The phrases and words in this list are divided into sections as follows:
General Phrases
Eating and Drinking
Outdoor Surroundings
Indoor Surroundings
Clothing
Human Body
Relationships
Trades and Occupations
Animals and Insects
Adjectives
Pronouns
Adverbs and Prepositions
Verbs
Numbers and Time
NOTES ON PRONUNCIATION
The letters are pronounced as in Spanish, and the language sounds somewhat like Spanish when spoken. In general each word has one strongly accented syllable; this has been printed in CAPS to indicate the accent. The letters have the following English values:
a as in father o as in home
a as in mat u as in rule
ai as in aisle ng as in sing
au as in mouse na as in manana
aw as in law (manNYAna) ay as in say ni as nyi (nyee)
e as in kept no as nyo i as in machine gui as gwi (gwee)
c or qu as k j as in jug, though the sound is more like ch or dz
Double vowels are a peculiar feature of this language. The double vowel is pro nounced quickly and lightly with a little jerk the way we say "ughugh" to mean yes. Double "o" is pronounced as we do when we have discovered something wrong and say "Ohoh", quickly. Be careful not to make double "o" rhyme with moo or coo. These double letters must be pronounced as quickly as possible.
The voice is raised at the end of questions just as in English.
The following greetings will set you up nicely on your first meeting with a Chamorro. Do not neglect them.
(to a male)
HAfa GAchong (Hello pal)
(to a female)
HAfa cheLUho (Hello sister)
(to an old man)
HAfa TIa (Hello uncle)
(to an old lady)
HAfa TIa (Hello aunt)
Good morning or buEnos DIas!
good day!
Good evening! buEnos NOches!
I am your friend atuNGO mu ju
You are my friend atuNGO hu hau
I am alone guaGUAhu ha na
MAIsa
I am an American senDAlun amen-
soldier KAno ju
I am an American maRlnon amen-
sailor KAno ju
Fighting man guerREro
Please! por faVOR!
Thank you si juus maAsi
Excuse me aSIi ju
Yes HUNgan
No Ahe
Do you understand? unTUNGo?
I don't understand tihuTUNGo
I understand clearly huGEF TUNGo
Speak slowly, please disPAsio
What is your name? HAja naANmo?
My name is......... si..........ju
What is this? HAfa ESte?
What is that?
(nearby) HAfa Eno?
What is that?
(far away) HAfa Aju?
Come here! MAIIa GUIni!
Come quickly MAIla GUsii
Go away HANau
What do you want? HAfa malaGAmo?
Be careful!
Look out! aDAhe!
Wait for me!
Wait! NANGa ju!
Give (me, us) some- MAIIa fan didiDli
thing to eat. NENkano
Give (me, us) some- MAIla fan didiDli
thing to drink. Hanom
Is this good to eat? MAUlek ESte
maKAno?
Is this good to MAUIek ESte
drink? maGImin?
Whereis........? MANgi
Show me please.
Guide me. faNUi fan ju
What is the name
of this place? luGAR?
Where shall I sleep? MAno na bai
MAIgo?
Would you like to maLAgo hau
smoke? chuMUpa?
I am sick. He is sick. maLANGo ju
maLANGo gui
What's this? HAfa ESte?
What's that? HAfa ENao?
I want........ maLAgo ju
How much does it
cost? cuANto baLlna?
High price. Low
price GUAguan. baRAtu
Who are they? HAje Ajo SIha?
You are right diNANchi hau
(correct)
I am wrong. That's LAchi ju. MenDAge
not true ENao
Stop it! BASta!
Look! Atan!
Where are you
going? PAra MAnu hau?
That's good
(all right) ESta MAUIek
Is that OK with
you? MAUlek ENao?
How far is........? HAF taiMAno
chinaGOna
How many? CuANto?
Where is the head
of the village? manGUI i MAagas?
Show me the way faNUi ju nii
CHAIan
How old are you? CUANtos ANnos
hau?
How long have you
lived on the DISti NGAIan hau
island? GUIni na ISla?
May I have a coco- SIna ju un
nut to drink? naaGImin
MANha?
When did the Japa- NGA Ian nai man
nese leave this MApos
place? chapaNIS?
Where did they go? MA lag MAnu
GUAtu?
By what means did HAfa HANau
they leave? NIha?
Can you speak Jap- unTUNGo
anese? German? comuENtos
English? chapaNIS?
AIleMAN?
English?
How many people CUANto naTAOtao
are helping the umaJUjuda i
Japanese? chapaNlS?
Who is? HAje SIha?
Did the Japanese kau man maMOlo i
leave any. guns chapaNIS
and ammunition munishiON
on the island? GUERra?
Please take me to konIi ju fan PAra i
the Japanese offiSlnan i MAgas
Headquarters chapaNIS
Are there any GUAha unTUNGo
papers? docu- pinellon NIha
ments? PApet?
Did they leave any kau man maMOlo
food? NENkano?
Show me a well faNUi fan ju nii
tipuu
Is this good water? MAUlek ESte
naHAnum PAra
maGlmen?
You drink it HAgu fan un Glmen
How many people GUANto GUAha
are in this vii- naTAOtao gi
lage? SENGsong?
Where is the air- manu SAgan NIha
field? batcoNAYre?
How many planes CUANto no
are there? batcoNAYre?
Please take me to SIna MOhon un
someone who faNUi ju unTAO-
speaks English tao ni tuMUNGo
fino English
cook cuisiNEro bowl TAsa food NENkano fire GUAfe knife SEsay matches MAtches pan kaLAhe more MAS good to eat MAUIek maKAno banana Agaa bird PAharo bread pan breadfruit LEmai chicken (hen) MAnok cigarettes cigaRILlo cocoanut NIjuk crab, cocoanut crab PANGIau, aJUju dove paLUma egg CHAdaa fish GUIhan fruit FRUta, tiNETcha lobster maHONGang meat CARne, CATne milk (cocoanut) CHUgo, NLjuk pandanus AGgag, KAfo papaya paPAya pig BAbue sugar aSUcar taro, cooked taro SUne, Agon water HAnom wine or toddy TUba
airplane aeroPLAno, heeKOkee /JAP/ automobile automobile, jeeDOsha /Jap/ bank of a river ANtun SAdog boat BOti, gaLAIte bomb BOMba, bakuDANG /Jap/ bridge TOlai church, mission GUma juus darkness hOMhom day haAne field (cultivated) fanguaLUan, GUAlo grass chaAguan ground oDAa gun PAki hill OKsu hospital hospiTAL, BYOeen /Jap/ house GUma light CANdit mangrove MANGIi moon PUlan month mes night, last night puENGe, PAinge ocean TAsi passage in reef KAnat, fanlufajan path, road CHAlan rain Uchan ravine (small valley) HOja, kaNAda reef MAmaati, robenTAson, AchunJANjak road CHAlan rock Achu schoolhouse escuEla ship BARco, SAhejar FUne /Jap/ sky LANGit stars puTIon store TENda stream saDUK sun ADdao sunrise kinaHUlu ADdac sunset miNAchum ADdao swamp siSONjan town, village SONGsong warehouse buDEga water, salt water HAnom, HAnom TAse well TUpuu wind MANGlo wood(material) HAjuj, HAyo woods, tree tronkon HAju, tronkon HAyo work, worker CHOchoo
bed CAma
blanket SAbanas
door PORta
mat GUAfak
mosquito net mosquiTEro,
KAbejun, KAya/JAP/ stove FOgon toilet KOmon, BENjo/JAP/
belt SENtoron, hulon coat ameriCAna pants kaTSUnes shirt chiNIna shoes saPAtos, KUtsu/JAP/ socks NEhaz undershirt flaNELla
arm, hand KAnai back tataLU body TAtaotao ear taLANga eye Atadok, MAta finger KAlulut foot PAtas hair GAput Ulo head Ulo leg Adeng mouth PAchut neck aGAgaa stomach TUjan teeth NIfin toe daMAgas
boy PATgun. LAhe brother eheLUhu LAhe child, baby NEne daughter HAga family faMilia father TAta girl PATgun paLAwan husband aSAgua man, person LAhe mother NAna sister cheLUhu paLAwan son laHIhu wife aSAgua woman paLAwan
barber barBEru doctor MEdico, aAMte native medicine Amut mechanic mechaNiSta policeman poLISman, JUNsa /Jap/ spy esPLa, atiTUje
ants Odut bird PAharo cat CAtu centipede saLIgau cockroach kokuRAcha dog gaaLAWgo flies LAloo lice HUtu lizard guaLIig mosquitoes NAmu mouse, rat CHAaka scorpion alaKRAN spider sanJEje
alive LAalaa
all TOdo
angry laLAloo
bad BAba
beautiful boNIto
big DANkulo
black Atilong
blue aSUT
cheap baRAtu
clean GASgas
cold maNENGheng
dead MAtai
deep TAdong
dirty Aplachaa
drunk buLAcho
dry ANGloo
early TAFtaf
enemy eneMIgo, conTRArio, hachatLle
empty baSIo
enough NAhung
expensive GUAguan
fast CHAdik
foreign, stranger eSTRAno
full BUIa
good MAUlek
green BETde
happy, lucky MAgof
high TAKhilo
high tide Binilan TAse,
HAFnuu
hot MAIpi
hungry NAlang
late, slow Atrasao, Ekahat
left (not right) aKAgue
long aNAkuu
low, low tide TAKpapaa, MAti
(or MEIti?)
new nuEvo, NuEbo
old BIhu
other, another Otro, PAlo
poisonous beNEnu. TAtatse
prohibited proBIdo
ready LISto
red aGAgaa
right (not wrong) TUnas
right (not left) aGAPpa
scared maANao
shallow NAtata
short KAdadaa
sick maLANGo
slow NAting, Ekahat
small DIkikii
strong METgat
thirsty MAahu
tired JAjas
unhappy tiMAgof
weak NAbaa
well, (not sick) MAUlek
wet FOTgon
white, white man aApaka, aApaka naTAOtao
wounded (by a gun) diNANchin BAla, chetNUdon
wrong LAchi, taininaSlna
yellow amaRIju
I GUAhu you (singular) HAgo he, she GUIja we, us HIta you (plural) HAMju they SIha everybody TOdos nobody niHAji, niUno somebody maSEa HAji something Una COsa, HAfa that Aju, Enao this ESte what HAfa who, whose HAji
afterwards despuES, LAmona again, once more TAalo almost, perhaps KAnaa and jan because SAa before ANtes behind sanTATi below, down samPApa beside, around oRlja but lau for PAra from GUInin
here ESte MAgay if JANGin in, inside sanHAlum in front sanMEna near HIhut never niNGAIan, TAlanai of n (added to the word before the 'of' in English. Example: soldier=senDAlo Soldier of the U. S.=senDAlon i usTAdos uNIdos) off suMUha on sanHIloo on that side Aju na BANda on this side, here ESte na BANda or pat outside of sanHljong there Aju to PAra up HUluu when NGAIan where MAno with suMIsiha, gija without ti suMIsiha,, sin
answer respuESta, Oppe
ask FAIsen
be able, not be able SIna, gtiSIna
bring CHUIii
buy FAhan
can, cannot Sina, ti SIna
come MAIlaa
destroy, make war JUlang
die MAtai
dislike, not want ti guiNAIja
do CHOogui
find SOdaa
follow dalaLAki
give away NAe
go, go away HAnau
guard PUlan
hear eKONGok
help aJUda
hurry aLUla
keep (see also ADAhe
guard)
kill PUnuu
know, know how to TUNGuu
lie down Asun, PApaa
lie (not tell the
truth) manDAgue, DAge
like, want GUAIja
look at Atan
lose maLINGo
make faTInas
put POolu
remember HASsu
say SANGan
see LIi
speak cuENtos, Adingan
stay SAga
stop (halt) SAga (stop talking: BASta coMENtos)
wash faaGAse
wound CHETnot
1 Uno 40 cuarENta
2 dos 50 sinCUENta
3 tres 60 seiSENta
4 CUAtro 70 seTENta
5 SiNko 80 oCHENta
6 sais 90 noVENta
7 siEte 100 siENto
8 Ocho 101 siENto Uno
9 nuEve 200 dos siENtos
10 DIes 300 tres siENtos
11 onse 400 CUAtro
20 BENte siENtos
30 TRENta 500 cuiniENtos
What time is it? kay Ora PAgo?
It is 2 oclock ESta las dos.
Half past three MEdia paSAo las
tres.
Quarter of four CUARto PAra las
CUAtro
What day is today? HAfa PAago na
haAni?
Sunday daMENGgo
Monday LUnes
Tuesday MATtes
Wednesday miETkoles
Thursday huEbes
Friday biETnes
Saturday SAbalo
yesterday NIgap
tomorrow aGUpaa
now, immediately PAagu, ensiGUldas