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."