Pålåbran 06/04/2011: Luhan

Luhan (LOO-han): Frightened, scared, terrified, horrified, fear.

Uses:
"Kao luhan hao nu roller coaster?" = "Are you scared of roller coasters?"
"Munga luluhan." = "Don't be scared."
"Luhan si Juan annai måpuha i botte." = "John was scared when the boat capsized."

Kantan Chamoru: Apu Magi (JD Crutch)

It's been said that one of the best helps in learning a language is listening to songs in the language. I think this is a good idea, the only problem with it is that in Chamorro, many of the singers aren't the easiest to understand. So, here are the lyrics to one of my favorites with chords and a tranlsation:

Apo' Mågi
as J.D. "Crutch"

[G]

Ai, siña ti un tungo', taiguhi tiningo' put hågu,

(Oh,  you might not have known, I thought that way of you,)

[G]                                               [D]

ya ti hu achakka' hao yanggen un dingu.

(and I don't blame you if you leave.) 

[D]

Lao hu li'e' hao gi painge, ya un lågo' gi matå-mu,

(But I saw you last night, with a tear in your eye,) 

[D]   [D7]                                     [G]

ya ha påcha yo' mås ki pa bai hu sångan.

(and it touched me more than I'll say.) 

[G]

Lao ti hu hongge i che'lu-hu, na po un na'puti yo' nai på'go,

(But I don't believe, my sister, that you're going to hurt me now,)

[G]        [G7]                             [C]

ni guåhu gagaige mågåhet gi fi'on-mu

(with me truly being there by your side.)

Chrous:

[C]   [D]            [G]

Apo' mågi gi apagå'-hu, 

(Lean here on my shoulder,)

[G]            [Em]                   [C]

ya bai hu sångåni hao ni estoriå-hu,
(and I'll tell you my story,)

[C]   [D]    [G] [G7]

sa' hågu ya-hu.

(because I love you.)

[G7] [C]   [D]    [G]

Apo' mågi gi apagå'-hu, 

(Lean here on my shoulder,)

[G]            [Em]                    [C]

ya bai hu sångåni hao ni estoriå-hu,

(and I'll tell you my story,) 

[C]   [D]    [G]

sa' hågu ya-hu.

(because I love you.)

[G]                                                                                [D]

Ai, siña ti un hongge na i korason-hu kumåkåti, ai, pot hågu.

(Oh, you might not believe that my heart is crying, oh, for you.)

[D]

Ai, lao hågu i che'lu-hu, ai, i mågåhet ti un hahasso,

(Oh, but you my sister, oh, you don't remember the truth,)

[D]     [D7]                               [G]

na pot hågu yo' nai neni na måfåtto.

(that it's for you that I've come.) 

[G]

Lao un na'klåru giya guåhu yan mågåhet na i ti ya-mu,

(But you've made it clear to me, and you don't like the truth.)

[G]         [G7]                                          [C]

ya bai hu hånao yanggen nå'ån-hu na ti hu hungok.

(and I'll go if I don't hear my name.)

 

Chorus (2x)

Pålåbran 05/12/2011: Åpmam

Åpmam (UP-mam): Ago, past, gone, awhile, for sometime, since olden times.

Note: The above definition is from Topping's dictionary, but another way to view this word is as "long time."

Uses:
"Åpmam na tiempo." = "A long time ago."
"Ti åpmam yo' tåtte." = "I'll be back soon (not long)."
"Ti åpmam yo' guatu." = "I'll be there soon." / "I won't be long getting there."
"Åpmam ti umali'e' hit." = "We haven't seen each other for a long time." / "Long time no see."
"Ti åpmam bai yute'." = "I'll throw it away soon."

Pålåbran 05/09/2011: Låkse

Låkse (LUCK-see): Sew, stitch.

Uses:
"Ya-ña manlåkse si Rosa." = "Rosa likes to sew."
"Ha låkse i nuebu na chininå-hu." = "She sewed my new shirt."
"Kao hågu lumåkse i bestidu?" = "Were you the one that sewed the dress."

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'

Pålåbran 04/29/2011: Fa'na'an

Fa'na'an (fah'-NAH'-an): Maybe, perhaps.

Note: Fa'na'an comes from fa'- (to change or pretend to be) + nå'an (name). Fa'na'an literally means "nickname," but is often used as "maybe," "perhaps," or even in the sense of "seems like."

Uses:
"Fa'na'an ti ya-ña i fina'tinås-hu." = "Perhaps (it seems like) she doesn't like my cooking."
"Fa'na'an ni sikiera un na'gåsgås i gima'-mu." = "Maybe (it's like) you didn't even bother to clean your house."
"Para bai hånao fa'na'an para i gipot." = "Perhaps I'll go to the party."

Pålåbran 04/25/2011: Likkidu

Likkidu (LICK-key-dew): Only, one and only, unique.

Uses:
"Likkidu na måfañågu hao." = "You're an only child (only-born)."
"Estegue' i likkidu na påpet siento gi kapetå-hu." = "Here's the only 100 dollar bill in my wallet."
"Guiya likkidu gi familiå-ña umeskuekuela gi unibetsidåt." = "She the only one in her family to go to university."