Palåbran 08/31/09: Ågang

Ågang (AH-gang): (verb) Call (someone), beckon, summon.

Uses:

"Ha ågang yo' si nanå-hu gi painge." = "My mother called me last night."
"Para ha ågang hao yanggen måtto gue' gi gimå'-ña." = "She'll call you when she gets home."
"Kao un ågang si che'lu-mu esta?" = "Did you call your brother yet?"

Palåbran 08/28/09: O'son

O'son (OH'-sun): (adjective) Bored, tired, exhaust ones patience.

Uses:

"Esta o'son yo' mañuñugon kada dia." = "I'm already bored of driving every day."
"Kao o'son hao nu guåhu?" = "Are you tired of me?"
"O'son gue' ni che'cho'-ña." = "He is bored of his work."

Palåbran 08/27/09: Råtu

Råtu (RAH-too): (noun) Short time, little while.

Uses:

"Nangga fan un råtu." = "Please wait for a little while."
"Un råtu ha' tataigue yo'." = "I was gone only for a short time."
"Un råtu manhugåndo ham gi sanhiyong åntes di kumekeuchan." = "We played outside for a little while before it started to rain."

Palåbran 08/26/09: Gimen

Gimen (GI-men): (noun) Beverage, drink.

Uses:

"Håyi gai gimen este?" = "Who owns this drink?"
"Håfa gimen-mu?" = "What is your drink (what did you drink)?"
"Munga mana'mames i gimen-hu chå fan." = "Please do not sweeten my tea (my drink tea)."

Note: Gimen is also a classifier in Chamorro. If you want some clarification on that, let me know and I'll make a lesson on classifiers. It's not that difficult of a concept, but it does require a bit of explanation and example.

Palåbran 08/25/09: Ipe'

Ipe' (EE-pee'): (verb) Cut open, split, notch, chip.

Uses:

"Adahi i kannai-mu an para un ipe' i niyok." = "Watch your hand if you're going to split open the coconut."
"Hu ipe' i chandia ya hu chåchåk." = "I opened the watermelon and cut it up."
"Ipe' fan i tininon lemmai ya un dibidi." = "Cut open the roasted breadfruit and divide it up please."

Palåbran 08/24/09: Espiha

Espiha (ess-PEE-ha): (verb) Seek, search, look for, locate.

Note: This is also said/written as espia.

Uses:

"Manespipiha gue' che'cho'." = "He's looking for work."
"I famagu'on ma espiha i yaben nånån-ñiha." = "The children looked for their mother's keys."
"Hu espiha i lepblo-ku, lao ti hu sodda'." = "I searched for my book, but did not find it."

Palåbran 08/21/09: Pine'lo

Pine'lo (pee-NEH'-loo): (noun) Presumption, assumption, thought, presuming opinion.

Note: This is usually used with a possessive pronoun (suffix).

Uses:

"Ti hu ofresi hao nu chå sa' pine'lo-ku na ti ya-mu chå." = "I didn't offer you any tea because I thought you didn't like tea."
"Un chule'guan yo' ni lepblo-ku sa' pine'lo-mu na bai na'ayao hao." = "You took my book because you assumed I was going to lend it to you."
"Pine'lon-måmi na para un fåtto tåftåf gi egga'an." = "We presume that you will come early in the morning."

Palåbran 08/20/09: Toktok

Toktok (TOK-tok): (verb) Hug, embrace, hold fast.

Uses:

"Ya-ña i nana tumoktok i famagu'on-ña." = "The mother likes to hug her children."
"I patgon ha toktok i nana-ña åntes malingu." = "The kid hugged his mother before he left."
"Umatoktok i dos." = "The two were hugging each other."

Palåbran 08/19/09: Chomma'

Chomma' (CHOM-ma'): (verb) Forbid, prevent, impede, obstruct.

Uses:

"Ma chomma' i patgon gumimen setbesa." = "The forbid the kid to drink beer."
"Chomma' gue' malågu na u sulon." = "Prevent him from running so he doesn't slip."
"Måchomma' yo' humålom." = "I was forbidden to enter."

Palåbran 08/18/09: Fa'tinas

Fa'tinas (fa'-TEE-nas): (verb) Cook, construct, create, invent, make, form, shape, build, fashion.

Note: This is also sometimes written/said fattinas.

Uses:

"Mama'titinas yo' kåddo." = "I am making soup."
"Håyi fuma'tinas?" = "Who made it?"
"Ha chule' i hayu ya ha fa'tinas i siya." = "He took the wood and made the chair."

Palåbran 08/17/09: Åttilong

Åttilong (AHT-tee-long): (adjective) Black.

Uses:
"Håyi gai'iyo na åttilong na kåreta?" = "Who owns that black car?"
"Åttilong i mås maipe na kulot." = "Black is the hottest color."
"Åttilong i dagan i la'uya sa' dokngos." = "The bottom of the pot is black because it is burned."

Palåbran 08/14/09: Emmok

Emmok (EM-muck): (verb) Avenge, get even.

Note: Topping's dictionary also says it means to "hide something until it ripens," but I have only ever heard the word nunok used like that. If you know emmok to be similar to nunok, please let me know.

Uses:

"Ha emmok si Juan i che'lu-ña para u aña." = "John got even with his brother by hitting him."
"Guåha na biåhi na må'emmok yo' gi eskuela." = "I've gotten picked on (someone got even with me) at school."
"Hu emmok hao, sa' un pañiti yo' nigap." = "I got revenge on you, because you hit me yesterday."

Leksion Chamoru: Prefix fa'-

The prefix fa'- has two rather unique meanings. The first means "to change to." The second is similar, although markedly different, it means "to pretend," "make believe," or "feign." Here are some examples.

Fa'- = "to change to":

• Maolek = good or well.
  Fa'- + maolek => fa'maolek = to fix, repair, or make better.
• Nå'an = name.
  Fa'- + nå'an => fa'na'an = to nickname, to name, or to call someone by a name other than their own.
• Dagi = to lie.
  Fa'- + dagi => fa'dagi = to belie, to create a false impression, or to use as an excuse.

Fa'- = "to pretend to":

• Bunita = beautiful (female)
  Fa'- + bunita => fa'bunita = to pretend to be beautiful.
• Guåha = to exist, to have.
  Fa'- + guåha => fa'guaha = to pretend to have or to put on airs.
• Måleffa = to be unable to recall.
  Fa'- + måleffa => fa'maleffa = to pretend to forget.

This prefix leaves the primary stress of the root word intact. However, it does follow the rules of vowel harmony. All this means is that on most words we change the first vowel from å to a, from o to e, and from u to i.

Palåbran 08/13/09: Bira

Bira (BEE-ra): (verb) Turn, revolve, rotate, invert, change, direction, divert, turnabout.

Uses:

"Bira i kareta, sa' esta abak hit." = "Turn the car around, because we're already lost."
"Bira i tininu-mu kåtne." = "Turn over the meat you are bbq'ing."
"Sisigi gue' bumira gi maigo'-ña." = "She keeps turning in her sleep."

Palåbran 08/12/09: Egga'

Egga' (EGG-ga'): (verb) Watch, observe (as a spectator).

Uses:

"Para in fanegga' mubi lamo'na." = "We're going to watch a movie tonight."
"Kao guåha na un egga' Harry Potter?" = "Have you ever watched Harry Potter?"
"Bai hanao para i eskuelan sobrinu-hu ya bai egga' i presentasion-ña." = "I'm going to my nefew's school and watching his presentation."

Palåbran 08/11/09: Hinanom

Hinanom (he-NA-nom): (adjective) Watery.

Uses:

"Hinanom i gimen-hu chå sa' lalago' i ais." = "My tea is watery, because the ice is melting."
"Kalan hinanom i kaddo' ya ti gof måtempla." = "The soup is sort of watery and not well seasoned."
"Ti nahong månha yan asukåt ya hinamon i åhu." = "There's not enough coconut and sugar, and the åhu (type of food) is watery."

Palåbran 08/10/09: Såtpe

Såtpe (SUT-pee): (verb) Sprinkle.

Note: Topping's dictionary also says it means "sow," but it is sowing in the sense of sprinkling seeds. It also says it is a slang for "go ahead" or "o.k.," but I don't know how to use it that way. If you know it, let me know.

Uses:

"Hu såtpe i tinanom siha nu hånom kada dia." = "I sprinkle the plants with water every day."
"Adahi na un sinatpe ni laña." = "Careful you don't get splashed by the oil."
"Måloffan i kareta ya ha såtpe yo' ni fache'." = "The car passed by and sprayed (sprinkle) me with mud."

Palåbran 08/07/09: Gå'ga'

Gå'ga' (GAH'-ga'): (noun) Animal, vermin, insect, beast, bug.

Uses:

"Chumochocho hao kalan gå'ga'." = "You eat like an animal."
"I ga'ga' ma chalapon i basula." = "The animals scattered the trash."
"Inakka' gue' ni ga'ga' gi tingho-ña." = "A bug bit his neck."

Palåbran 08/06/09: Å'påkå'

Å'påka' (AH'-puh-ka'): (adjective) White, light-complexted skin.

Uses:

"Tinino' gue' ni semnak, sa' å'påka' låssås-ña." = "She got sun-burned, because she is light skinned."
"Håyi gai guma' å'påka' eyu?" = "Who owns that white house?"
"Å'påka' yan agaga' i chininå-ña." = "His shirt was white and red."

Palåbran 08/05/09: Sage'

Sage' (SA-gi'): (adjective) Painful, pain, affect with pain, burning sensation.

Note: This again is Topping's definition, but while the first three are correct, it's better to think of it as the last description: burning sensation.

Uses:

"Sage' labios-hu ni denne'." = "My lips are burning from the hot pepper."
"Munga måpacha i matå-mu na un na'sage'." = "Don't touch your eye or you'll make it burn."
"Kalan sage' i kannai-hu ni semnak." = "It's like my hand is burning from the sun."

Palåbran 08/04/09: Kada

Kada (KA-da): (adjective) Every time, each, each time.

Uses:

"Må'ofresi yo' nu nenkanno' kada hu bisita i tia-hu." = "I get offered food every time I visit my auntie."
"Kao un li'e' si Rosa kada dia?" = "Do you see Rosa everyday (daily)?"
"Kada humånao yo' para i tenda hu fåhan kande." = "I buy candy every time I go to the store."

Palåbran 08/03/09: Lamo'na

Lamo'na (la-mo'-nuh): (adverb) Tonight, this evening, this night, after dark to midnight.

Uses:

"Håfa para na'-ta lamo'na?" = "What are we going to eat tonight?"
"Bai hånao guatu gi as che'lu-hu lamo'na." = "I'm going to my brother's/sister's house tonight."
"Kao para un fanegga' mubi lamo'na." = "Are you going to watch a movie tonight?"