Greetings can be called Okulamusa (to greet) or Okubuuza (to question). There are formal greetings and informal greetings.
Formal Greetings
The proper formal greeting depends upon the time of day: kumakya (morning, ku-ma-chya) greetings are a separate phrase from the rest of the day, since you are actually asking “how did you spend the night, ma’am/sir?” The addition of ma’am/sir is not optional, but an important part in the greeting, no matter what time of day.
Okubuuza Kumakya (greetings for the morning)
Wasuze otya nnyabo/ssebo? Singular, literally “You spent the night how, ma’am/sir?” When a word ends in a vowel followed by a word beginning with a vowel, make a liaison between the two: (wa-su-z’oh-tya). The general response to this question is simply to say Bulungi, nnyabo/ssebo to indicate that the night was passed well, ma’am/sir (bu-lun-gee).
The general greeting format is as follows, between Woman A and Man B:
A: Wasuze otya, ssebo?
B: Bulungi, nnyabo.
A: Mm (sound of comprehension)
B: Wasuze otya, nnyabo?
A. Bulungi, ssebo.
B. Mmm.
A. Mm. (This final sound is made at a higher pitch, somehow to indicate that the greeting is finished)
To make this a plural greeting, say Mwasuze mutya bannyabo/bassebo? (see the grammar section for more about conjugation)
Okubuuza Olweggulo/Akawungeezi/Ekiro (greetings for the afternoon, evening, and night)
Sometime around 11 or 12, you start asking people how they’ve passed their day instead of how they passed their night: Osiibye otya, nnyabo/ssebo. Again, make the liaison between the vowels: oh-see-by’oh-tya. The response is the same, bulungi, I’ve passed the day well. The format is the same as for the morning as well. For plural, say Musiibye mutya, bannyabo/bassebo.
Formal greetings can be extended for quite a long time. It is customary to ask about the family and to thank the person for their work. So after the “Wasuze otya” or “Osiibye otya” part is over as detailed above, the following could occur:
B. Gyebaleko OR Weebale emirimo. (Thank you for the work you are doing)
A. Kale. Naawe gyebale. (Ok, and to you also thanks for your work).
B. Kale. Bali batya a’beeka? (Ok. How is your family back home?)
A. Bulungi, ssebo. Ate gwe? (Well, and your family?)
B. Bulungi, nnyabo.
A. Mm.
B. Mm. (higher pitch to indicate closure)
Sometimes it will seem like a competition — who can think of the most questions, how long can the greeting continue?
Informal Greetings
“Oli otya?” is the most general way of saying “How are you?” (singular) while “Muli mutya?” is plural. A typical responses is “Gyendi,” literally meaning “I’m there” (“Gyetuli” for “we’re there”).
“Ki kati?” is the most informal greeting used between friends, literally meaning “What now?” though comparable to “Whassup?” in slang. Often the response is “Tewali” meaning “nothing.”
A note about children:
“Lwaki tonbuuza?” (Why don’t you greet me?) became a helpful phrase when a child would shout “Bye Muzungu!” at me. For children (plural), I’d say “Lwaki temunbuuza?“ followed quickly by the informal greeting “Muli mutya?” (how are you, plural). They would sheepishly greet me, realizing that it was rude to shout.
If adults (usually men) shouted “Bye, Muzungu,” in the beginning, I would ignore it at first… but then towards the end of my time there I would reply “Bye, Muganda!” This response received some appreciative laughs from people nearby, though my host brother warned that they aren’t all “baganda,” that is, people from Buganda who speak Luganda. They could be from a different part of Uganda… however, not all white people are “bazungu” that is, people who speak English (Luzungu) so I thought it was ok.
