50 Common Assamese Words and Their Meanings (in English)

Building your vocabulary is one of the best ways to start understanding and communicating in a new language. To help you get a head start in Assamese, we’ve compiled a list of 50 common Assamese words along with their English meanings. 

These are everyday words that you’ll hear frequently in conversations. Learning these will give you a solid foundation and boost your confidence when you try to speak or translate Assamese. We’ve included the words in Assamese script, a simple phonetic transliteration, and the English meaning. Let’s expand your Assamese vocabulary!

50 Common Words in Assamese (with English meanings):

1. নমস্কাৰ (nomoskar) – Hello
2. বিদায় (bidāy) – Goodbye
3. ধন্যবাদ (dhonyobad) – Thank you
4. হয় (hoy) – Yes
5. নহয় (nohoy) – No
6. মাফ কৰক (maf korok) – Sorry/Excuse me
7. এক (ek) – One
8. দুই (dui) – Two
9. তিন (tin) – Three
10. চাৰি (sari) – Four
11. পাঁচ (panch) – Five
12. ছয় (soy) – Six
13. সাত (xaat) – Seven
14. আঠ (aath) – Eight
15. ন (no) – Nine
16. দহ (doh) – Ten
17. মা (ma) – Mother
18. দেউতা (deuta) – Father
19. ভাই (bhai) – Brother
20. ভনী (bhoni) – Sister
21. বন্ধু (bondhu) – Friend
22. মানুহ (manuh) – Person (man/human)
23. মহিলা (mohila) – Woman (lady)
24. পানী (pani) – Water
25. চাহ (chah) – Tea (Assam is famous for its tea!)
26. ভাত (bhat) – Rice (staple food)
27. মাছ (maach) – Fish
28. ঘৰ (ghor) – House/Home
29. স্কুল (skul) – School
30. বই (boi) – Book
31. কলম (kolom) – Pen
32. টকা (toka) – Money (also means Rupee)
33. সময় (somoy) – Time
34. ভাষা (bhasha) – Language
35. অসমীয়া (asomiya) – Assamese (language or anything related to Assam)
36. ইংৰাজী (ingraji) – English
37. আহিব (ahibo) – Come (to come)
38. যাব (jabo) – Go (to go)
39. খাব (khaabo) – Eat (to eat)
40. গৰম (gorom) – Hot (warm)
41. ঠাণ্ডা (thanda) – Cold (cool)
42. খুশি (khushi) – Happy (joyful)
43. দুখী (dukhi) – Sad (unhappy)
44. নাম (naam) – Name
45. অসম (Oxom) – Assam (the state/region)
46. ভাৰত (Bharat) – India
47. বিহু (Bihu) – Bihu (Assam’s major festival and also means the folk dance/song associated with it)
48. গান (gaan) – Song
49. নাচ (nach) – Dance
50. ৰঙা (ronga) – Red (as a bonus color word!)

(Bonus: Now you also know the word for a color –ৰঙা (ronga) means red! & Check out the the Assamese Guide for Better Quality of Information.)

Using and Practicing These Words

Now that you have 50 common words at your disposal, try using them in simple sentences or when thinking in Assamese. For example:

• মই পানী খায় (Moi pani khāi) – “I drink water.” Here you used word #24 (pani) for water.
• ঘৰত টকা নাই (Ghorot toka nai) – “There is no money at home.” (We used #28 ghor for home and #32 toka for money.)
• তুমি বন্ধু ভাল (Tumi bondhu bhal) – This literally translates to “You friend good,” which is a broken way to say “You are a good friend” (proper Assamese would add a verb: Tumi mor bondhu bhal – You my friend (are) good). But even this exercise of stringing words helps you think in Assamese.

Tips to Remember Words

• Association: Connect the Assamese word to an image or concept in your mind. For instance, when you think “চাহ (chah)”, visualize a steaming cup of Assam tea.
• Flashcards: Make flashcards with Assamese on one side and English on the other. Quiz yourself. Can you recall what “মানুহ” means? Flip – it’s “person”.
• Practice in Context: Try to use a new word immediately in a sentence or scenario. If you learned “মাছ” (fish), next time you see fish at the market or on your plate, say “এইটা মাছ” (eiṭa maach) which means “This is fish.”
• Group by Category: It can help to group words. For example, #17-20 are family terms. #7-16 are numbers. #40-43 are adjectives (hot, cold, happy, sad). When you learn one, recall the others in that group to reinforce them.

Wrap Up

Mastering these 50 words will give you a great start in understanding basic Assamese texts or conversations. You’ll catch these words in songs, on signs, or when listening to people chat. Don’t stop at just memorizing – try to actively use them. You can mix Assamese words into your thoughts or even in conversations with friends who are learning with you (“I’m feeling khushi today!”).

Language learning is all about repetition and usage. Keep revisiting this list until the words stick. From here, you can expand to the next 50 words and phrases (we’ll cover more in future posts, like common verbs and more adjectives). Happy learning – or should we say শুভ কামনা (shubha kamona) – best of luck with these new words! You’re on your way to becoming conversant in Assamese.