Language Nest Curriculum

Our Language Nest Program has prepared some fun materials to get you started on your Anishinaabemowin journey. Browse the materials on this page to learn useful words and phrases at your own pace.

Miigwemin Anishinaabemowin kidwin.
We are giving you our Language.

Boozoo Aanii. Gchi nendam wii bizinwiiyaang Anishinaabemowin.
Welcome, hi! We are very happy that you are listening to us talking our Ojibwe Language.

Ga Kinoomaago waashi anishinaabemiiyeg. Aabjitoon na waa noongom kidying noondaameg pane.
We are teaching how to speak Ojibwe. Use what you hear today, always.

Gago gach ken.
Don't be shy.

Naanaag aitwishin kidan miinwaa gaa kidiyaang.
Listen to what is said, say what was said, and repeat what you hear.

Nogoding miinwaa gego mensengen.
Once again, don't be bashful.

Ahaaw, ga maajtaamin.
Okay, we will start.

Compiled by:
Language Nest and Anishinaabemowin Naaknigewin, Elder's Steering Committee

Zhaginaashii taagzi - Ojibwe words that sound like English

These are Ojibwe words that sound like English words. Click back and forth to see all 12 drawings.

Bezhig maanda kidwin bzindan endaaso giizhigad - Word a Day

A word a day is an easy way to learn Ojibwe. Visit us whenever you want to learn a new word!

You can read and listen to the entire word-a-day collection here: 365 Days of Words

001 002 003 004 005 006 007 008 009 010 011 012 013 014 015 016 017 018 019 020 021 022 023 024 025 026 027 028 029 030 031 032 033 034 035 036 037 038 039 040 041 042 043 044 045 046 047 048 049 050 051 052 053 054 055 056 057 058 059 060 061

Jina G'anishinaabemtaadmin - We'll talk Ojibwe for a little bit

Ready for a bigger challenge? We have 52 useful sentences for you to practice and learn.
sentence a week picture 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52

Vowels and Syllables in Anishinaabemowin

Anishinaabemowin, the Ojibwe language, uses only 19 letters of the 26 in the English alphabet to form vowels and consonants.

There are long vowels and short vowels.

Mii iw nakw entaagwak. (that is the sound these make)

This fun song will help you recall the vowel sounds of our language: Kidwinesan

These are the syllables that make of Ojibwe words. (syllables marked with * are very scarce).

Vowels 2

There are no sounds in the Ojibwe language for the letters: f, l, q, r, u, v, x