Leksion Chamoru: Yanggen/anggen/an/annai (If and when)

In Chamorro when we want to say "when" we have a few different ways to say it. There is the word "ngai'an," but that is strictly used in questions, and we can discuss it in another post. For now let's focus on the words "annai" and "anggen."

"Annai" simply put is "when."

• Maigo'ñaihon yo' annai umåsson yo' gi sofå.
  
  •  I took a nap when I laid down on the sofa.
• Annai humånao yo' para i tenda hu fåhan i pån.
• When I went to the store I bought the bread.
• Taigue hao gi gimå'-mu gi annai måtto yo' guihi.
• You weren't at home when I arrived there.

Chamorro (English as well) has another form of the word, namely "anggen." Many times we translate this word to "if" in English, but it is really the conditional, uncompleted form of "when" ("annai"). All that means is that when you want to say "if," or "when" in the future, you use "anggen," or it's shortened form "an." If we alter the examples above we can begin to see the difference.

• Bai maigo'ñaihon, anggen umåsson yo' gi sofå.
  (Bai maigo'ñaihon, an umåsson yo' gi sofå.)
• I will take a nap if/when lay down on the sofa.
• Anggen humånao yo' para i tenda, bai fåhan i pån.
  (An humånao yo' para i tenda, bai fåhan i pån.)
• If/when I go to the store, I will buy the bread.
• Para un taigue gi gimå'-mu gi anggen måtto yo' guihi.
  (Para un taigue gi gimå'-mu gi an måtto yo' guihi.)
• You will not be at home if/when I arrive there.

 The word "anggen" also shows up in other ways, "yanggen" and "an." Fortunately, "yanggen" is just the form of "anggen" that connects phrases or clauses, and can even be thought of as the contraction of the phrase "ya anggen." Also, "an" is once again the shortened form of "yanggen."

• Ågang gue', yanggen ha oppe hao, kuentusi gue'.
  (Ågang gue', an ha oppe hao, kuentusi gue'.)
• Call her, and if/when she answers you, talk to her.
• Yanggen para un hånao mågi, sangåni yo' fine'nana
  (An para un hånao mågi, sangåni yo' fine'nana.).
• If/When you are going this way, tell me first.
• Chule' yanggen malago' hao.
  (Chule' an malago' hao.)
• Take it if/when you want.

Leksion Chamoru: Para bai hu... (I will...)

The future tense in Chamorro is rather lengthy to explain, so I'll start out with a lesson on how to say "I will..." First off there are three rules to remember all future forms, not just the 1st person singular form.

1. The base form of the verb is always used.
   (The "root" of the verb, and the affixed man- form: såga/mañåga, fåhan/mamåhan/manmamåhan, etc.)
2. Hu-type pronouns are always used, rather than yo'-type pronouns, even with "um" verbs.
   (If a pronoun is going to be used, it has to be a hu-type.)
3. Verbs which normally use man- in the non-future form will take on fan- in the future form.
   (When the normal base verbs uses man-, change it to fan- in the future: mañåga => fañåga, mamåhan => famåhan, etc.)

Don't worry, this sounds complicated, but it's actually not that bad.

Simply put, to say "I will..." you just use "Para bai hu...." in front of the verb phrase.

• Såga = To stay ("root" form)
  Sumåga yo'. = I stay/stayed. (non-future)
  Para bai hu såga. = I will stay. (future)
• Fåhan = To buy ("root")
  Hu fåhan i pån. = I bought the bread. (non-future, definite object)
  Mamåhan yo' pån. = I bought bread. (non-future, indefinite object)
  Para bai hu fåhan i pån. = I will buy the bread. (future, definite object)
  Para bai hu famåhan pån. = I will buy bread. (future, indefinite object)
• Hånao = To go ("root)
  Humånao yo'. = I went. (non-future)
  Para bai hu hånao. = I will go. (future)
• Taitai = To read ("root")
  Hu taitai i lepblo. = I read the book. (non-future, definite)
  Manaitai yo' lepblo. = I read a book. (non-future, indefinite)
  Para bai hu taitai i lepblo. = I will read the book. (future, definite)
  Para bai hu fanaitai lepblo. = I will read a book. (future, indefinite)

In all four cases, we're just using the base form of the verb, and changing from man- to fan- when needed.

Note: Generally, in the "para bai hu..." construction, you can omit the "para" and/or the "hu" without significantly changing the meaning.

Leksion Chamoru: I attikulon I / Si / Iya

The article i/si/iya is probably the most used in Chamorro. The more technical way to describe it is as a focus marking particles, and grammarians/linguists might describe it as an active voice marker. However, for the rest of us it usually translates to "the." I and si both function the same way, but si is only used with proper names/titles, and iya is only used with proper place names.

The idea of "focus" is that in the subject and/or object positions of a sentence there must always be at least a main concept. The "focus" in the subject position is always the subject itself, and the "focus" in the object position we usually call the direct object in English grammar. That might sound complicated, but it boils down to the general rule that we use i/si/iya with the subjects and direct objects of a sentence. Here are some examples to help clarify:

• Dånkolo i gima'. = The house is big.
  The subject in this case is the "house" so in Chamorro we precede it by the article i. There is no object in this sentence.
• Humånao i patgon. = The child went.
  The subject in this sentence is "child" so we use the article i. Once again there is no object. 
• Ha chule' i lepblo. = He took the book.
  The subject here is unspecified and only a pronoun is used, so it doesn't need a marker. However, the object "book" does need one, so we use i.
• I taotao ha sangåni yo'. = The person told me.
  The subject here is "person" so we use i, and the object is a pronoun  so we do not need an article in Chamorro.
• I biha ha fa'nå'gue i patgon. = The old woman taught the child.
  In this case we have "old woman" and "child" in the subject and object case, respectively, so we use the article i in both cases. 

The above examples are relatively simple sentences in Chamorro, the the concept still holds in more complicated ones as well. Here are some examples with indirect objects thrown in.

• Lini'e' i patgon ni ma'estra. = The child was seen by the teacher.
  In this the subject is the "child" so we use the article i. The "teacher" is more or less used as a modifier in this sentence, to help us understand how the child was seen. In Chamorro we would treat "teacher" as a non-focus of the sentence. 
• I palao'an ha chule'guan i asagua-ña ni yabi-ña. = The lady (accidentally) took her husband's keys.
  Here we have a subject and two objects. The subject is "lady" so we use i. The direct object of the verb "chule'guan" is the "husband," so use use "i" in front of "asagua-ña."
• I tata na sangåni i lahi-ña ni estoria. = The father told his son the story.
  The "father" and "son" are subject and direct object, respectively, so we, therefore, use i in both cases. The "story" is an indirect object.

If we were to use proper names or titles in any of the above examples, we would use "si" instead of "i." And if we were to use a proper place name, we would use "iya." For example:

• Dånkolo si Juan. = John is big
  The subject is "John," and since "John" is a proper name we use si.
• Humånao si Maria. = Maria went.
  Once again the subjet is a proper name, so we use si.
• Dikike' na isla iya Guåhan. = Guam is a small island.
  The subjet here is "Guam," the proper place name of the island, so we use iya rather than i or si.

In all honesty the word iya is falling into disuse in modern Chamorro, but it's still perfectly acceptable to use. You can impress all the elders by saying "Bunitu iya Guåhan" rather than "Bunitu Guåhan." 

Leksion Chamoru: Prefix ya-

Ya- is the "superlative prefix" according to the dictionaries and grammar books, but it's actually a lot simpler than it sounds. Ya- is used with location and direction words, along with a reduplication of the final syllable, and is used to mean the "most" in that direction. Here are some examples:

• Hulo' = Up, above, etc...
  Ya- + hulo' => Yahululo' (reduplication of final syllable) = Highest place, farthest up.
• Mo'na = Front, before (preposition), ahead, etc...
  Ya- + mo'na => Yamo'nana (reduplication) = Front-most, farthest up front.
• Håya = South (in Guam), East (in Saipan)
  Ya- + håya => Yahåyaya (reduplication) = Southernmost/Easternmost, farthest South/East.

Here are some examples of sentences comparing the stem/root words with the "superlatives."

1. Hulo':
• Po'lo i yabi gi hilo' i estånte. = Put the key on top of the shelf.
• Po'lo i yabi gi yahululo' na estånte. = Put the key on the top (highest) shelf.
2. Mo'na:
• Gaige yo' gi me'na. = I'm in front (at the front).
• Gaige yo' gi yamo'nana. = I'm at the very front (farthest up front).
3. Håya:
• Må'pos gue' håya. = He went south/east (southward/eastward).
• Måtto gue' gi yahåyaya. = He arrived at the southernmost/easternmost point.

Note: This whole construction came about because of the way Chamorro "articles" work (i/si/iya). In modern Chamorro we use iya as the article for places, but we normally only use it with proper place names (i.e.: iya Guåhan; iya Kalifotnia; iya Amerika, etc.). In older Chamorro iya was pretty much used for any location it seems. So, if we use this idea we get terms like iya hulo' (the high place), iya mo'na (the front place), and iya håya (the south place), which through the process of reduplication/intensification turn to iya hululo', iya mo'nana, and iya håyaya. Through common usage and pronunciation we dropped the initial "i" from iya and combined it with the stem/root to get yahululo', yamo'nana,  and yahåyaya.

Pronunciation of the new words seems a little tricky, because the technical explanation would be that the stress falls on the "ante penultimate" syllable (3rd to last syllable). If we consider the above note, it makes it a lot easier to understand, because we're essentially saying two words in one:

1. I yahululo'
   => Iya hululo' => EE-dza WHO-loo-loo'
2. I yamo'nana
   => Iya mo'nana => EE-dza MOH'-nuh-nuh
3. I yahåyaya
   => Iya håyaya => EE-dza HA-dza-dza

 Remember, if you have any questions or suggestions, please, don't hesitate to leave a comment on the blog or Facebook page.

Leksion Chamoru: Prefix tak-

Tak- is a comparative prefix that is used with location and direction words. Essentially, tak- takes the direction/location and makes it "in a far place/degree."

• Hulo' = Up, above, on top of.
  Tak- + hulo' =>; Takkilo' = High, in a (high) far up place.
• Påpa' = Down, below, bottom, southward, downward, beneath.
  Tak- + påpa' =>; Takpapa' = Low, in a (low) far down place.
• Huyong = Out, ouside.
  Tak- + huyong =>; Takhiyong = Far out, in a far out place.

Another way to consider the prefix tak- is that it indicates a place greater degree, but not the greatest degree.

• Hålom = In, inside.
  Tak- + hålom =>; Takhalom = Inner, in a (inner) far inside place.
  (i.e. in an inner area, but not necessarily the innermost place)
• Fo'na* = Ahead, be first.
  Tak- + fo'na =>; Takfe'na = Out front, in a (forward) far up front place.
  (i.e. in a more forward position, but not necessarily the farthest out front)

Let's go ahead and use the above examples in sentences to get a better feeling of what tak- actually does.

• Ti siña hu taka' i kisami sa' gof takkilo'. = I can't reach the ceiling because it's very high up.
• Hunggan, takpapa' i presio-ña, lao, åhe', ti baråtu ha'. = Yes, its price is low, but, no, it's not really cheap.
• Sumåsåga yo' takhiyong gi siudåt. = I live far outside of the city.
• Bai sångåni hao ginen takhalom gi korason-hu. = I'll tell you from deep inside my heart.
• Ti un li'e' yo' gi fila sa' gof takfe'na hao. = You didn't see me in line, because you were far up front (in line).

Tak- also follows the rules of vowel harmony, meaning, in general, we change the first vowel in the root word from å to a, o to e, and u to i. The prefix also assumes the primary stress of the new word, so the above examples would be pronounced:

• Takhilo' => TACK-he-loo'
  Takkilo' => TACK-key-loo'
• Takpapa' => TACK-pa-pa'
• Takhiyong => TACK-he-yung
• Takhalom => TACK-ha-lum
• Takfe'na => TACK-feh'-nah

*Mo'na (preposition/past participle form of fo'na) is not really used with the prefix tak-. Instead we use the general/future/command form fo'na.

Utugrafian Chamoru (Chamorro Orthography)

Para todus ni manmalago' tumungo' i utugrafian Chamoru.
Gi halacha mafa'nu'i yo' nu este na PDF utugrafia, ya mientras ti perfektu i tinige'-hu gi Chamoru, ha gof ayuyuda yo'.

(For those that want to learn the Chamorro orthography (the way to write in Chamorro).
I was recently shown the orthography in PDF format, and while my Chamorro writing isn't perfect, the file has been a big help.)

http://www.nmihumanities.org/update/file/Chamorro%20orthography.PDF

Leksion Chamoru: Prefix san-

San- is called a directional prefix. However, "directional" doesn't fully explain what it does. San- marks a position rather than a relative location. In other words san- changes "above"/"upon" to "(the) top of"; "outside of" to "(the) outside of"; "behind" to "(the) back of." Here are some examples:

• Hulo' = Up, above, on top of.
  San- + hulo' => Sanhilo' = Above (preposition), (the) top of.
• Mo'na = Front, be first, in front of, forward.
  San- + mo'na => Sanme'na = Front side of, front of.
• Hålom = In, into, inside, enter.
  San- + hålom => Sanhalom = Inside, interior, internal, in, into.

Just giving the definitions to the words might not help too much, so here are some examples in sentences:

• Hu po'lo i yabi-hu gi hilo' lamasa. = I put my keys on (top of) the table.
  Hu po'lo i yabi-hu gi sanhilo' i lamasa. = I put my keys on (the) top of the table.
• Gaige i ga'-hu ga'lågu gi me'nan guma'. = My dog is in front of the house.
  Gaige i ga'-hu ga'lågu gi sanme'nan guma'. = My dog is on the front part of the house. = My dog is in the front yard.
• Siña hao mañodda' pugas gi halom i tenda. = You can find rice in the store.
  Siña hao mañodda' pugas gi sanhalom i tenda. = You can find rice (on the) inside (of) the store (as opposed to on the outside).

The prefix san- is only used with location words, e.g. hålom (in), mo'na (front), lågu (north--Guam, west--Saipan), etc.
San- also follows the rules of vowel harmony. Meaning that in general you "pull back" the first vowel of the root word, i.e.: å to a, o to e, and u to i.

Leksion Chamoru: Prefix na'-

One of the most common prefixes in Chamorro is na'-. The formal definition is that na'- is a causative prefix, that just means that it causes or makes something to happen. To use the prefix you simply add it in front something to be caused. Here are some examples:

• Hånao = To go.
  Na'- + hånao => Na'hånao = To make (someone) go.
• Sugon = To drive (the car/cart/...).
  Na'- + sugon => Na'sugon = To make (somone) drive (the car/cart/...)
• Bulåchu = Drunk, intoxicated.
  Na'- + bulåchu => Na'bulåchu = To make (someone) drunk, to intoxicate (someone).
• Magof = Happy.
  Na'- + magof => Na'magof = To make (someone) happy.

Notice that na'- causes "someone" or "something" to do whatever na'- is attached to. Using the above examples we can start to see what that means:

• Na'hånao i lahi-mu para i tenda. = Make your son go to the store.
• I tata ha na'sugon i hagå-ña ni kareta = The father made his daughter drive the car.
• Ma na'bulåchu yo' gi painge. = They got me drunk last night.
• Na'magof si nånå-mu! = Make your mother happy!

The more grammatically technical part of the prefix na'- is that you need to keep plural and "transitive" aspect of the verbs intact. That is to say, if the verb is plural, then keep it plural, and if the verb is "intransitive", then keep it that way. Also, since it's a potential action, things change to the future forms. Hopefully some examples will make more sense:

• Manhånao siha. = They went/go.
  Na'- + manhånao => Na'fanhånao
  Ha na'fanhånao siha = He made them leave
• Mañugon yo' = I drive/drove.
  Na'- + mañugon => Na'fañugon
  Si tåtå-hu ha na'fañugon yo'. = My father caused me to drive.
• Mambulåchu i lalåhi. = The men are drunk.
  Na'- + mambulåchu => Na'fambulåchu
  I famalao'an ma na'fambulåchu i lalåhi gi painge. = The women got the men (caused them to become) drunk last night.
• Manmagof i famagu'on. = The children are happy.
  Na'- + manmagof => Na'fanmagof
  Nihi para Disneyland ya ta na'fanmagof i famagu'on. = Let's go to Disneyland and make the children happy.

 One last thing to keep in mind is accentuation/pronunciation. In all the above examples the prefix na'- does not change the emphasis/stress of the syllables. However, in some cases na'- takes the primary stress of the new word; in these cases na'- means "one who causes" or "that which makes." There are several well known examples of this case:

• Na'magof = One who makes others happy.
  Pronounced: NAH'-ma-guf
• Na'bubu = One who makes others angry.
  Pronounced: NAH'-boo-boo
• Na'chålek = One who makes others laugh; something which causes laughter.
  Pronounced: NAH'-chuh-lick
• Na'o'son = One who makes others bored; boring, tiresome.
  Pronounced: NAH'-o'-sun
• Na'må'åse' = One who makes others merciful; miserable; pitiful; pathetic; wretched.
  Pronounced: NAH'-muh'-see'; Nah'-muh'-ah-see'

Leksion Chamoru: Prefix mina'-

Mina'- is a very simple prefix, it is an "ordinal marker." That just means that it takes a "cardinal" number (2, 3, 4...) and changes it to an ordinal (2nd, 3rd, 4th...).

• Dos (two) => Mina'dos (second)
• Bente (twenty) => Mina'bente (twentieth)
• Katotse (fourteen) => Mina'katotse (fourteenth)

Only the number 1 is different,

• Unu (one) => Fine'na/Finene'na/Fine'nana (first)

Fine'na/Finene'na/Fine'nana all come from the root fo'na/mo'na (front).

Leksion Chamoru: Prefix mi-

The prefix mi- is added to nouns to say "full of" or "plenty of." Here are some examples:

• åcho' = rock
  Mi- + åcho' => Mi'acho' = Full of rocks, rocky.
  
• kulot = color
  Mi- + kulot => Mikulot = Full of color, colorful.
• unai = sand
  Mi- + unai => Mi'inai = Full of sand, sandy.

The primary stress of the new word falls on mi-, so for the above examples we get:

• Mi'acho' => ME'-a-choo'
• Mikulot => ME-koo-lut
• Mi'inai => ME'-ee-nigh

One thing to note is that mi- follows the rules of vowel harmony. That just means that, in general, the first vowel of the root word is "pulled back." I.e.: å to a, o to e, and u to i.

Leksion Chamoru: Prefix la-

The prefix la- is a comparative degree marker meaning slightly or a little bit more. It can be used with most nouns and adjectives/adverbs in Chamorro, however here are several which are more commonly known/used:

• Maolek = Good, well.
  La- + maolek => Lamaolek = Better (slightly).
• Meggai = Many, several.
  La- + meggai => Lameggai = Very many.
• Bunitu = Beautiful.
  La- + bunitu => Labunitu = More (slightly) beautiful, prettier.
• Chaddek = Fast.
  La- + chaddek => Lachaddek = Faster.
• Guse' = Quick, lively.
  La- + guse' => Laguse' = Quicker, livelier.

You can also use the word mås to mean "more," but some words, like chaddek, usually use the prefix la- rather than mås, i.e., it is more common to hear lachaddek rather than mås chaddek.

The prefix also takes the primary stress of new word, so for the above examples:

• Lamaolek => LA-mao-lick
• Lameggai => LA-meg-guy
• Labunitu => LA-boo-knee-too
• Lachaddek => LA-chad-deck
• Laguse' => LA-goo-see'

Note: Some use la- to almost mean "to make more..." rather than just "more." This is not "wrong" per se, but it is safer to use na'la- or na'mås.

Leksion Chamoru: Prefix ke-

The prefix ke- is used to mean "to try to" or "about to."

• Tungo' (to know) => Ketungo' (to try to know, about to know)
• Målångu (sick) => Kemålångu (to try to get sick, about to be sick)
• Chule' (to take) => Kechule' (to try to take, about to take)
• Såga (to stay) => Kesåga (to try to stay, about to stay)

It is relatively simply to use within a Chamorro sentence after you've affixed ke- to the word, you just use the new word according to if it's a "man-" or "-um-" verb. So, using the above examples:

• Ketungo' ("man-" verb) => Hu ketungo' i na'ån-ña. (I tried to know his/her name.)
• Kemålångu ("-um-" verb) => Kumemålångu i patgon. (The child was about to be (getting) sick.)
• Kechule' ("man-" verb) => Ha kechule' i bola ginen i ga'chong-ña. (He tried to take the ball from his friend.)
• Kesåga ("-um-" verb) => Kumesåga si Juan giya Yoña. (Juan was trying to stay/live in Yoña.)

One thing to keep in mind is that the prefix ke- shows up in several different forms, but they are are essentially the same: keke- (reduplication of ke-), mange- (man- + ke-), mangeke- (man- + keke-). For example:

• Ketungo' => Ha keketungo' ki ora måbaba i tenda. (He is trying to know (figure out) what time the store will be opened.)
• Kemålångu => Mangekemålångu i tres na lålåhi. (The three men were about to be (getting) sick.)

Sometimes the word "chagi" is used to mean "to try to," however, while similar it is essentially different than the prefix ke-. "Chagi" does indeed mean "to try," but it is in the sense of testing, attempting, or proving.

Leksion Chamoru: Prefix ha-

The prefix ha- is used to mean "usually" or "often." Here are some examples to help clarify that a bit:

• Målångu = Sick.
  Ha- + målångu => Hamålångu = Sickly, often is sick.
• Måleffa = Forgot.
  Ha- + måleffa => Hamåleffa = Forgetful, usually forgets.
• Fåtta = Lacking, missing, absent.
  Ha- + fåtta => Hafåtta = Usually lacking, usually missing, often absent.

There are also several other ways to connote similar ideas in Chamorro, such as "sesso (continuously, often)," "fihu (often)," "todu i tiempo (always, all the time)," etc.

One thing to note about "ha-" is that it forces the primary stress to fall on the first syllable. Using the above examples, we get:

• Hamålångu => HA-ma-luh-ngoo
• Hamåleffa => HA-ma-lef-fa
• Hafåtta => HA-fut-ta
  

Leksion Chamoru: Prefix gi-

The prefix gi- is not used as frequently anymore as it once was, but the concept is rather simple. Gi- just represents origin and/or residence. Here are some examples:

• Gi- + Luta => Gilita (a person from Rota)
• Gi- + Yo'ña => Giye'ña (a person from Yona)
• Gi- + Guåhan => Giguahan (a person from Guam)

This construction is still used, but is often replaced by "taotao ___."

When you add the prefix gi- to a noun the rules of vowel harmony apply. The prefix "pulls back" the sound of the vowel that follows, where applicable. I.e.: In general, we change the first vowel in the root word from å to a, o to e, and u to i.

Leksion Chamoru: Prefix ge'-

The prefix ge'- is a comparative degree marker for directions. In essence it means "further (in a direction)." Here are some examples:

• Hålom = Go in, go inside, enter.
  Ge'- + hålom => Ge'halom = further inside, deeper inside
  
• Hulo' = Up, above, on top.
  Ge'- + hulo' => Ge'hilo' = further up, higher, a little upward
• Kåttan = East (Guam and Rota), north (Saipan).
  Ge'- + kåttan => Ge'kattan = further eastward, eastwardly, easterly direction
• Mågi = Here (towards the direction of the speaker).
  Ge'- + mågi => Ge'magi = further towards here

There is another prefix (hat-) that does something very similar to ge'-, however ge'- puts more emphasis on the location rather than the action.
Ge'- also takes the primary stress of the new word. For the above examples:

• Ge'halom => GE'-ha-lum
• Ge'hilo'=> GE'-hee-loo'
• Ge'kattan => GE'-cut-tan
• Ge'magi => GE'-ma-gi

The prefix also follows the rules of vowel harmony, which means that we change the first vowel of the root word from å to a, o to e, and u to i.

Leksion Chamoru: Prefix ga'-

The prefix ga'- has two completely different uses. The first use of ga'- is that of an animal classifier, and the second is that of connoting preference, or strong liking towards something.

Ga'- : Animal Classifier
While many Chamorro speakers decide not to use this construction, it's still used by most, and is not very difficult to understand. In this application ga'- simply denotes an animal.

The most common usage of the prefix is with one of the possessive suffixes, i.e., -hu, -mu, -ña, etc. For example:

• Ga'-hu = My animal
• Ga'-ña = His/Her animal
  
• Ga'-ñiha = Their animal

The prefix also may be added to the beginning of other words to indicate "an animal of." However, I know only of one instance where this happens in modern Chamorro:

• Ga'lågu = Dog

Note: Ga'lågu did not mean "animal from the north," it originally meant "animal from outside the island."

Ga'- : Strong liking or Preference

This application of the prefix is rather simple, because when it's added to the front of a word it just means that it's preferred or strongly liked. Here are some examples:

• Ga'sålåpe' si Juan. = John really likes/loves money.
• Ga'kumentos gue'. = S/he likes to talk (is talkative).
• Ga'maigo' si Maria. = Maria loves to sleep.
  

Leksion Chamorro: I attikulon "nu/as"

The article "nu" is arguably the most confusing article within Chamorro coming from an English speaking viewpoint. Sometimes nu is translated as "about," "with," "by," etc., but sometimes there is no compatible English word.

Technically, nu is a non-focus marking particle. Meaning, nu is a particle that precedes a nouns when it's not the "focus" of a sentence/clause, whereas i/si mark the "focus" of the sentence/clause. Nu often occurs as ni, a contraction of nu + i; nu also occurs as the particle as when the non-focus is a proper noun (i.e.: when the particle si would otherwise be used). I'll try to explain it in a little more detail.

In any Chamorro sentence there must be a focus, which we mark with the articles i/si. For example:

1. Hu ina i chalan. = I lit the road.
2. Ha sångåni i ga'chong-ña. = He told his friend.
3. Ma nå'i i patgon. = They gave the child (something).
4. Manmåsångåni i famagu'on. = The children were told.
5. Mågåggao i nana. = The mother was asked.
6. Måleffa si Maria. = Maria forgot.

Sometimes, there is some sort of modifier or explanation in the sentence, along with the main focus. Adjusting the above examples, we get:

1. Hu ina i chalan ni kandet. = I lit the road with the light.
2. Ha sångåni i ga'chong-ña ni bidå-ña. = He told his friend about his deed.
3. Ma nå'i i patgon nu regålu. = They gave the child a gift.
4. Manmåsångåni i famagu'on ni estoria. = The children were told a story.
5. Mågåggao i nana nu kande. = The mother was asked for candy.
6. Måleffa si Maria as Jose = Maria forgot about Joe.

In exmaple 1 the "light" isn't what's being lit, so it cannot be the focus of the verb ina. However, it explained how the road was lit, so we call that the non-focus of the verb.

In example 2 "his friend" is spoken to, and the "deed" is being talked about. So, the "deed" is the non-focus of the verb sångåni.

In example 5 the "mother" was asked, so she is the focus of the verb mågåggao. The non-focus of the verb is "candy," since it explains what she was being asked for.

Lastly, in example 6 "Maria" forgets, and we see that "Joe"explains who she forgot.

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.

Leksion Chamoru: Prefix må-

The "passive marker" prefix må- is one of the most frequently used prefixes in the Chamorro language. If you like the grammar explanation, it changes a verb from the active voice to the passive. If you don't particularly care for grammatical things, then it's pretty much like adding "-ed" to an English verb.
Hopefully these examples will clear up what I mean:

• Fa'tinas = Cook, make
  Må- + fa'tinas => Måfa'tinas = Cooked, made
  
• Åligao = Search (for), look (for)
  Må- + åligao => Må'åligao = Searched (for), looked (for)
  
• Sotta = Release
  Må- + sotta => Måsotta = Released
• Li'e' = See
  Må- + li'e' => Måli'e' = Seen
• Konne' = Take (living object)
  Må- + konne' => Måkonne' = Taken
• Tuna = Bless, praise
  Må- + tuna => Måtuna = Blessed, praised
  

When you add må-, you need to follow it with a noun or yo'-type pronouns. Here are some examples with active voice, then passive following:

• Ha fa'tinas i kaddo. = He cooks (did cook) the soup.
  Måfa'tinas i kaddo. = The soup was cooked.
• Hu åligao si Juan. = I search (did search) for John.
  Må'åligao si Juan. = John was searched for.
• Ma sotta i paluma. = They release (did release) the bird.
  Måsotta i paluma. = The bird was released.
• Un li'e' i palao'an. = You see (did see) the woman.
  Måli'e' i palao'an. = The woman was seen.

The prefix må- is easy to confuse with the hu-type pronoun ma, but try not to. Just like the example above "Ma sotta" vs. " Måsotta," the meaning can have important yet subtle differences.

Leksion Chamoru: The prefix chat-

Chat- is similar to the English prefixes "dis-," "un-," "in-," "mis-," "anti-," etc., but all rolled into one. It is a prefix which gives a negative or derogatory inclination to words. Here are some examples:

• Hinasso = A thought or a memory
  Chat- + hinasso => Chathinasso = A worry or a concern.
• Fino' = To speak, to articulate.
  Chat- + fino' => Chatfino' = To curse, to bad-mouth.
• Måsa = Cooked, ripe.
  Chat- + måsa => Chatmåsa = Premature, unripened, uncooked.

There are several instances where the derived word's meaning isn't obvious:

• Li'e' = To see.
  Chat- + li'e' => Chatli'e' = To fail to see something clearly.
  But it also means:
  Chat- + li'e' => Chatli'e' = To hate, to detest, to abhor.
• På'go = Pleasant, beautiful.
  Chat- + på'go => Chatpå'go = Ugly, unpleasant, disagreeable, contrary to beauty, offensive to look upon.
• Såga = To stay, to dwell.
  Chat- + såga => Chatsåga = Difficult, hard.

The prefix chat- is another prefix which forces the primary stress of the word to fall on the first syllable. So for some of the examples above:

• Chatfino' => CHAT-fee-new'
• Chatli'e' => CHAT-lee'-ee'
• Chatsåga => CHAT-suh-gah'