Sindarin phrasebook
Elves and wardens speak short Sindarin lines as you meet, trade, learn and fight beside them. Here is what they are saying.
| Sindarin | Meaning | Said when | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mae govannen. | Well met. | Greeting a visitor | Tolkien |
| Suilad. | Greetings. | Greeting a visitor | Neo-Sindarin |
| Tolo. | Come. | Greeting a visitor | Tolkien |
| Mae govannen, mellon. | Well met, friend. | Greeting a friend | Neo-Sindarin |
| Suilad, mellon. | Greetings, friend. | Greeting a friend | Neo-Sindarin |
| Tolo, mellon. | Come, friend. | Greeting a friend | Neo-Sindarin |
| Ma! | Good! | Accepting a trade; Accepting a finished task | Tolkien |
| Mae. | Excellent. | Accepting a trade; Accepting a finished task | Tolkien |
| Lasto. | Listen. | Loremaster explaining a lesson or request | Tolkien |
| Lasto beth lammen. | Listen to the word of my tongue. | Loremaster explaining a lesson or request | Tolkien, quoted |
| Tolo a lasto. | Come and listen. | Loremaster explaining a lesson or request | Neo-Sindarin |
| Caro mae. | Do well. | Loremaster, when you take on a task | Neo-Sindarin |
| Dandolo. | Come back. | Loremaster, when you take on a task | Neo-Sindarin |
| Mae garnen. | Well done. | Accepting a finished task | Neo-Sindarin |
| Avon. | I will not. | Refusing a shunned visitor | Tolkien |
| Avam. | We will not. | Refusing a shunned visitor | Tolkien |
| Daro! | Halt! | Warden going into battle | Tolkien |
| Baw! | Don't! | Warden going into battle | Tolkien |
| Avo garo! | Don't do it! | Warden going into battle | Tolkien |
| Cuio mae. | Live well. | Healer giving a blessing | Neo-Sindarin |
| Annon allen. | I thank you. | Warden thanking a visitor who slew its foe | Neo-Sindarin |
| Annon allen, mellon. | I thank you, friend. | Warden thanking a friend who slew its foe | Neo-Sindarin |
About the translations
Translations follow published scholarship on Tolkien's Elvish; the Neo-Sindarin lines are modern compositions and have not been reviewed by a Sindarin specialist.
- Tolkien: the line appears in his writing.
- Tolkien, quoted: a phrase taken from a longer passage.
- Neo-Sindarin: composed from his words and grammar.
Sources
- Eldamo: An Elvish Lexicon (Paul Strack, eldamo.org): Word meanings, Tolkien citations and the Neo-Sindarin grammar model behind every phrase.
- The Elvish languages (J.R.R. Tolkien): Attested words and phrases from The Lord of the Rings, Unfinished Tales, The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Sauron Defeated, The War of the Jewels, Parma Eldalamberon 17 and Vinyar Tengwar 44, as cited by Eldamo.