Kon ta bisa na Papiamentu? Some useful expressions.

Bon biní - welcome Si - yes

Mòru – good morning (early, usually within family) Nò – nò
Bon dia - good morning/day . kisas - maybe
Bon tardi - good afternoon/evening sigur –sure, of course
Bon nochi (bonochi) - good night (after about 7pm) tòg? – right?
Bon siman – good week (greeting at beginning of week, usually Monday.

Por fabor - please

Danki - thank you
Mashá danki - thank you very much
Di nada (na bo òrdu) - you’re welcome
Kon ta bai? (Kumbai?) - Hello, how are you, how’s it going?
bon, danki – fine, thanks
Kon ta bai ku bo? - How are you?
Entre medio - so so
Tene, tene - hanging in there

Kon bo yama? (Kon yamabo?) – What is your name?

Mi nòmber ta…, Mi yama… - My name is…
Ayó - good bye
Te aworó - until later
Te mañan – until later
Te ‘ki ratu – see you in a little while
Pasa bon dia (tardi, nochi, siman, etc.) – have a nice day (afternoon, night, week, etc.)
Tur kos bon - best wishes

Ablif? - Pardon? (I didn’t get that, couldn’t hear you, etc.)

Sòri - I’m sorry, or excuse me
Despensa – Excuse me, Pardon me
Mi no ta komprondé – I don’t understand
Mi no sa – I don’t know
Kon ta bisa…? - How do you say…?
Kiko ta nifiká….? - What does ______ mean?

Pronouns
mi (I, me, my) pa mi – for me di mi – from me mi mes - myself ami – emphasis
bo (you, your) pa bo, di bo, bo mes, abo
e (he, she, him, her) pa e = p’e, di e = (di) dje, su (his, her), ku e = kuné – with
him/her
nos (we, us, our)
boso (you plural, your)
nan (they, them, their)
polite form of you (usted form) – use third person form of verb -señor/señora,
(yùfrou/mener), or use name of person. Ki señora yama?
When will you come back? (polite to Kathy) Ki ora Kathy ta bini bèk?
your = señor/a su Where is your car? Unda señor su outo ta?
Here is your pen. Ata señor su pèn.

Verbs There are particle markers that designate verb tense. Person and number are
shown by the subject pronoun.

Present: ta Mi ta bai. I go, am going.

Past: a Mi a bai. I went, have gone, had gone.
Imperfect: tabata Mi tabata bai. I was going, used to go.
(continuous past)
Future: lo Lo mi bai. I will go.
Lo mi a bai. I will have gone.
Conditional: lo a Lo mi a bai. I would go, would have gone.
Subjunctive: ø ora mi bai... when I go... (future) (cuando vaya)
or pa + verb Nan ke pa mi bai. They want me to go.

Colors Days Months

kòrá - red djadumingu (diadumingu)– Sunday yanüari
blanku - white djaluna – Monday febrüari
blou - blue djamars – Tuesday mart
hel - yellow djárason – Wednesday aprel
maron, brùin - brown djaweps – Thursday mei
ros - pink djabièrnè - Friday yüni
pretu – black djasabra – Saturday yüli
shinishi - gray ougùstùs
bèrdè – green sèptèmber
lila – purple òktober
orañu - orange novèmber
desèmber

Interrogatives Numbers
Unda, na unda? - Where? 1 un(u) promé, di promé (first)
Ken? - Who? 2 dos di dos (second)
Kiko? - What? 3 tres di tres
Pakiko, Di kon? - Why? 4 kuater di kuater
Kua? - Which? 5 sinku di sinku
Kuantu? – How much? 6 seis di seis
Kon? - How? 7 shete di shete
Ki ora, dia, aña, siglo, etc.? - When? 8 ocho di ocho
Ki sorto di...? – What kind of...? 9 nuebe di nuebe
Kuant’ or? – What time? 10 dies di dies

Money
Referred to as sèn (or plaka) 11 diesun 50 sinkuenta
florin (Guilder in Eng., Gulden 12 diesdos 60 sesenta
in Dutch) etc. 70 setenta
1.78 florin = one USdollar 20 binti 80 ochenta
21 bintiun 90 nobenta
30 trinta 100 shen
40 kuarenta 101 shentiun

1000 mil 1,000,000 mion

Common verbs. haña – to find, get

hari – to laugh
bai – to go hasi – to do, make
bal – to be worth hiba – to take
balia – to dance hisa - to lift
bebe – to drink hunga – to play
bende – to sell kaba – to finish
biaha – to travel kai – to fall
biba – to live kana – to walk
bini – to come kanta – to sing
bisa – to say ke (ker) – to want
bisti – to wear keda – to stay
bolbe – to return (bini bèk) kere – to believe
brasa – to embrace kohe – pick up, get
bula – to fly kome – to eat
buska – to look for komprondé – to understand
debe – to owe konosé – to know, be acquainted with
drecha – to fix kòrda – to remember
drenta – to enter kore – to run, drive
drumi –to sleep krese – to grow
duna – to give kumpra – to buy
falta – to lack laba – to wash
fèrf – to paint (a house) landa – to swim
grita – to shout laga – to let, allow
gusta - to like lanta – to lift, get up
habri – to open lesa – to read
lubidá – to forget
meresé – to deserve yora – to cry
mester – to need to, be supposed to yuda - to help
mira – to look zona - to sound
paga –to pay
papia – to speak Nouns
pega – to hit
pidi – to ask for brasa – arm, hug
pinta – to paint (art) buki - book
pone – to put bùs – bus
por – to be able to flor - flower
puntra – to ask (a question) hende - person, people
purba – to try hende hòmber – man
rei – to guess hende muhé - woman
rèk to stretch hòmber - man
risibí – to receive huki - corner
sa – to know, be in the habit of kakalaka - cockroach
sali – to leave kas - house
sera – to close kos - thing
siña – to learn kuki - cookie
sinta – to sit down kuminda - food
sinti – to feel lagadishi - lizard
skibi – to write lenga - language, tongue
skohe – to choose mama - mother
skonde – to hide man - hand
skucha – to listen mucha - child
soru - to take care of mucha hòmber - boy
sosegá – to rest mucha muhé - girl
spanta – to frighten, be frightened muhé - woman
stima – to love palu – wood, stick, tree
studia – to study para - bird
ta – to be ruman (hòmber, muhé) – sibling
tende – to hear (brother, sister)
tene – to hold skol - school
tin – to have tata - father
tira – to throw, shoot yu (yu hòmber, yu muhé) – child
traha – to work, make/build (son, daughter)
trata – to try, treat
trein – to train, exercise Adjectives / Adverbs
trese – to bring
tuma – to take bon – good, well
uza/usa – to use bunita - pretty
wak – to look, pay attention dibertido - fun
wanta – to bear, endure duru – hard, difficult
warda – to wait dushi – sweet, nice (sweetheart)
yama – to call fásil – easy
yega – to arrive ferfelu - annoying
hopi, mashá – many, much (very)
kiut – cute
kla – clear, ready, bright/light (color)
konfundí – confused
korekto – correct, right
laf – boring, dull
lèkker – yummy, tasty (from Dutch)
leuk – great, cool, nice (from Dutch)
lif - dear, sweet, nice
lihé - fast
mahòs - ugly
malu – bad, sick
poko poko - slowly
prèt - funny
spesial / speshal - special