Tok Pisin phrasebook

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WikiPedia:Tok Pisin Tok Pisin is spoken in Papua New Guinea, and is closely related to Pijin blong Solomon (Solomon Islands), Bislama (Vanuatu), and Ailan Tok (Torres Strait); these Bislamic languages are descended from a pidgin which formed around 1820 or 1860. The vocabulary is 5/6 Indo-European (mostly English, some German, Portuguese, and Latin), 1/7 Malayo-Polynesian, and the rest Trans-New-Guinea and other languages. The grammar is creolized and unlike those of the source languages.

Notable features of Tok Pisin include the frequent suffix -pela, which is used to pluralize personal pronouns and mark that an adjective or number is modifying a noun, and the suffix -im, which usually indicates a transitive verb. Many words are reduplicated, which may make a completely different word (sip ship, sipsip sheep), form a derivative (tok word, talk, language, toktok conversation, phrase), or just be part of the word (pukpuk means crocodile, but there is no word puk).

Pronunciation Guide

Vowels

a: like father
e: like set or name
i: like hit or machine
o: like squawk, fork, or home
u: like soup

Consonants

b: like bed
d: like dog
f: like fun or a bilabial fricative; often interchangeable with "p"
g: like go
h: like help
j: like judge; only word-initial
k: like keep
l: like love
m: like mother
n: like nice
p: like pig; often interchangeable with "f"
r: trill or flap
s: like sue or zoo
t: like top
v: like five
w: like weigh
y: like yes

Common diphthongs

ai: like time (taim), trying (traim), or offering (without the "r") (ofaim), depending on the word
au: like cow

Phrase list

Basics

Hello.: Gude. (goo-DAY)
Hello. (informal): Hi. (HIGH)
How are you?: Yu stap gut? (yoo stahp goot?)
Fine, thank you.: Mi stap gut. (mee stahp goot)
What is your name?: Husat nem bilong yu? (HOO-zaht naym bee-LONG yoo?)
My name is ______ .: Nem bilong me i ______ . (naym bee-LONG mee ee _____ .)
Nice to meet you.: Nais t mit yu. (NIGHSS t' meet YOO)
Please.: Plis. (plees)
Thank you.: Tenkyu. (TENK-yoo)
You're welcome.: You're welcome. (yuhr WEL-kuhm)
Yes.: Yes. (YESS)
No.: Nogat. (noh-GAHT)
Excuse me. (getting attention): Excuse me. (ehkz-KYOOZ mee)
Excuse me. (begging pardon): Excuse me. (ehkz-KYOOZ mee)
I'm [very] sorry.: Mi sori [tumas]. (mee SOH-ree [too-MAHS])
Goodbye: Gutbai. (GOOT-bigh.)
Goodbye (informal): Lukim yu bihain. (LOO-keem yoo bee-HIGHN)
I can't speak tok Pisin [well].: Mi no save [gut] tok Pisin. (mee noh SAH-vay [goot] tohk PIH-zin)
Do you speak English?: Yu tok Inglis, a? (yoo tawk ING-glis ah?)
Is there someone here who speaks English?: I gat sampela hia i save tok Inglis? (ee gaht SUM-peh-lah HEE-ah ee SAH-veh tawk ING-glis?)
Help!: Help! (HEHLP!)
Good morning.: Moning. (MOHN-ing)
Good evening.: Good evening. (guhd EEV-ning)
Good night.: Good night. (guhd NIGHT)
Good night (to sleep): Good night. (good NIGHT)
I don't understand.: Mi no harim tok bilong yu. (mee noh HAH-reem tawk bee-LONG yoo)
Enough of all this talking!: Maski long planti toktok! (MAHS-kee long PLAHN-tee TOHK-tohk!)
Where is the toilet?: Smolhaus i stap we? (SMOLL-hows ee stahp WEH?)

At this point, the fake phoneticizations of English are going to stop, and be replaced by ellipses.

Problems

Leave me alone.: Larim mi!. (...)
Don't touch me!: Noken holim mi! (...)
I'll call the police.: Mi bai singautim wanpela polis. (...)
Police!: Polis! (...)
Stop! Thief!: Stop! Raskol! (...)
I need your help.: Mi nidim halivim blong yu. (mee kneedim hahlivim blong yoo yoo)
It's an emergency.: Displa em wanpla imegensi. (...)
I'm lost.: Mi no inap painim rot blong mi. (...)
I lost my bag.: Mi lusim hembek/bilum bilong mi. (...)
I lost my wallet.: Mi lusim hanpaus bilong mi. (...)
I'm sick.: Mi pilim sik. (...)
I've been injured.: Mi kisim birua/asua. (...)
I need a doctor.: I need a doctor. (...)
Can I use your phone?: Inap mi usim telepon bilong yu? (...)

Numbers

The forms ending in -pela are used when the number is followed by a noun other than a unit of measurement and is counting that noun, unless the number already has -pela in it. So tu klok is a time of day, but tupela klok is a pair of timepieces.

1: wan(pela) (WAN(-peh-lah))
2: tu(pela) (TOO(-peh-lah))
3: tri(pela) (TREE(-peh-lah))
4: foa, fopela (FOH-ah, FOH-peh-lah)
5: faiv, faipela (FIGHV, FIGH-peh-lah)
6: sikis(pela) (SIH-kiss(-peh-lah))
7: seven(pela) (SEH-ven(-peh-lah))
8: et(pela) (AYT(-peh-lah))
9: nain(pela) (NIGHN(-peh-lah))
10: ten(pela) (TEN(-peh-lah))
11: wanpela ten wan (...), eleven
12: wanpela ten tu (...), twelv
13: wanpela ten tri (...), tetin
14: wanpela ten foa (...), fotin
15: wanpela ten faiv (...), fiftin
16: wanpela ten sikis (...), sikistin
17: wanpela ten seven (...), seventin
18: wanpela ten et (...), etin
19: wanpela ten nain (...), naintin
20: tupela ten (...), twenti
21: tupela ten wan (...), twentiwan
22: tupela ten tu (...), twentitu
23: tupela ten tri (...), twentitri
30: tripela ten (...), teti
40: fopela ten (...), foti
50: faipela ten (...), fifti
60: sikispela ten (...), sikisti
70: sevenpela ten (...), seventi
80: etpela ten (...), eti
90: nainpela ten (...), nainti
100: wan handet (...)
200: tu handet (...)
300: tri handet (...)
1000: tausen (...)
2000: tu tausen (...)
1,000,000: one million (...)
number _____ (train, bus, etc.): namba _____ (...)
half: hap (...)
less: less (...)
more: moa (...)

Time

now: nau (now)
later: bihain (bee-HIGHN)
before: bipo (BEE-poh)
morning: moning (MOH-neeng)
afternoon: apinun (ah-pee-NOON)
night: nait (night)

Clock time

one o'clock AM: wan kilok (long san) AM (...)
two o'clock AM: tu kilok (long avinun) (...)
noon: Belo (...)
one o'clock PM: Wan kilok(long) biknait (...)
two o'clock PM: tu kilok (long) biknait PM (...)
midnight: biknait (BIK-night)

Duration

_____ minute(s): _____ minit (MIH-nit)
_____ hour(s): _____ aua (OW-ah)
_____ day(s): _____ de (day)
_____ week(s): _____ wik (week)
_____ month(s): _____ mun (moon)
_____ year(s): _____ yia (YEE-ah)

Days

today: tete (teh-teh)
yesterday: aste (as-teh)
tomorrow: tumora (tu-mora)
this week: displa wik (...)
last week: wik igo pinis (')
next week: wik bihain (nex week)

Sunday: Sande (...)
Monday: Mande (...)
Tuesday: Tunde (...)
Wednesday: Trinde (...)
Thursday: Fonde (...)
Friday: Fraide (...)
Saturday: Sarere (sah-reh-reh...)

Months

January: Jenueri /Wan mun (JEN-oo-eh-ree)
February: Februeri/Tu mun (FEB-roo-eh-ree)
March: Mars/Tri mun (mahrs)
April: Epril/Fo mun (EPP-reel)
May: Mei/Faif mun (may)
June: Jun/ Six mun (joon)
July: Julai/Sewen mun (joo-LIGH)
August: Augus/ Eit mu (AW-goose)
September: Septemba/ Nain mun (sep-TEM-bah)
October: Oktoba/ Ten mun (ock-TOH-bah)
November: Novemba/ Ileven mun (noh-VEM-bah)
December: Disemba/ Twelf mun (dee-SEM-bah)

Writing Time and Date

Give some examples how to write clock times and dates if it differs from English.

Colors

black: blak(pela) (...)
white: wait(pela) (...)
gray: gre(pela) (...)
red: ret(pela) (...)
blue: blu(pela) (...)
yellow: yelo(pela) (...)
green: grin(pela) (...)
orange: orange (...)
purple: hap ret (...)
brown: braun(pela) (...)

Transportation

Bus

How much is a ticket to _____?: Hamas long tiket igo long_____? (...)
One ticket to _____, please.: Wanpla tiket plis ticket to _____, . (...)
Where does this train/bus go?: Displa bas i save go long we? (...)
Where is the train/bus to _____?: Where is the train/bus to _____? (...)
Does this train/bus stop in _____?: Displa bas i save stop tu long_____? (...)
When does the train/bus for _____ leave?: Wonem taim bas bai go? (...)
When will this train/bus arrive in _____?: Wonem taim bai displa bas kamap long_____? (...)

Directions

How do I get to _____ ?: Mi go long _____ olsem wanem? (mee GO long _____ OLL-saym WAH-naym?)
...the train station?: ples bilong wetim tren? (PLAYS bee-long WAY-teem TRAYN)
...the bus station?: ples bilong wetim bas? (PLAYS bee-long WAY-teem BUS)
...the airport?: ples balus? (pleys BAH-loos)
Note: balus also means "pigeon".
...downtown?: namel long taun? (NAH-mel long TOWN?)
...the youth hostel?: ...the youth hostel? (...)
...the _____ hotel?: ...the _____ hotel? (...)
...the American/Canadian/Australian/British consulate?: ...the American/Canadian/Australian/British consulate? (...)
Where are there a lot of...: We i gat planti ... (WEH ee gaht PLAHN-tee ...)
...hotels?: ...hotels? (...)
...restaurants?: haus kaikai? (hows KIGH-kigh?)
...bars?: ...bars? (...)
...sites to see?: ...sites to see? (...)
Can you show me on the map?: Can you show me on the map? (...)
street: street (...)
Turn left.: Tanim lep. (TAHN-ihm lehp)
Turn right.: Tanim rait. (TAHN-ihm right)
left: lep (lehp)
right: rait (right)
straight ahead: stret (strayt)
towards the _____: towards the _____ (...)
past the _____: past the _____ (...)
before the _____: before the _____ (...)
Watch for the _____.: Watch for the _____. (...)
intersection: intersection (...)
north: not (noht)
south: saut (sowt)
east: is (ees)
west: wes (wehs)
uphill: uphill (...)
downhill: downhill (...)

Taxi

Taxi!: Taxi! (...)
Take me to _____, please.: Take me to _____, please. (...)
How much does it cost to get to _____?: How much does it cost to

get to _____? (...)

Take me there, please.: Take me there, please. (...)

Lodging

Do you have any rooms available?: Do you have any rooms available? (...)
How much is a room for one person/two people?: How much is a room for one person/two people? (...)
Does the room come with...: Does the room come with... (...)
...bedsheets?: ...bedsheets? (...)
...a bathroom?: ...a bathroom? (...)
...a telephone?: ...a telephone? (...)
...a TV?: ...a TV? (...)
May I see the room first?: May I see the room first? (...)
Do you have anything quieter?: Do you have anything quieter? (...)
...bigger?: ...bigger? (...)
...cleaner?: ...cleaner? (...)
...cheaper?: ...cheaper? (...)
OK, I'll take it.: OK, I'll take it. (...)
I will stay for _____ night(s).: I will stay for _____ night(s). (...)
Can you suggest another hotel?: Can you suggest another hotel? (...)
Do you have a safe?: Do you have a safe? (...)
...lockers?: ...lockers? (...)
Is breakfast/supper included?: Is breakfast/supper included? (...)
What time is breakfast/supper?: What time is breakfast/supper? (...)
Please clean my room.: Please clean my room. (...)
Can you wake me at _____?: Yu kirapim mi long _____, a? (...)
I want to check out.: I want to check out. (...)

Money

Do you accept American/Australian/Canadian dollars?: yupla save ekseptim moni blong America, Ostralia o Keneda ? (...)
Do you accept British pounds?: Do you accept British pounds? (...)
Do you accept credit cards?: Yupla save ekseptim kredit kad? (...)
Can you change money for me?: Inap yu senisim moni blong mi? (...)
Where can I get money changed?: Bai mi inap long senisim moni blong mi long we? (...)
Can you change a traveler's check for me?: Inap yu senisim displa trevelas sek blong mi? (...)
Where can I get a traveler's check changed?: Where can I get a traveler's check changed? (...)
What is the exchange rate?: What is the exchange rate? (...)
Where is an automatic teller machine (ATM)?: ATM stap we? (...)

Eating

A table for one person/two people, please.: A table for one person/two people, please. (...)
Can I look at the menu, please?: Inap mi lukim menyu plis? (ee-NAHP mee LOOK-im MEHN-yoo plees)
Can I look in the kitchen?: Can I look in the kitchen? (...)
Is there a house specialty?: Is there a house specialty? (...)
Is there a local specialty?: Is there a local specialty? (...)
I'm a vegetarian.: Mi kaikai sayor tasol. (mee KIGH-kigh SAH-yor TAH-sol)
I don't eat pork.: Mi tambu long pik. (mee TAHM-boo long pik)
I don't eat beef.: Mi tambu long bulmakau. (mee TAHM-boo long BOOL-mah-kow)
I only eat kosher food.: I only eat kosher food. (...)
Can you make it "lite", please? (less oil/butter/lard): Can you make it "lite", please? (...)
fixed-price meal: fixed-price meal (...)
a la carte: a la carte (...)
breakfast: kaikai long moningtaim (KIGH-kigh lohng MOH-ning-tighm)
lunch: kaikai bilong belo (KIGH-kigh lohng beh-LOH)
tea (meal): tea (...)
supper: kaikai long nait (KIGH-kigh lohng night)
I want _____.: Mi laik _____. (...)
I want a dish containing _____.: Mi laik samting, yu mekim em long _____. (...)
chicken: kakaruk (KAH-kah-rook)
beef: bulmakau (BOOL-mah-kow)
fish: pis (pis)
lamb/mutton: sipsip (SEEP-seep)
ham: lek bilong pik (lek bee-long PIK)
sausage: sosis (...)
milk: susu (SOO-soo)
cheese: sis (seess)
eggs: kiau (kyow)
salad: salad (...)
(fresh) vegetables
(fresh) fruit: (nupela) prut ((NOO-peh-lah) proot)
lemon: muli (MOO-lee)
orange: switmuli (SWEET-moo-lee)
pineapple: painap (PIGH-nahp), ananas (ah-nah-NAHS)
bread: bret (bret)
biscuit: drai bisket (DRIGH-bis-ket)
noodles: nudal (NOO-dahl)
rice: rais (righs)
beans: bin (been)
May I have a glass of _____?: May I have a glass of _____? (...)
May I have a cup of _____?: May I have a cup of _____? (...)
May I have a bottle of _____?: May I have a bottle of _____? (...)
coffee: kofi (...)
tea (drink): ti (...)
juice: juice (...)
(bubbly) water: water (...)
water: wara (WAH-rah)
beer: bia (BEE-ah)
red/white wine: retpela/waitpela wain (REHT-peh-lah/WIGHT-peh-lah wighn)
May I have some _____?: May I have some _____? (...)
salt: sol (...)
black pepper: Bilakpla pepa (...)
This also means betel ; butter : bata (BAH-tah)
Excuse me, waiter? (getting attention of server): Sori, weta? (SOH-ree, WEH-tah)
I'm finished.: Mi kaikai pinis. (mee KIGH-kigh PIH-nis)
It was delicious.: Kaikai em swit nogut tru (...)
Please clear the plates.: Plis inap yu rausim ol pelet. (...)
The check, please.: Mi laik baem bil blong kaikai bilong mi. (')

Bars

Do you serve alcohol?: Yu svae salim alkahol? (...)
Is there table service?: Igat tabel sevis? (...)
A beer/two beers, please.: Wanpla bia/tupla bia, plis. (...)
A glass of red/white wine, please.: Wanpla galas-ret wain plis. (...)
A pint, please.: A pint, please. (...)
A bottle, please.: A bottle, please. (...)
_____ (hard liquor) and _____ (mixer), please.: _____ and _____, please. (...)
whiskey: wiski (WIH-skee)
vodka: vodka (...)
rum: rum (...)
water: wara (WAH-rah)
club soda: club soda (...)
tonic water: tonic water (...)
orange juice: orange juice (...)
Coke (soda): Coke, lolli wara (...)
Do you have any bar snacks?: Do you have any bar snacks? (...)
One more, please.: wanpla mo, plis. (...)
Another round, please.: Wanpla raun ken/gen, plis. (...)
When is closing time?: Wonem/wanem taim bai yupla pas? (...)

Shopping

Do you have this in my size?: Yu gat displa long sais blong mi tu? (...)
How much is this?: Hamas long dispela? (hah-MAHS lohng DIS-pe-lah)
That's too expensive.: Pe i /(em i) antap tumas. (pay ee ahn-TAHP too-MAHS)
Would you take _____?: Would you take _____? (...)
expensive: dia tumas (DEE-yah too-MAHS)
cheap: daun (down)
I can't afford it.: moni blong mi no nap. (...)
I don't want it.: Mi les long displa. (...)
You're cheating me.: Yu wok long giamanim mi!. (...)
I'm not interested.: Mi no intres tumas. (..)
OK, I'll take it.: Koan, bai mi kisim. (koh-ahn, bigh mee KEE-sim)
Can I have a bag?: Can I have a bag? (...)
Do you ship (overseas)?: Do you ship (overseas)? (...)
I need...: Mi laikim... (mee LIGH-keem)
...toothpaste.: ...sop bilong tit. (sohp bi-LOHNG teet)
...a toothbrush.: ...brass bilong tit. (brahs bi-LOHNG teet)
...tampons.: ...tampons. (...)
...soap.: ...sop. (sohp)
...shampoo.: ...sop blong garas. (sohp blhong gah-rahs)
...pain reliever. (e.g., aspirin or ibuprofen): ...pain reliever. (...)
...cold medicine.: ...marasin blong kus. (...)
...stomach medicine.: ...marasin blong bel i pen. (...)
...a razor.: ...resa. (RAY-sah)
...an umbrella.: ...umbaralla. (...)
...sunblock lotion.: ...sunblock lotion. (...)
...a postcard.: ...poskat. (POHS-kaht)
...postage stamps.: ...stem. (stehm)
...batteries.: ...batri. (...)
...writing paper.: ...pepa. (peh-pah)
...a pen.: ...pen. (pehn)
...English-language books.: ...buk long tok Inglis. (...)
...English-language magazines.: ...English-language magazines. (...)
...an English-language newspaper.: ...an English-language newspaper. (...)
...an English-English dictionary.: ...an English-English dictionary. (...)

Driving

I want to rent a car.: Mi laik rentim kar. (...)
Can I get insurance?: Inap mi kisim insurens? (...)
stop (on a street sign): stop (...)
one way: one way (...)
yield: yield (...)
no parking: no parking (...)
speed limit: speed limit (...)
gas (petrol) station: sevis steisen (...)
petrol: bensin (BEHN-seen)
diesel: diesel (...)

Authority

I haven't done anything wrong.: Mi no wokim wanpla samting i rong. (...)
It was a misunderstanding.: It was a misunderstanding. (...)
Where are you taking me?: Yu kisim mi go long we? (...)
Am I under arrest?: Am I under arrest? (...)
I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian citizen.: I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian citizen. (...)
I want to talk to the American/Australian/British/Canadian embassy/consulate.: I need to talk to the American/Australian/British/Canadian embassy/consulate. (...)
I want to talk to a lawyer.: Mi laik toktok long wanpla loia. (...)
Can I just pay a fine now?: Inap mi baim fine nau tasol? (...)

Learning more

Pidgin/English dictionary

Retrieved from "http://www.world-travel-guide.net/Travel/Tok_Pisin_phrasebook"

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