Basic Tsotsil Phrases for Visitors to Chiapas

The most reliable visitor phrase list found for this Guide is INALI’s official Bats’i K’op Tsotsil courtesy prontuario. It gives useful greetings, thanks, introductions and leave-taking phrases, but it should not be presented as a universal script for every Tsotsil-speaking community. INALI describes Tsotsil as having seven linguistic variants, and the prontuario is not labelled as the specific variety of San Juan Chamula, Zinacantán or another nearby community.

Quick answer

• Start with one or two courtesy phrases, especially a greeting or thank-you.
• Use the spelling below as a respectful reference, not as proof that your pronunciation is perfect.
• Current INALI materials use Tsotsil; Tzotzil is also common in older and international sources.
• Ask a speaker, teacher or local guide to check pronunciation when it matters.
• Do not confuse Tsotsil with Tseltal; they are distinct but related Mayan languages. See Tsotsil vs Tseltal.
• Search volume not established.

Courtesy phrases from INALI

The forms and Spanish glosses below follow INALI’s official Tsotsil prontuario. The English uses a natural visitor translation where the Spanish gloss is idiomatic.

| Tsotsil form | Meaning | A useful moment | | --- | --- | --- | | Bats’i okol aval | Many thanks | After help, a purchase or an introduction | | Yu jpech vaj | Enjoy your meal | Before or during a meal | | Sak osil | Good morning | In the morning | | Mal k’ak’al | Good afternoon | In the afternoon | | Ak’ubal | Good night | In the evening or at night | | Ti jbie ja’… | My name is… | Introducing yourself | | Okol aval ti natañike | Welcome; thanks for coming | A welcoming exchange | | Ochan avokoluk | Please come in / go ahead | When inviting someone to pass | | Ech’kun ta ts’el | Excuse me / with permission | Passing, interrupting or asking permission | | Chi’ino batel kajvaltik | May you go well; may our Lord accompany you | A good-wish phrase with religious wording | | Jk’opon jbatik yan velta | Goodbye; we will speak another day | Leaving | | Junuk no’ox me avo’ontonik li’ ta tsobleje | Enjoy this gathering | A meeting or group setting |

INALI translates these phrases into Spanish as Muchas gracias, Buen provecho, Buenos días, Buenas tardes, Buenas noches, Mi nombre es, Bienvenidos, Pase usted, Con permiso, Que te vaya bien, Adiós and Que disfruten de esta reunión. The longer forms are useful to recognize, but a visitor does not need to memorize them all.

Pronunciation and spelling

This Guide does not invent a phonetic spelling. Tsotsil has sounds and contrasts that are easy to flatten when written with English or Spanish assumptions, and a phrase that looks simple on the page may not sound natural without a speaker’s help.

The apostrophes in forms such as Bats’i, Chi’ino, Jk’opon and Ech’kun are part of the written form supplied by INALI. Keep them when you copy a phrase, and do not silently replace Tsotsil spelling with a Spanish approximation.

INALI also publishes a writing standard for Tsotsil. Its wider language resources explain that linguistic variants can differ in sounds, words, meanings and usage, and that Indigenous-language writing continues to be shaped by speakers and communities.

Why one phrase list is not universal

The official prontuario says that Tsotsil has seven linguistic variants and cites 2009 catalogue data for its speaker count. Treat that number as historical catalogue context, not as a current population estimate.

A general courtesy list is a helpful starting point, but it does not identify a specific community variety. A form used by a teacher, host or community member near San Cristóbal may differ from the form in a printed resource. If a local speaker offers a different form, ask what it means and follow their guidance.

This is also why Tsotsil and Tseltal should not be merged into a generic “Maya language.” For broader context, read What Languages Are Spoken in San Cristóbal? and How to Visit Indigenous Communities near San Cristóbal Respectfully.

How to use the phrases respectfully

• Learn a phrase because you want to greet or thank someone, not to perform an identity.
• Ask before recording a person’s voice or asking them to repeat a phrase for a video.
• Use Spanish when a practical question needs to be understood clearly.
• Do not assume that a phrase gives permission to photograph, enter a home or cross a community boundary.
• If you want structured language instruction, ask Tu Mundo Spanish Language School what Tsotsil-related lessons or referrals are currently available.

Sources

• INALI — Tsotsil courtesy prontuario
• INALI — Writing standard for Tsotsil
• INALI — Indigenous languages, variants and writing
• SanCrisGo — Tsotsil vs Tseltal
• Tu Mundo Spanish Language School

Last verified: September 6, 2026.