Dothraki Greetings: Hello, Goodbye, and Everything Between

Dothraki Greetings: Hello, Goodbye, and Everything Between

Greetings in Dothraki reveal more about the culture than any other part of the language. The Dothraki do not say "hello" — they say "respect." They do not say "goodbye" — they say "hunt well" or "ride well." Every greeting is built around honour, action, or motion, because those are the only things that matter on the Dothraki Sea.

This is a complete guide to every Dothraki greeting, with pronunciation, literal meaning, cultural context, and the specific situations each one fits.

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Hello: M'athchomaroon

Pronunciation: mah-CHOM-ah-roon Literal meaning: "With respect" When to use: Formal arrivals, meeting strangers, addressing a khal or khaleesi.

M'athchomaroon is built from three parts:

• ma — with
• athchomar — respect (abstract noun, from the ath- prefix)
• -oon — the ablative/inclusive case ending

Together: "with respect to you." It is the safest, most formal greeting in Dothraki — the one you reach for when you do not know your interlocutor well, or when you do know them and want to honour them.

In the show, Jorah Mormont uses M'athchomaroon to greet other Dothraki at the Vaes Dothrak gates. It is the etiquette equivalent of bowing.

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The Reply: Athchomar chomakea

Pronunciation: ATH-cho-mar cho-mah-KE-ah Literal meaning: "Respect to those who are respectful" When to use: As the standard formal reply to M'athchomaroon.

If someone greets you with M'athchomaroon, the canonical reply is Athchomar chomakea. The construction:

• Athchomar — respect (same root as above)
• chomakea — to the respectful ones (dative plural participle)

It mirrors and extends the original greeting — you returned their respect with respect to all the respectful. This call-and-response structure is the most stylised exchange in Dothraki.

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Casual Hello: Hash yer dothrae chek?

Pronunciation: hash yer DO-thra-eh chek Literal meaning: "Are you riding well?" When to use: Casual greeting between acquaintances or equals.

Word by word:

• Hash — the yes/no question marker (Dothraki's ¿)
• yer — you
• dothrae — rides (2nd person singular)
• chek — well

In Dothraki culture, "how are you?" literally means "are you riding well?" because riding is life. The expected reply is Anha dothrak chek — "I ride well."

This is the greeting you use day to day. It is less formal than M'athchomaroon and more conversational.

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The Reply: Anha dothrak chek

Pronunciation: ahn-ha DO-thrak chek Literal meaning: "I ride well" When to use: Reply to Hash yer dothrae chek?

If someone asks if you ride well, you answer that you do. The verb shifts from second-person dothrae to first-person dothrak. Everything else holds.

To say things are not going well: Anha dothrak vos chek — "I ride not well." Vos is the Dothraki negation particle.

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Goodbye (Most Common): Fonas chek

Pronunciation: FOH-nas chek Literal meaning: "Hunt well!" When to use: Standard farewell to anyone leaving on a task or journey.

Fonas is the imperative form of fonat ("to hunt" or "to seek"). Chek means "well." Together: a command-blessing, "hunt well!"

The cultural assumption is that what comes next in a person's day is goal-directed — a hunt, a raid, a journey, a piece of work. You wish them success in that pursuit.

This is the farewell you will hear most often in the show and the books. When characters part, this is the line.

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Goodbye to a Rider: Dothras chek

Pronunciation: DO-thras chek Literal meaning: "Ride well!" When to use: Specifically when the person is leaving on horseback.

The imperative form of dothralat (to ride). Used when the person you are sending off is mounting up and riding away — a more specific farewell than Fonas chek.

In the show, Drogo's bloodriders often say Dothras chek to one another before splitting up to scout or hunt.

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Goodbye to a Sleeper: Hash yer asti? / Iffi

Hash yer asti? literally "do you sleep?" can serve as a goodnight in informal contexts (extrapolated from Peterson's grammar — not directly attested in show dialogue).

Iffi is the canonical lullaby exclamation — used to soothe a child to sleep. Adults do not typically say iffi to each other.

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Greeting a Khal: Athchomar chomakea, khal vezhven

Pronunciation: ATH-cho-mar cho-mah-KE-ah, khal vezh-VEN Literal meaning: "Respect to the respectful, great khal" When to use: Formally addressing a khal in a court setting.

Adding khal vezhven ("great khal") to the standard formal greeting elevates it. This is the kind of phrase Jorah uses when first presenting himself to Drogo.

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Honour Phrase: San athchomari yeraan

Pronunciation: san ATH-cho-ma-ri ye-RAH-an Literal meaning: "Much respect to you" When to use: When you want to express deep gratitude or honour, often in a toast or formal acknowledgement.

This is the Dothraki equivalent of "thank you" — though Dothraki has no direct word for "thank you," because the cultural assumption is that respect must be earned in deeds, not handed out in pleasantries. San athchomari yeraan is the closest match: "much respect to you."

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Welcome Phrase: Yer chomoe anhaan

Pronunciation: yer cho-MO-ay an-HAH-an Literal meaning: "You honour me" When to use: Welcoming a guest into your tent or camp.

A Dothraki welcomes you by acknowledging that you have honoured them by arriving. The reply is typically San athchomari yeraan ("much respect to you").

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Putting It Together: A Full Exchange

A typical formal Dothraki encounter:

Person A: M'athchomaroon. ("With respect.") Person B: Athchomar chomakea. ("Respect to those who are respectful.") Person A: Hash yer dothrae chek? ("Are you riding well?") Person B: Anha dothrak chek. Yer? ("I ride well. You?") Person A: Anha dothrak chek. ("I ride well.")

(Conversation happens.)

Person A on leaving: Fonas chek. ("Hunt well.") Person B: Fonas chek. ("Hunt well.")

This is the most canonical Dothraki social exchange you can have, and it covers every greeting in this guide.

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What to Avoid

A few things English speakers reach for that do not work in Dothraki:

1. "Thank you." There is no direct equivalent. Use San athchomari yeraan for deep gratitude. For minor thanks, no phrase is needed — Dothraki culture does not expect verbal thanks for small things.

2. "Please." Also no direct equivalent. Imperative forms in Dothraki are not softened with politeness particles. Azhas eshna anhaan ("give water to me") is the way to ask for water, with no softener.

3. "Goodnight." No canonical greeting for this specifically. Fonas chek works as a general parting; sleep-specific greetings are extrapolated, not canon.

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Cultural Note

Greetings in Dothraki carry weight. Skipping M'athchomaroon when meeting a khal is an insult — the equivalent of refusing to bow. Saying Fonas chek to a person about to do a meaningful task is a real blessing, not a throwaway phrase.

This is why Tengwar's Dothraki course teaches greetings in lesson 1 with cultural context attached, not just word-for-word translation. The phrase carries the culture; if you say it without understanding what it means, you are not really speaking Dothraki.

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Related Reading

• Fonas Chek: Meaning and Use of the Dothraki Farewell
• M'athchomaroon: Meaning and Use of the Dothraki Greeting
• Dothraki Greetings Quick Reference

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