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."

Palåbran 01/14/2012: Tungo'

Tungo' (TWO-ngoo'): Know, be acquainted with, have knowledge of, recognize, distinguish, have knowledge.

Uses:
"Kao un tungo' gue'?" = "Do you know him/her?"
"Ti hu tungo' na para un fåtto mågi." = "I didn't know that you would come here."
"Faisen si Rosa, sa' sempre ha tungo'." = "Ask Rosa, she'll know."

Palåbran 12/31/2011: Åñu

Åñu (AH-nyu):  Year.

Note: Åñu is sometimes interchangeable with the word såkkan (year, season), except in fixed phrases such as "Felis Åñu Nuebu (Happy New Year)!" and when referring to age. Åñu is also one of the few words whose plural is formed by adding "s" to the end.

Uses:
"Felis Åñu Nuebu!" = "Happy New Year!"
"Kuåntos åños hao?" = "How old are you (How many years are you)?"
"Esta bentesinko åños gue'." = "He's already 25 years old."

Palåbran 12/17/2011: Åmte

Åmte (UM-tee): Apply first aid, treat wound, cure sickness.

Uses:
"I mediku ha åmte i chetnot-ña." = "The doctor treated his wound."
"Ha åmte i sinengge ni ingguenten aloe." = "She treated the burn with an aloe salve."
"Ma åmte i chetnudan gi addeng-ña, lao ti siña mågong ya ma utot." = "They treated the wound on his foot (sole), but they couldn't heal it and amputated it."

Note: Åmte is sometimes mistakenly confused with na'homlo'/na'mågong (to heal). Åmte is to treat an ailment, but not necessarily to heal it. The last example, however sad and unfortunate, is an example of where åmte does not mean to heal.