Hello is ФIэхъус in Kabardian and Сэлам in Adyghe; thank you is Упсэу and Тхьауегъэпсэу; please is кхъыIэ and сыолъэIу.
This is the first unit of the Circassian app’s course, “Hello!”, made of two short lessons, “Basic Greetings” and “Politeness”. It is the same in both dialects of the Circassian language: Kabardian (East Circassian) on the left, Adyghe (West Circassian) on the right. Learn the words, hear them, read them in sentences, then take the quiz.
The words of Lesson 1
Left column: Kabardian (East Circassian), right: Adyghe (West Circassian). Tap a speaker to hear the app’s audio; the Latin line is the app’s own spelling.
Basic Greetings
| In English | Kabardian | Adyghe |
|---|---|---|
| hello | ФIэхъусF'eĥus | СэламSelam |
| how are you | Дауэ ущыт?Dawe ushchyt? | – |
| good | фIыщf'yshch | дэгъуdeghu |
| and you? | Уэ щэ?We shche? | оры?orə? |
| I am well | СыузыншэщSyuzynsheshch | СыпсауSypsaw |
Politeness
| In English | Kabardian | Adyghe |
|---|---|---|
| goodbye | – | ХъяркIэKhyark'e |
| thank you | УпсэуUpsew | ТхьауегъэпсэуThaweyeghepsey |
| please | кхъыIэkh'yIe | сыолъэIуsyolheIw |
| I understand | КъызгурыIуэQyzguryI'we | КъызгурэIоQyzgureIo |
| I don't understand | КъызгурыIуэркъымQyzguryI'werqym | КъызгурэIорэпQyzgureIorep |
An empty cell is a word of the app’s lesson that this page leaves out until a second source confirms it.
Sentences from the audio course
Whole sentences with these words, from the app’s audio course, whose scripts a native speaker of each dialect reviewed.
How are you?
I’m well, and you?
Goodbye!
Yes, thank you.
Excuse me.
I don’t understand.
Speak slowly.
Good to know
Thank you, and more. The Kabardian–Russian dictionary gives Упсэу as “thank you”, and also as “be healthy” and “hello” said in reply to a greeting (p. 455).
“I am well” in Kabardian, Сыузыншэщ, holds the word узыншэ, “healthy” in the same dictionary (p. 451).
Two goodbyes. The lesson’s Adyghe goodbye is ХъяркIэ. The audio course says goodbye in Kabardian with Узыншэу!; this page leaves out the Kabardian lesson’s own goodbye until a second source confirms it.
Test yourself
Five questions on this lesson’s words, the way the app asks them. Switch between Kabardian and Adyghe at the top.
The quiz needs JavaScript.
In the app, questions like these are in every lesson, and the words you get wrong come back for review sooner.
What comes next
In the app this unit ends with a review of every word so far, and the course goes on with the “About Me” unit. On this site the series continues with Lesson 2. All lessons, by dialect: Kabardian lessons and Adyghe lessons.
Questions
How do you say hello in Circassian?
ФIэхъус in Kabardian and Сэлам in Adyghe.
How do you say thank you in Circassian?
Упсэу in Kabardian and Тхьауегъэпсэу in Adyghe.
How do you say “I don’t understand” in Circassian?
КъызгурыIуэркъым in Kabardian and КъызгурэIорэп in Adyghe.
Is this lesson free?
Yes. This page is free, and so is the whole course in the Circassian app: 119 lessons in each dialect, and no account is needed for the lessons.
Free on iPhone & Android
The whole course, free
119 lessons in each dialect, the alphabet with native recordings, the audio course and an AI tutor.
4.9 on the App Store 50,000+ people in 100+ countries
Sources
- Lessons: the Circassian app, units “Hello!” (app version 5.9.0, October 2026).
- Audio course lines (sentences and words marked “course”): the app’s audio course, as in the phrasebook.
- Kabardian dictionary in the app (Apazhev and Kokov, Kabardino-Cherkess–Russian Dictionary, Nalchik 2008): ФIэхъус (p. 471), Упсэу (p. 455), кхъыIэ (p. 288).
- Adyghe dictionary in the app (dovlet.info): дэгъу, Тхьауегъэпсэу.
- Course facts (10 sections, 119 lessons per dialect, alphabet lessons, hearts, spaced review, audio course): the app’s own data, version 5.9.0, checked October 11, 2026.
Learn Circassian in a few minutes a day
Short lessons in Kabardian or Adyghe. Hear how the words sound, learn to read the alphabet, then practice with an AI tutor who replies in Circassian.
Download free50,000+ people in 100+ countries
