Palåbra para på'go: gonaf (scale)

Go'naf [GO'-naf]:
/noun/: Scale--a thin coating, covering, film, or incrustation; fish scale.
/verb/: To scale; separate and come off in scales; shed scales; pare off.

Examples:
"Na'gåsgas maolek i guihan sa' ti månnge' i ge'naf." = "Clean the fish well, because scales aren't tasty."
"Kalakas! Un sotta' i ge'naf gi labadot." = "Gross! You left the scales in the sink."
"Tåya' go'naf i asuli." = "Eels don't have scales."

"Magåhet un go'naf este?" = "Did you really scale this?"
"Go'naf fan ya guåhu bai tunu." = "Scale it please and I"ll be the one to grill it."

Palåbran 05/03/2015: gånna (to win)

Gånna (GUN-nah): Win--something as in a raffle; defeat; overpower--someone; beat--an opponent; outmaneuver; earn.

Uses:
"Hu gånna hao gi karera." = "I beat you in the race."
"Kuåntu ginannå-mu gi painge?" = "How much did you win last night?"
"Kao manggånnana hao?" = "Are you still winning?"

Notes:
gånna + -in- => ginanna = winnings/profit/gains/victory

man- + gånna + -na => mangånnana = winning (still/continuously)
Some consider this form of syllable reduplication as a child-like construction or at best less than formal. Another way to state the last example would be to use the phrase "åsta på'go (until now)." So, something like "Kao manggåganna hao åsta på'go?"

Palåbran 01/25/2014

Såkkan (SOCK-can): Year; season--for planting or harvesting.

Note: The words åñu (year) and tempo/tiempo (time, season) are the borrowed from Spanish, and can be interchanged with såkkan, especially when used for specificity.

Uses:
"Na'listu i talåya yan i lagua' sa' esta måtto i sakkan mañåhak." = "Prepare the throw net and scoop net, because it's already mañåhak (juvenile rabbit fish) season."
"I primet na såkkan, ma silebra i ha'ånen mafañagu-ña gi tasi." = "The first year, they celebrated her birthday at the beach."
"Tåya' lemmai, sa' trabiha ti sakkån-ña." = "There are no breadfruit, because it's not yet it's season."

Palåbran 08/19/2013: To'a

To'a (TOE'-uh): Mature (fruit); ripe; fruit--ready for picking; mature mind.

Note: Usually you will hear to'a to refer to fruit that has reached full maturity, but it can also be used to mean a wise or mature mind.

Uses:
"Hånao ya un gaole i bilembines, sa' esta manoto'a." = "Go pick the star apples, because they're already becoming ripe."
"Maseha gada' pat to'a, gof månnge' många!" = "Whether immature or mature, mango is delicious!"
"Angokkuyon gue' sa' kalan to'a hinasso-ña." = "He's trustworthy, because his mind seems matured."

Palåbran 08/07/2013: Adahi

Adahi (uh-DA-hee): Careful; watch out; look out; beware.

Uses:
"Adahi hao gi chalan." = "Be careful on the road."
"Adahi i patgon na u sulon." = "Watch out for the child so he doesn't slip."
"Pineddonguan gue' ni våsu sa' ti ha adahi bidå-ña." = "He accidentally dropped the glass because he wasn't careful of what he was doing."

Note:
Adahi is sometimes written/said hadahi and/or adai.

Palåbran 08/01/2013: Malångu

Malångu (ma-LONG-oo): Sick; ill; not well.

Uses:
"Kao malångu hao?" = "Are you sick?"
"Taigue gue' sa' malångu." = "She's not here because she's ill."
"Adahi i sirenu na un malångu." = "Be careful of the night air so you don't get sick."

Palåbran 07/19/2013: Gosa

Gosa (GO-sa): Enjoy; have satisfaction from; take pleasure in.

Uses:
"Kao un gogosa hao på'go?" = "Are you satisfied with yourself now?"
"Kao ya-mu apigige'? Uhu ya un gosa!" = "Do you like apigige'? Here, take it and enjoy!"
"I saina, ha gof gosa i minagof-ña i patgon-ña." = "The parent took much pleasure in the happiness of his/her child."

Palåbran 07/14/2012: Oggan

Oggan (OH-gan): Stuck on, run aground, stranded, to land on accidentally.

Note: Oggan can also be used figuratively, as in ending up somewhere other than your intended destination.

Uses:
"Bai fa'maolek i batko-ku sa' kanna' ma'ippe' annai oggan yo' gi acho'." = "I'm going to repair my boat, because it was almost split when I accidentally landed on a rock."
"Oggan i boti gi chepchop unai, lao gi mayamak." = "The boat ran aground on the sand, but it wasn't broken."
"Ai, sa' oggan gue' otro båndan siudåt, sa' ti ha atetendi i siñåt siha." = "Oh [...], he ended up on the other side of the city, because he wasn't paying attention to the signs."

Palåbran 01/24/2012: Nuebu

Nuebu (new-EH-boo): New, modern, strange, unfamiliar, fresh.

Note: Some also write/pronounce it as ñuebu.

Uses:

"Kao nuebu i karetå-mu?" = "Is your car new?"
"Gof bunitu ennao na nuebu na chininå-mu." = "Your new shirt is very nice."
"Trabiha ti hu bisita i nuebu na tenda." = "I haven't visited the new store yet."

Palåbran 11/05/2012: Må'gas

Må'gas (MAH'-gas): Boss, master, superior, foreman, manager, be master.

Uses:

"Mångge ma'gås-mu?" = "Where is your boss?"
"I ma'gas ha deskuentåyi yo' ni finahån-hu." = "The manager gave me a discount on my purchase."
"Båba gue' na må'gas, sa' ti ha na'fandeskånsa i emplehao-ña." = "He's a bad boss, because he doesn't let his employees take a rest."

Palåbran 09/14/2012: Saina

Saina (SIGH-na): Parent, elder.

Note: Saina also shows up as Asaina, and can be used for "Lord" as in "Lord God." The plural of saina is mañaina.

Uses:
"Hu bisita i saina-hu gi gimå'-ña." = "I visited my parent/elder at his/her house."
"Sumåsaga i dos mañaina-hu gi sanlagu." = "My two parents are living/staying stateside."
"Hånao ya un åmen i mañainå-mu siha fine'nena." = "Go and show respect to your elders first."

Palåbran 07/23/2012: Kalaktos

Kalåktos (ka-LUCK-tus): Sharp, keen, acute.

Uses:
"Adahi sa' kalåktos ennao na se'se'." = "Be careful because that knife is sharp."
"Hu guåsa' i fesiños sa' ti kalåktos." = "I sharpened the hoe because it wasn't sharp."
"Usa fan i mås kalåktos na machete." = "Use the sharpest machete."

Usually, kalåktos is reserved specifically for the keen edge of something, but I've also heard it used in another way:

"Gof kalåktos i palabrå-mu." = "Your words are sharp/to the point/harsh."

Palåbran 04/23/2012: Fa'maolek

Fa'maolek (Fa'-MAU-lick): Fix, repair, make good.

Uses:
"Fa'maolek i grifu fan, sa' sume'." = Fix the faucet, because it's leaking."
"Kao siña un fa'maolek i karetå-hu, sa' esta mayuyulang." = "Can you fix my car, because it's already breaking down."
"Fa'maolek i pusision-mu fan... kalan påtgon mayute' hao." = "Fix yourself (appearance)... you're like a neglected child."

Palåbran 04/16/2012: Tife'

Tife' (TEE-fee'): Pick, break off--especially the fruit from a tree, vine, etc.

Note: Sometimes you'll hear tife' to mean "knock out a tooth" or "chip a tooth." The indefinite form of tife' is mamfe' or manfe', a contraction of the word manife'.

Uses:
"Tife' fan tres na lemon." = "Please, pick three lemons."
"Munga matife' i lalanghita, sa' manggada'." = "Don't pick the tangerine, because it's still unripened."
"Ti ya-hu mamfe' mångga ni kannai-hu, maolekña bai fanggaole." = "I don't like to pick mangoes by hand, it's better to use a gaole (stick or pole for picking fruit)."

"Ti hu tungo' na gaisimiyas i fruta, ya kanna' ha tife' yo'." = "I didn't know the fruit had a pit, and it almost chipped my tooth."
"Hu tife' i nifen-ña i patgon." = "I pulled out the child's tooth."

Palåbran 04/09/2012: Håyi

Håyi (HA-dzee): Who (question word).

Note: When you need a pronoun in a question about a person, you use the word håyi. While mostly translated to "who" in English, it is sometimes also translated to "what" or "which," depending on the question.

Uses:
"Håyi chumule' i yabi-hu?" = "Who took my keys?"
"Kao un tungo' håyi eyu na taotao?" = "Do you know who that person is?"
"Håyi umålok hao?" = "Who told you? (Who said?)"

"Håyi na'ån-mu?" = "What is your name?"
"Håyi na taotao?" = "What people?" or "Which person?"

Palåbran 04/02/2012: Chunge'

Chunge' (CHOO-ngee'): Gray hair, grizzled, white hair.

Note: Chunge' is also the name of the White Tailed Tropic bird.

Uses:
"Ti bihu gue' lao esta chunge'." = "He's not old, but already has gray hair."
"Siña hu li'e' chunge'-mu." = "I can see your white hair."
"Ti chunge' i biha sa' sesso ha tinta i gapotilu-ña." = "The old lady doesn't have gray hair, because she always dyes it."

Palåbran 03/26/2012: Håfa

Håfa (HA-fa): What, question word.

Note: "Håfa na" is also a way to say "why." Also, håfa is used in many common greetings.

Uses:
"Håfa adai!" = "Hi!"
"Håfa ga'chong!" = "Hello, friend!"
"Håfa tatatmanu hao?" = "How are you doing?"

"Håfa ennao?" = "What is that (by you)?"
"Håfa na klåsen guihan i kinenne'-mu? = "What kind of fish did you catch?"
"Håfa malago'-ña?" = "What does he want?"

"Håfa na ti ya-mu?" = "Why don't you like it?"
"Ha faisen yo' håfa na atrasao yo'." = "She asked me why I was late."
"Ti hu komprende håfa na ma cho'gue taiguihi." = "I don't understand why they did it like that."

Palåbran 03/09/2012: Ba'an

Ba'an (BA'-an): Wake up (late)--esp. in the morning, oversleep.

Uses:
"Ba'an gue' gi egga'an." = "He woke up late this morning."
"An ti tåftaf yo' maigo', sempre yo' ba'an." = "If I don't go to sleep early, I'll get out of bed late."
"Atan ha', ba'an hao ya madingu." = "See! you overslept and were late (got left behind)."

Palåbran 02/23/2012: Påpa'

Påpa' (PA-puh'): Down, below, bottom, downward, beneath.

Uses:
"Po'lo påpa' i gimen-mu." = "Put your drink down."
"Matatå'chong gue' gi papa' i tronkon niyok." = "He's sitting beneath the coconut tree."
"Gaige i laktos gi papa' patås-mu." = "The thorn is on the bottom of your foot."

Palåbran 01/18/2012: Gaige

Gaige (GUY-gi): Be present, stative verb, opposite of absent.

Note: Gaige is the definite form of guåha (there exists). You can also think of gaige as meaning "...is there."

Uses:
"Gaige i yabi-hu gi hilo' lamasa." = "My keys are there on top of the table."
"Gaige si Juan gi eskuelå-ña." = "Juan it there at his school."
"Manggaige ham gi gima'-måmi." = "We (exculsive) were there at our house."