Palåbran 09/28/09: Tåftåf

Tåftåf (TOUGH-tough): (adverb) Early.

Uses:

"Makmåta yo' gof tåftåf gi egga'an." = "I woke up early in the morning."
"Humånao gue' tåftåf." = "He left early."
"Tåftåf ha baba i pachot-ña." = "He spoke (opened his mouth) too soon (early)."

Palåbran 09/25/09: Håle'

Håle' (HAH-lee'): (noun) Root, source, origin.

Uses:

"Hu tatme i simiyas, lao ti manmanhåle' trabia." = "I planted the seeds, but they have no roots yet."
"Dumokko' ta'lo i cha'guan, sa' ti hu laknos todu i hale'-ña." = "The weed sprouted back, because I didn't remove all its roots."
"Håfa i hale' enao na sinangan?" = "What is the origin of that saying?"

Palåbran 09/23/09: Laknos

Laknos (LACK-nus): (verb) Take out.

Uses:

"Hu laknos i leche gi kahon ais." = "I took out the milk from the refrigerator."
"Ma laknos i maletan-ñiha siha." = "They took out their suitcases."
"Ha laknos i salåpe' para i chenchule'." = "She took out the money for chunchule'."

Palåbran 09/22/09: Låña

Låña (LAWN-ya): (noun) Oil (generic term).

Note: Be careful how you pronounce this word, låña means "oil," but laña' is an expletive that can be considered very offensive depending on the company present.

Uses:

"Kao un tulaika i lañan måkina gi karetå-mu?" = "Did you change the engine oil in your car?"
"Na'maipe i laña ya ta aflitu lumpia." = "Heat up the oil and we'll fry lumpia."
"Hu yute' i lañan niyok sa' mahange'." = "I threw away the coconut oil, because it was rancid."

Palåbran 09/21/09: Gacha'

Gacha' (GA-cha'): (verb) Catch up with, detect.

Uses:

"Ma gacha' i polisia i sakke." = "The police caught up with the thief."
"Cha'-mu dumigeru sa' mågacha' hao sempre." = "Don't be a cheater, because you'll eventually get caught."
"Hu gacha' gue' gi karera, lao ti hu upos gue'." = "I caught up with him in the race, but didn't pass him."

Palåbran 09/18/09: Bråbu

Bråbu (BRA-boo): (adjective) Healthy, industrious, hard working person, active.

Uses:

"Bråbu gue' yanggen makmåta." = "He is active when he wakes up."
"Gof bråbu na påtgon gue." = "He's a very active (hyper) kid."
"Bråbu na bihu si Ton Jose." = "Mr. Joseph is a healthy old man."

Palåbran 09/17/09: Hokkok

Hokkok (HOK-cook): (adjective) No more, none, all gone, nothing, not one, not any, nothing at all, none at all.

Uses:

"Hokkok i na'-hu." = "I have no more food."
"Kao hokkok i pigas?" = "Is the rice all gone."
"Kana' hokkok i gas gi kareta esta." = "There is almost no gas in the car already."

Palåbran 09/16/09: Hågu

Hågu (HAH-goo): (pronoun) You (emphatic singular).

Uses:

"Kao hågu ha' humånao?" = "Did you go alone?"
"Hågu para un faisen." = "You are the one that is going to ask."
"Hågu tumaitai." = "You are the one that read it."

Palåbran 09/15/09: Fotgon

Fotgon (FUHT-gun): (adjective) Wet, watery, not dry, soaked, drenched.

Uses:

"Adahi na un sulon sa' fotgon i satge." = "Careful that you don't slip, because the floor is wet."
"Fotgon todu i chininå-ña ni ichan." = "His whole shirt got soaked from the rain."
"Mama'gågåsi yo' nå'yan ya fotgon i franelå-hu ni sinatpen hånom." = "I was washing dishes and my shirt got wet from the splashing water."

Palåbran 09/14/09: Cho'cho'

Cho'cho' (CHO'-chu'): (noun) Work, job, employment, task, position.

Note: Many times you'll see che'cho' rather than cho'cho', due to vowel harmony. In fact, it sometimes shows up as che'cho' even when vowel harmony isn't necessary.

Uses:

"Gaige si Jose gi che'cho-ña." = "Joe is at work."
"Kao guåha che'cho' giya Guåhan." = "Are there jobs in Guam?"
"Gos ya-ña si Juan i che'cho'-ña." = "John really likes his job."

Palåbran 09/11/09: Li'e'on

Li'e'on (lee'-eh'-on): (adjective) Visible, can be seen.

Note: This is a combination of li'e' (to see) and -on (abilitative suffix). This word is one way around the construction using siña in certain cases..

Uses:

"Ti li'e'on i gima'-hu ginen i chalan." = "My house cannot be seen from the road."
"Li'e'on i manådan i'e' gi hanom sa' gof klåru." = "The school of baby skip jacks is visible in the water because it's very clear."
"Li'e'on i islan Luta ginen Guåhan." = "The island of Rota is visible from Guam."

Palåbran 09/09/09: Lachaddek

Lachaddek (LA-chad-deck): (verb) Hurry up, hasten.

Note: This is just a combination of the prefix la- (intensifier) and chaddek (fast).

Uses:

"Gof ñateng hao, lachaddek fan!" = "You're so slow, hurry up!"
"Lachaddek i un chocho'gue." = "Hurry up what you are doing."
"Lachaddek ya ta fanhånao." = "Hurry up and let's go."

Palåbran 09/08/09: Pat

Pat (pat): (conjunction) Or--a co-ordinating particle that marks an alternative.

Uses:

"Håfa ga'ña-mu: chå pat kafe?" = "What would you prefer: tea or coffee?"
"Kao hunggan pat åhe'?" = "Is it yes or no?"
"Kao para un hånao lamo'na pat gi egga'an?" = "Are you going tonight or in the morning?"

Palåbran 09/07/09: Maila'

Maila' (MY-la'): (verb) Come, hand over.

Note: Maila' means "to come" but in more of the sense of being "on the way over here." For most of the other uses of "to come" in English we use the Chamorro word "fåtto."

Uses:

"Kao mamaila' gue'?" = "Is he coming? (Is he on is way over here?)"
"Maila' fan mågi i yabi." = "Please, hand the keys over here."
"Maila' fan." = "Come (here) please."

Palåbran 09/04/09: Chåda'

Chåda' (CHA-da'): (noun) Egg, ovum.

Uses:

"Gof mutong i chada' gueru." = "Rotten eggs really stink."
"Ya-hu inafliton chåda'." = "I like fried eggs."
"Tåya' chåda' para i amotså-ta." = "We have no eggs for our breakfast."

Palåbran 09/03/09: Upos

Upos (OO-pus): (verb) Overtake--as in a race, pass by.

Uses:

"Upos fan eyu i kareta gi me'nå-ta." = "Pass by that car in front of us."
"Ha upos yo' ya ni ha atan yo'." = "She passed by me and didn't even look at me."
"Un upos i gimå'-hu, lao ti sumåga hao ya un bisita." = "You passed by my house, but you didn't stay and visit."

Palåbran 09/02/09: Respeta

Respeta (re-SPE-ta): (verb) Respect, honor, esteem, admire.

Uses:

"Respeta i mañainå-mu." = "Respect your elders."
"Fanginge' i manåmko' siha sa un respeta siha." = "Fanginge' the elders because you respect them."
"Kao un respeta i fino'-ña si nanå-mu." = "Do you honor the words of your mother?"

Palåbran 09/31/09: Sångan

Sångan (SONG-an): (verb) Say, tell (something), speak, utter.

Uses:

"Hu sångan i estoria." = "I told the story."
"Kao un hungok eyu i ha såsångan?" = "Did you hear what she was saying?"
"Sångan fan i minagåhet." = "Please speak the truth."