Sindarin Word List: 200+ Essential Words from Tolkien's Elvish
Sindarin Word List: 200+ Essential Words
Sindarin — the Grey-Elvish tongue of Middle-earth's Third Age — is the Elvish language you hear most in Tolkien's stories and Peter Jackson's films. When Legolas says "Mae govannen", when Arwen cries "Ú i vethed nâ i onnad", when the Fellowship travels to Lothlórien — that is Sindarin.
This word list covers the essential vocabulary: attested words from Tolkien's texts and, where marked (reconstructed), forms derived by scholars from known linguistic roots.
A Note on Sindarin Pronunciation
Sindarin has a few key sounds English speakers should know:
- ae = sounds like English "eye" (aear = sea, sounds like "AY-ar")
- ai = sounds like "eye" (aiya = hail)
- c is always hard like "k" — never soft (círdan = "KEER-dan")
- ch = like Scottish "loch" — never "ch" as in "church"
- r = slightly rolled
- Stress falls on the second-to-last syllable if long; otherwise the third-to-last
Greetings & Common Phrases
| Sindarin | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mae govannen | Well met / Hello | Most common Elvish greeting |
| Suilad | Greeting | General greeting |
| Novaer | Farewell | Lit. "go well" |
| Cuio vae | Live well | Parting blessing |
| Hîl nîn | My heir / my successor | |
| Mellon nîn | My friend | |
| A Elbereth Gilthoniel | O Elbereth Star-kindler | Sacred invocation |
| Edro | Open! | Used at the Doors of Moria |
People & Relationships
| Sindarin | Meaning |
|---|---|
| edhel (pl. edhil) | Elf |
| adan (pl. edain) | Man, mortal |
| orch (pl. yrch) | Orc |
| naug | Dwarf |
| drúadan | Drúedain (Wild Men) |
| nér | man, male |
| bess | woman, wife |
| ion | son |
| sell | daughter |
| adar | father |
| naneth | mother |
| hîr | lord, master |
| hiril | lady, mistress |
| mellon | friend |
| meleth nîn | my love |
| guren | my heart (affectionate address) |
| ionnath | sons (collective plural) |
| hîn | children |
Emotions & Inner Life
| Sindarin | Meaning |
|---|---|
| meleth | love (noun) |
| mel- | to love (verb) |
| mîl | love, affection (reconstructed) |
| estel | hope, trust |
| nîr | tear (weeping) |
| naer | sad, lamentable |
| naergon | woe, great grief |
| gal- | to shine; also joy |
| alae | behold! (exclamation) |
| ai | ah! alas! |
| ónen i-Estel Edain | I gave Hope to the Dúnedain (from Arwen's lament) |
Nature
| Sindarin | Meaning |
|---|---|
| aear | sea, great sea |
| celuin | stream, rill |
| duin | river (large) |
| nen | water, lake |
| orod (pl. ered) | mountain |
| amon | hill |
| taur | forest, great wood |
| eryn | wood, grove |
| galadh | tree |
| las | leaf |
| gorn | stone, rock |
| ond | stone |
| sul | wind |
| aur | day, morning |
| dû | night, darkness |
| ithil | moon (the Moon) |
| anor | sun (the Sun) |
| êl (pl. elin) | star |
| gil | bright spark, star |
| lhûg | snake, serpent |
| huan | hound |
| roch | horse |
| aew | small bird |
Light & Shadow
| Sindarin | Meaning |
|---|---|
| galad | radiance, light |
| glaur | golden light |
| silif | moonshine, silver light |
| calen | green, bright |
| cel- | to flow, to run away |
| morn | dark, black |
| dûr | dark, gloomy |
| gwath | shadow, shade |
| fuir | north (also associated with cold and dark) |
| dae | shadow (usually sinister) |
| ithildin | moonlight-metal (starmoon writing) |
Common Adjectives
| Sindarin | Meaning |
|---|---|
| bain | beautiful, fair |
| maer | good, useful |
| morn | dark, black |
| calen | green, bright |
| glas | joy, gladness |
| naer | sad |
| thîn | grey |
| nínim | white (of the colour) |
| laeg | vivid green, fresh |
| meleg | strong, mighty |
| beleg | great, mighty |
| dîr | man, male (adjective form) |
| hen | one, single |
| naith | sharp, spearhead-shaped |
| vorn | dark, black |
Common Verbs
| Sindarin | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| mel- | to love | gi melin = I love you |
| gal- | to shine | |
| ped- | to speak | pedin = I speak |
| car- | to make, do | |
| tol- | to come | |
| linna- | to sing | linnathon = I will sing |
| lacha- | to flame | |
| nan- | to go back | |
| cen- | to see | |
| gir- | to shudder | |
| hîr- | to find, discover | |
| edra- | to open | |
| edraith- | to save, rescue | Edraith ammen! = Save us! |
| teitha- | to write | |
| gala- | to grow, thrive |
Numbers
| Sindarin | Number |
|---|---|
| min | 1 |
| tad | 2 |
| neled | 3 |
| canad | 4 |
| leben | 5 |
| eneg | 6 |
| odog | 7 |
| toloth | 8 |
| neder | 9 |
| pae | 10 |
| minib | 11 |
| ýneg | 12 |
Essential Phrases
| Sindarin | English |
|---|---|
| Gi melin | I love you |
| Mae govannen | Well met / Hello |
| Novaer | Farewell |
| Ú i vethed nâ i onnad | It is not the end, it is the beginning (Arwen) |
| Edro, hî ammen! | Open, for us! |
| Mellon | Friend (the password at Moria) |
| A tiro nin, Fanuilos! | Watch over me, Fanuilos! (prayer) |
| Edraith ammen! | Save us! |
| Hiro hyn hîdh ab 'wanath | May they find peace after death |
| Noro lim, Asfaloth! | Ride fast, Asfaloth! (Arwen's command) |
| Lasto beth nîn | Hear my voice |
The Sindarin Mutation System
One feature that makes Sindarin grammatically unique — and why learning words alone is not enough:
Initial consonant mutations change the first sound of a word based on what precedes it. For example:
- barad (tower) becomes varad after a possessive pronoun
- taur (forest) becomes daur in certain grammatical positions
- palan (far, wide) becomes balan after specific particles
There are several mutation types (soft, nasal, mixed, stop). This is why Sindarin spoken by Elves sounds fluid — words blend together at their boundaries. It is also why a word list alone will not make you fluent.
Going Deeper
If these words have caught your interest, the next step is understanding Sindarin grammar — mutations, plural formation, verb conjugation, and noun phrases.
Tengwar's free Sindarin lessons cover the grammar step by step, with audio pronunciation, interactive flashcards, and Mithrandir (our AI tutor) to answer questions. The first six lessons are free, no card required.
Learn Sindarin with structured lessons at learningelvish.com.
Related Guides
- Quenya Dictionary: 200+ Essential Words — the High-Elvish companion dictionary
- Quenya vs Sindarin — Which to Learn? — comparing the two Elvish dialects
- Sindarin Pronunciation Guide — how to say these words correctly
- Elvish Greetings — Quenya & Sindarin — the most common phrases in use
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the Sindarin word for love?
The Sindarin word for love (verb) is mel-. 'I love you' in Sindarin is Gi melin. The noun form is meleth (love, the feeling). A beloved person is called meleth nîn (my love).
How many Sindarin words are there?
Sindarin has approximately 1,500–2,500 attested (documented) words across Tolkien's published texts. Many more words exist in his unpublished notes. Sindarin is slightly less documented than Quenya but was the more commonly spoken Elvish language in the Third Age.
Is Sindarin the language in Lord of the Rings movies?
Yes. The Elvish spoken in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films is primarily Sindarin, the Grey-Elvish dialect. Quenya also appears, especially in Galadriel's lament Namárië and the A Elbereth Gilthoniel prayer.
What does Mae govannen mean?
Mae govannen is Sindarin for 'Well met' — the standard Elvish greeting, roughly equivalent to 'Welcome' or 'Hello, old friend'. It literally means 'well encountered'. It is spoken by Legolas to Aragorn in The Fellowship of the Ring.
Practice What You Just Learned
Interactive lessons and AI-powered practice — free forever for the first lessons.
START LEARNING ELVISH FREE