhe'ã /ɲẽˈʔã/ | rimé /ɾiˈme/ | py'ã /pɨʔã/ | coração /ku.ɾɐˈsɐ̃w̃/ | καρδιά /kaɾˈðʲa/ |
| Love | rohayhu /ro.ha.ˈɨ.u/ | hayhu /haɨhu/ | aûsub /aˈwsuβ/ | tsiboze /tsiˈboze/ | saysu /sajsu/ | amor /ɐˈmoɾ/ | αγάπη /aˈɣapi/ |
| Tree | yvyra /ɨ.vɨ.ˈra/ | yvyra /ɨvɨɾa/ | yby'rá /ɨβɨˈɾa/ | wazá /waˈza/ | mira-vra /miɾavɾa/ | árvore /ˈaɾ.vu.ɾɨ/ | δέντρο /ˈðendɾo/ |
| House | óga /ˈo.ɡa/ | óga /oɡa/ | oka /ˈoka/ | hoze /ˈhoze/ | oka /oka/ | casa /ˈka.zɐ/ | σπίτι /ˈspiti/ |
| Dog | asu /a.ˈsu/ | jagua /dʒaɡwa/ | îagûara /jaˈɣwaɾa/ | wahopré /wahoˈpɾe/ | yawara /jawaɾa/ | cão /kɐ̃w̃/ | σκύλος /ˈscilos/ |
| Cat | jaguá /ʒa.ɡu.ˈa/ | mbarakaja /mbaɾakadʒa/ | marakaîá /maɾakaˈja/ | tsabizá /tsabiˈza/ | mariwa /maɾiwa/ | gato /ɡa.tu/ | γάτα /ˈɣata/ |
| Eat | jepota /ʒe.ˈpo.ta/ | karu /kaˈɾu/ | 'u /ʔu/ | adzé /aˈdze/ | ku /ku/ | comer /kuˈmeɾ/ | τρώω /ˈtɾo.o/ |
| Drink | inumbo /i.ˈnum.bo/ | yʼu /ɨʔu/ | 'u /ʔu/ | a'ri /aʔɾi/ | yú /ju/ | beber /bɨˈβeɾ/ | πίνω /ˈpino/ |
| One | peteĩ /pe.te.ˈĩ/ | peteĩ /peteĩ/ | oîepé /ojeˈpe/ | dzama /ˈdzama/ | yepé /jepe/ | um /ˈũ/ | ένα /ˈena/ |
| Two | mokõi /mokõˈĩ/ | mokõi /mokõĩ/ | mokõi /moˈkõj/ | maparané /mapaɾaˈnɛ/ | mukũi /muˈkũĩ/ | dois /dojʃ/ | δύο /ˈðio/ |
| Hello | mba'éichapa /m.ba.ˈe.i.ʃa.pa/ | mbaʼéichapa /mbaʔeitʃapa/ | ereîubé /eɾejuˈβe/ | wazéimhõ /wazeˈimɦɔ̃/ | poranga /poɾaŋɡa/ | olá /ɔˈla/ | γεια σου /ˈʝa su/ |
| Thank you | aguyje /a.ɡu.ˈɨ.ʒe/ | aguyje /aɡuɨdʒe/ | — /—/ | adzé roma /aˈdze ˈɾoma/ | katu /katu/ | obrigado /ɔ.βɾiˈɣa.ðu/ | ευχαριστώ /efxaɾiˈsto/ |
| Good | porã /po.ˈrɑ̃/ | porã /poɾã/ | katu /kaˈtu/ | a'rama /aʔaˈɾama/ | katu /katu/ | bom /ˈbõ/ | καλό /kaˈlo/ |
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