Café & Drinks

1. Håfa para un gimen?

   HA-fa PA-ra un GI-men

   What would you like to drink?

   Usage

   Asking or being asked what you want to drink

   Grammar Note

   "Para un + verb" = "you are going to ..."; un is the 2nd-person agent marker

2. Nå'i yu' hånom

   NA-i yu HA-nom

   Give me water

   Usage

   Basic phrase to request water

   Grammar Note

   Nå'i yu' is the imperative "give to me"

3. Tuba

   TU-ba

   Tuba (Chamorro traditional coconut palm wine)

   Usage

   Talking about the traditional Chamorro fermented coconut drink

   Grammar Note

   tuba is also used across the Philippines for the same drink

4. Kafe

   KA-fe

   Coffee

   Usage

   Guam has a rich coffee culture with local varieties available

   Grammar Note

   kafe means "coffee" (e.g. "Meggai klåsen kafe gi tenda."). It comes from Spanish café. Do not write kafet; kafetera is the coffee pot

5. Håfa malago'-mu gimen?

   HA-fa ma-LA-go-mu GI-men

   What do you feel like drinking?

   Usage

   Asking a friend what they feel like drinking

   Grammar Note

   -mu is the second-person singular possessive suffix

6. Månnge' este na gimen

   MAN-nge ES-te na GI-men

   This drink is very delicious

   Usage

   Expressing that a drink tastes good after trying it

   Grammar Note

   månnge' means "delicious". The word for a beverage is the noun gimen. "Este na + noun" means "this ..."

7. Soda o hånom?

   SO-da o HA-nom

   Soda or water?

   Usage

   Offering a choice of drinks at a restaurant or café

   Grammar Note

   o is the conjunction "or" borrowed from Spanish

8. Ti malago' yu' gumimen atkahót

   ti ma-LA-go yu gu-MI-men at-ka-HOT

   I don't want to drink alcohol

   Usage

   Politely declining alcohol

   Grammar Note

   ti is the negation particle. gumimen means "to drink" and atkahót means "alcohol"

9. Guaha chå?

   GWA-ha cha

   Is there tea?

   Usage

   Asking if tea is available to order

   Grammar Note

   guaha is the existential verb ("there is, to have, to exist"). The word for tea is chå; tsa is the Tagalog/Cebuano form, not the CHamoru one

10. Unu mås!

    U-nu mas

    One more!

    Usage

    Casual request for another drink

    Grammar Note

    Both unu and mas are borrowed from Spanish

11. Ais

    Ice

    Usage

    Point at it when buying bagged ice or asking for ice in a drink. "Ais" is borrowed from English "ice"

12. Chå

    Tea

    Usage

    Point at it when asking for tea at a shop or eatery. "Chå" goes back to Chinese 茶, borrowed via Portuguese and Spanish

13. Setbesa

    Beer

    Usage

    Point at it when ordering beer at a bar or store. "Setbesa" is borrowed from Spanish "cerveza"

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