Phrases Flashcards
It’s good
I stret
How are you?
Olsem wanem?
My name is ….
Nem blong mi
Where are you from?
Yu blong wea?
I’m from …
Mi blong …
What is your name?
Wanem nem blong yu?
Good afternoon
Gud aftanun
Good morning
Gud moning
Bye
Tata
See you
Lukim yu
I’m very pleased to meet you
Mi glad tumas blong mitim yu
Thank you
Tankiu tumas
How much?
Hamas?
How much for … ?
Hamas long … ?
How much for this?
Hamas long emia?
I want to buy …
Mi wantem pem …
What is this?
Wanem ia?
What is the name for this?
Wanem nem blong hemia?
Thank you very much.
Tankiu tumas
Your money
Mane blong yu
What is the name for this in Bisama?
Wanem nem blong emia long Bislama?
Can i buy a ____ here?
Mi save pem wan _____ lo ples ia?
How much for this/that?
Hamas long emia?
What is the price for that?
Wanem praes blong emia?
A little bit
Lelebet
Round trip
Ful trip
How much for one way?
Hamas long wan wei?
How much for round trip?
Hamas long ful trip?
How much is one ____?
Mi pem hamas long wan _____?
Does anyone have ______
Yu save wan man i kassem _______?
At what time?
Long wanem taem?
I hope so, I want it to be
Mi wantem sem bae olsem
Mi wantem bae olsem
Each day I learn more.
Wan wan dei mi lanem moa
How old are you?
Yu gat hamas yia?
Superlative,
e. g. very deep
e. g. Beautiful
Doubling the adjective
e. g. i dip we i dip
e. g. i gud we i gud
If the wind blows…
Sapos win i blo….
He’s already grown up
Hem i kam wan bigfala man finis.
He hasn’t come back from the bush yet.
Hem i no kam bak long bus yet.
He doesn’t eat yam.
Hem i no kakae yam
He doesn’t eat yam anymore.
Hem i nomo kakae yam
He only eats yam
Hem i kakae yam nomo
He never eats yam
Hem i neva kakae yam.
We just woke up.
Mifala i jes wekap.
He has started to cook sweet potatoes.
Hem i stat kukum kumala
He is now cooking sweet potatoes.
He usually cooks sweet potatoes.
Hem i stap kukum kumala (stap indicating ongoing or habitual action).
He continually cooks sweet potatoes.
Hemi kukum kumala gogo
He has gone to Luganville
Hem i bin go long Kanal
He is finished eating.
Hemi finis kakae
He has already eaten
Hemi kakae finis
He must eat
Hem i mas kakae
He tries to sing
Hem i traem singsing
He wants to go to Luganville
Hem i wantem go long Kanal
I can speak Bislama
Me save toktok lanwis Bislama
It’s good
I stret
I will buy a big one and a small one
Bae mi pem wan bigwan mo wan smolwan
I’ll take …
Bae mi karem …
Where is the store where I can buy …?
Wehem stoa we mi save pem …?
Is there one a little bit smaller?
I gat wan we i smol lelebet?
Fresh
Fres
Do you sell …. here?
Yu salem …..long ples ia?
We sell two kinds.
Mifala i salem tu kaen.
Turn right
Tanem long raet
Where exactly is that?
Emia stret long wea?
Walk a bit further
Yu wokbaot smol moa.
Is it on the left or the right?
Hemi stap long lefsaed o raetsaed?
You can ask people you meet and they will help you.
Yu save askim ol man yu mitim mo bae oli helpim yu.
That’s ok.
I oraet
Paula showed her to me.
Paula soem em lo mi.
I forget a lot.
Mi fogetem tumas plenti samting
I washed clothes, but they didn’t dry because there was too much rain.
Mi bin wasem klos be oli no drae from tumas rein.
May I take your photo?
Mi save tekem foto blong yu?
This is better than ….
This is better than the other.
Hemi gud bitim …..
Hemi gud bitim narawan.
I like pamplemousse because it tastes better than papaya.
Mi likim pamplemus from we i gud bitim popo.
That boat is bigger than my boat.
Narabot hemi bigfala tumas bitim bot blong mi.
The boat over there is smaller than mine.
Bot long wei hemi smol bitim blo mi.
I never eat sugar
Mi neva kakae samting we i gat suka
I want to look around
Mi wantem lukim olbaot
We already started eating.
Mitufala bin stat blo kakai finis.
What do you put in this?
Hemia ples blo wanem?
We work well together
Mitufala i wok gud togeta.
Shake hands
Sekan
How was your dance?
Olsem wanem long tanis blong yu, hemi bin gud o i no gud?
He will probably call me tomorrow.
Hemi tes ringim mi tumoro
A different way
e.g. I want to weave in a different way
I want to walk a different way.
Narafala wei
e.g. Mi wantem wivim long narafala wei.
Mi wantem wokabout long narafala wei.
How many people are on that boat?
Olgeta hamas lo bot long wei?
Go fishing for dinner
Huk long sava
As usual
Olsem oltaem
I hope I will go up today.
Mi hop se bae mi go antap tedei.
I hope the weather is good tomorrow.
Mi hop se bae weta i gud tumoro.
We went to the village yesterday.
Mitufala i bin go long vilej yestedei.
How many people live in Ranon?
Olgeta hamas stap long Ranon?
A long time ago
Long taem bifo
After a while
I no long taem
Bush
Smolsmol tri
What is it used for?
Hemia ples blo wanem?
If I walk, I’ll wake up.
Sapos mi stap wokbaot, bae mi wekap.
When he walks, he’ll wake up.
Taem hemi wokbaot, bae hemi wekap.
What do you think?
What is your opinion?
Wanem tingting blong yu?
Slip one’s mind
e.g. Your name slipped my mind
Tingting i lus
e.g. Tingting blong mi i lus long nem blong yu
In my opinion
Long tingting blong mi
Long lukluk blong mi
Or not
e.g. Can you come or not?
No nogat
Yufala i save kam no nogat?
It’s good, isn’t it?
Em i gud a?
It’s no good, isn’t it?
Em i nogud a?
How did you make it?
Yu wokem olsem wanem?
Come ashore
Did the captain come ashore?
Kamsoa
Kapten i kamsoa?
Just now,
e.g. I got up just now
Nao ia nomo,
e.g. Taem mi girup nao ia nomo
What color is it?
Wanem kala blong em?
Here it is
Em ia nao
I want these three books
Mi wantem trifala buk ia
Peter laughs a lot
Pita i laf bigwan
Em i sik bigwan
He is seriously ill
He called out loudly
Em i singaot bigfala
The light is shining brightly
Laet i saen bigfala
I’ll come back quickly
Bae mi kambak kwiktaem
I’ll do it
Mi bae mi wokem
What are you doing?
Yu stap mekem wanem?
He got up at 6:30 in the morning.
Emi girap long af pas sikis long moning.
His car was not there.
Trak blong em i no stap.
He rushed down to the police station.
Em i resis kwiktaem i go long polis.
I didn’t hear anything during the night
Mi no harem noes nating long naet
They are coming,
They were coming
Olgeta oli stap kam
He is eating,
He was eating
Em i stap kakae
He works in Vila
Em i stap wok long Vila
They go to town every day
Evri dei olgeta ol i stap go long taon.
Where do you live?
Yu stap wea?
Sarah is not here
Serah i no stap.
Frank left Malekula
Frank i lego Malakula
Is there a plane to Tanna on Tuesday?
Plen i stap go long Tanna long Tusde?
There is a plane to Tanna every day
I gat plen i go long Tanna evri dei.
They say that…
Oli talem se…
They say there are some huts at Lenakel, a kind of small hotel.
Oli talem se i gat samfala haos long Lenakel, olsem wan smol hotel.
How long do you want to stay on Tanna?
Bambae yufala i wantem stap hamas dei long Tanna?
Just one week, starting on the 10th until the 16th of May.
Wan wik nomo. Stat long namba 10 go kasem namba 16 Mei.
The first thing
Namba wan samting
You can rent a car to travel around the island.
Yufala i save rentem wan trak blong wokbaot raon long aelan
It would be better if you…
I moa gud sipos yufala i…
I’m not sure
Mi no save gud
They danced until dawn
Oli danis delaet
- Delaet
- Delaet, immediately following a verb
e. g. Oli dring delaet
- At daylight
- Until daylight
e. g. They drank until daylight
In the very early morning
Long moning tumas
In the early morning
Long eli moning
This morning
Long tede moning
Tede long moning
Long moning ia
At exactly four o’clock
Long fo klok stret,
Stret long fo klok
At approximately four o’clock
Samwe long fo klok
Evening (sunset-8pm)
Long sapa
If you speak more slowly I will understand better
Sipos yu toktok moa slo, bae mi haremsave moa gud.
I understand better when you talk slowly.
Taem yu toktok slo mi haremsave moa gud.
What is that man’s name?
Nem blong man ia hu?
Who is that man?
Man ia hu?
Man ia hu ia?
Who is that man? (abrupt)
Hu man ia?
Whose is this money?
Mane blong hu ia?
What do you do? (i.e. what work?)
Wok blong yu wanem?
What do you want? (normal)
What do you want? (abrupt)
Yu wantem wanem? (norm.)
Wanem yu wantem? (abr.)
How did you do it?
Yu mekem olsem wanem?
How/why did you come here?
Yu kam long ples ia olsem wanem?
How come you are here?
Olsem wanem yufala i kam long ples ia?
For what purpose have you come?
Yu kam blong wanem?
Why is he running all over the place? (abrupt)
Blong wanem em i resis olbaot?
Why are you crying?
Yu stap krae from wanem?
What did you hit it with?
Yu kilim long wanem?
How much are these oranges?
Ol aranis ia ol i hamas?
How many people are still inside?
Hamas man oli stap insaed yet?
Where?
Weples
Wea
At what time? (anticipates precise answer)
Long wanem taem?
At what time (anticipates indefinite answer)
Long wetaem? (Often pronunced “wataem”)
Which one is better?
Wijwan i moa gud? (Or weswan)
Which woman made this basket?
Wanem woman i wokem basket ia?
How/why did you come here (forceful)
Weswe yu kam long ples ia?
More forceful than “olsem wanem yu kam long ples ia?”, which is more abrupt than “yu kam long ples ia olsem wanem?”
I’ve eaten
I’ve finished eating
I’ve already eaten
Mi kakae finis
I’ve read the book.
I’ve finished reading the book.
I’ve already read the book.
Mi ridim buk ia finis.
He’s been working with me for five weeks now.
Hem i bin wokem wetem mi long faev wik finis.
I’ve already been to town.
Mi bin long taon finis.
Where are you going?
Yu stap go wea?
I’m just going to town.
Mi stap go long taon nomo.
There are many cars here.
Fulap trak i stap.
There are just two cars here.
Tufala trak nomo i stap.
A girl spoke to me.
Wan gel hem i toktok long mi.
The girl spoke to me.
Gel ia hem i toktok long mi.
Some boys are going to town.
Samfala boe oli stap go long taon.
The boys are going to town.
Olgeta boe oli stap go long taon.
I saw a man who was very old.
Mi lukim wan man we hem i olfala tumas.
I’m reading the book that you’ve been talking about.
Mi stap ridim buk we yu bin store long hem.
I don’t like it
Mi no laekem
I don’t like him/ her
Mi no laekem hem
I don’t like that one.
Mi no laekem hemia
I am sitting with it.
Mi stap sidaon wetem.
I am sitting with him/her.
Mi stap sidaon wetem hem.
Both of them went together.
Tufala i go tugeta.
Tufala i go wantaem.
Tugeta i go.
That’s right, that’s correct
Em ia, Em ia nao
I travel on foot
Mi wokbaot long leg
That’s fine
I gud nomo olsem
That’s fine
I gud nomo olsem
Their house
Haus blong ol or. Haos blong olgeta
Whose is this _____?
eg. Whose is this car? This car is ours (excl).
_____ ia blong hu?
eg. Trak ia blong hu? Trak ia blong mifala.
Blong is also used following a noun head, esp. man, to describe personal characteristics.
Eg. Em i man blong fraet
Em i man blong giaman
Em i man blong flas
He’s a coward
He’s a liar
He’s a show-off
Intransitive vs Transitive
This water is boiling I’m boiling this water
They are married/ The pastor married them
The canoe capsized. I tipped over my glass
The fire is alight. He lit the fire
Wota ia i boel. Mi boelem wota ia
Tufala i mared. Pasta i maredem tufala
Kenu i kafsaed. Mi kafsaedem glas blong mi
Faea i laet. Em i laetem faea
Let’s go!
Yumitu go!
Yumitufala go!
(Pronoun with inanimate reference vs with animate reference)
I don’t like it.
I don’t like him/her.
Mi no laekem.
Mi no laekem hem.
She is cooking in the kitchen
Hem i stap kuk long kijin
She cooked taro in the saucepan
Hem i kukum taro long sospen
The rice is cooked
Raes i dan finis
The sea was very rough during the cyclone
Solwota i raf tumas long taem blong hariken
transitive/intransitive
Peter secured the rope My ear is blocked
He already sweetened the tea. This food is sweet
Pita i fasem rop. Sora blong mi i fas
Em i switim ti finis. Kakae ia i swit
transitive/intransitive
Serah loosened the rope This tire is flat
Serah i slakem rop. Wil ia i slak
My trousers are torn
Traoses blong mi i brok
Stap as a verb
The food is on the table.
Peter is on Malakula.
Where do you live?
Kakae i stap long tebel.
Pita i stap long Malakula.
Yu stap long wea?
stap as a verb
The chief isn’t here.
He is not here.
You go, I’ll stay.
Jif i no stap long ples ia.
Em i no stap.
Yu go. Bae mi stap
Many people live on Tanna
Plante man ol i stap long Tana
There are very many people inside
Fulap man i stap insaed
Some people were pleased about it
Sam man ol i glad long em
Stay with, Live with
Last night I went to stay at my father’s place
Slip wetem
Las naet mi go slip wetem papa blong mi
- Fall asleep unintentionally
- Sleep in an uncomfortable position, so you wake up with a sore neck
Slip kranke
There were only a few people at the kava bar
I gat smol man nomo long nakamal
Fantastic (slang)
They sing fantastically
I no makas
Olgeta oli singsing i no makas
Not all of the people came
Olgeta man oli no kam evriwan
The men raced in the canoes
Olgeta man oli resis long kenu
That plant is everywhere in the bush.
Flaoa ia i gat olbaot long bus
The price is too high
Praes i go antap tumas
I will try to get some.
Bae mi traem karem sam.
That’s alright
I gud nomo
The children go to an English school
Ol pikinini oli skul long Inglis
There is a school near his village
Wan skul i stap klosap long ples blong hem
Japta ia i finis finis
This chapter is already finished.
The first finish is an intransitive verb meaning ‘finish’, the second is a post-verbal modifier meaning ‘completive, already’
Johnna i stap stap long Namburu
Johnna lives in Namburu
The first ‘stap’ indicates habitual action, the second is an intransitive verb meaning ‘live’
I didn’t hear anything during the night
Mi no harem noes nating long naet
adjective as predicate
This wood is long
Wud ia em i longfala
adjective as predicate
This house is big
Haos ia em i bigfala
adjective as predicate
This man is short
Man ia em i sotfala
adjective as predicate
This man is short
Man ia em i sotfala
(Pronoun with inanimate reference vs with animate reference)
I am sitting with it.
I am sitting with him/her.
Mi stap sidaon wetem.
Mi stap sidaon wetem hem
Both people
Tufala man evriwan
Or, less commonly, ‘Tugeta man’
All the important men
Olgeta bigbig man
I’ll come at ten o’clock tomorrow.
Tumora bambae mi kam long ten klok.
Paul will give money to the school.
Pol baebae i givim mane long skul
This woman will make laplap.
Woman ia bambae i wokem laplap.
I’ll go and tell him.
Bae mi go talem
I’ll come back quickly.
Bae mi kambak kwiktaem.
She will cook it.
Em bae i kukum
reflexive
I looked at myself in the mirror.
Mi luk mi wan long glas
reflexive
Are you looking at yourself?
Yu stap luk yu nomo?
reflexive
I cut myself.
Mi katem mi bakegen.
reflexive
He killed himself.
Hem i kilim-bak hem
reflexive
Did you cut yourself?
Yu katem yu wan bakegen?
reflexive
Did you (pl) cut yourselves?
Yufala i katem yufala nomo?
I accidentally fell over.
Mi foldaon mi wan.
I have an unusual job
Mi karem wan difren wok
The house that is over there has only just been built. (i.e they have only just made it)
Haos we i stap longwe oli jes wokem nomo
The chief who spoke with us is in the meeting house.
Jif we i toktok wetem mifala i stap long nakamal
I have a rather unusual job
Mi karem wan difren wok lelebet
I have got a good job.
I have got an especially good job.
Mi karem wan gud wok finis.
Mi karem wan gudfala wok finis.
I have another job.
Mi karem wan nara wok.
Mi karem wan narafala wok.
Terrible idea
Rabis tingting
Correct answer
Stret ansa
Tough meat
Stongfala mit
This/these vs that/those
Who can sing? This/that man. Which man. This one or that one?
Hu i save singsing? Man ia. Wijwan man ia? Man ia nao o man ia longwe?
I was chatting with him yesterday
Mi storian wetem hem yestedei
A noun phrase can be modified by a sequence of words that effectively corresponds to a full sentence on its own.
E.g. An old man who I was chatting with yesterday is drinking kava at home.
Wan olfala man we mi storian wetem hem yestedei i stap dring kava long haus.
Mine is bitter than yours.
Blong mi i bigwan bitim blong yu
He was hit by a car, but he wasn’t killed, just injured.
Trak i sperem hem, be hem i no ded, hem i karem kil nomo.
Appetite
I’ve got the flu and I have no appetite at all.
Tes blong kakae
Mi kasem flu olsem ia, tes blong kakae i nogat we i nogat.
Take off, be on one’s way
Are you going to be on your way now?
Tekerod (from tekem + rod). Also, karem rod
Bae yu tekerod nao?
Stanley emailed to me yesterday
Stanley i imel i kam long mi yestedei
I will email you tomorrow
Bae mi imelem yu tumoro
They have (already) eaten. vs They finished eating.
Ol i kakae finis. Vs Ol i finis kakae
completed action - finis
They have cut the wood. vs Paul has finished cutting the wood.
Ol i katem wud finis. vs Pol i finis katem wud
completed action - finis
He came back last week.
Hem i kambak finis long las wik.
completed action - finis
I’ve washed these plates
Mi wasem ol plet ia finis.
completed action - finis
He has paid his account.
Hem i pem kaon blong hem finis.
completed action - finis Transitive verb
They finished all the nuts.
Olgeta ol i finisim olgeta nangae.
completed action - finis transitive verb
He finished his work.
Em i finisim wok blong em.
From (preposition)
I have come to Vila for a course
Mi kam long Vila from wan kos
Near, by, close to
I will come and sit by the fire
Bae mi kam sidaon from faea
From (subordinator)
I am looking for a job because I am going to get married
Because
Mi stap lukaut wok from bae mi mared
From (interrogative)
Bae yu kam luk mi tumora. From? No, olsem ia nomo.
Why? What for?
Come see me tomorrow. What for? No reason, just come over.
I’ll do it.
Mi bae mi wokem
bambae used with conditionals
If you come, I’ll give you money.
Sipos yu kam, bambae mi givim mane long yu.
bambae used with conditionals
If you had come, I would have given you money, but you didn’t come.
Sipos yu kam, bambae mi givim mane long yu, be yu no kam
stap
A past continuous is indicated where stap is used together with past time adverbs
eg. Las yia em i stap wok long B.P.
Bifo em i stap wok long ples ia.
Last year he was working at B.P.
He used to work here before.
stap
If an action has been in progress for some time and one wishes to emphasize that it’s still in progress, yet is sometimes placed after the verb, indicating ‘still’
Em i stap wok yet.
Jif i stap slip yet.
He is still working.
The chief is still asleep.
We will drink one shell of kava each
Bae yumi dring wanwan sel kava
The children are walking in threes.
Ol pikinini oli wokbaot tritri
Ol boe wetem ol gel oli tanis tutu
The boys and girls are dancing in pairs.
The boys and girls are dancing in pairs.
Ol boe wetem ol gel oli tanis tutu
Are you cooking the rice by yourself?
Yu wan yu stap kukum raes? OR Yu stap kukum raes yu wan?
I am sitting by myself.
Mi wan mi stap sidaon. OR Mi stap sidaon mi wan
