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.

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.

Palåbran 11/28/2011: Teneki

Teneki (TEN-ne-key): Surely, certainly, definitely, must.

Note: This is also said tieneki and tieneski. It comes from the Spanish phrase "tiene/tienes que..." which means "you have (must) ..." However, Chamorro uses the phrase to indicate something will certainly occur.

Uses:
"Teneki ma sangåni hao gi despues." = "They'll surely tell you afterwards."
"Ai na inaguaguat na påtgon, tieneki u masaolak." = "What a naughty kid, he's definitely going to be spanked."
"Nangga  sa' teneki måtto." = "Wait and it will certainly come."

Palåbran 11/22/2011: Lasgue

Lasgue (LASS-gwee): Whittle, sharpen, make pointed, cut into pieces or slices, shape by cutting--as sharpening a pencil.

Uses:
"I estodiåntes ma lasgue i lapes-ñiha." = "The students sharpened their pencils."
"Gof chaddek ha lasgue i tekcha'." = "He quickly made the spear (sharpened the wood to a spear)."
"Hu lasgue i pi'ao para dekka' nifen." = "I whittled the bamboo for a toothpick."