Traveling with Kids

1. Håfa i na'ån-mu?

   HAF-a i na-AN-mu

   What is your name?

   Usage

   Asking a child their name

   Grammar Note

   -mu is the second-person singular possessive suffix

2. Kuantos åños-mu?

   ku-AN-tos A-nyos-mu

   How old are you?

   Usage

   Asking a child how old they are

   Grammar Note

   åños is borrowed from the Spanish años (years)

3. Maolek hao!

   ma-O-lek hao

   Well done! Good job!

   Usage

   Praising a child for doing well

   Grammar Note

   maolek is the fundamental Chamorro adjective for "good"

4. Dångkolo hao!

   DANG-ko-lo hao

   You've grown so big!

   Usage

   Saying to a child you haven't seen in a while

   Grammar Note

   "Åpmam" means "ago; past; gone; awhile; since olden times", not "big". Big is "dångkolo" (also written "dånkolo")

5. Ti u dåñu hao

   ti u DA-nyu hao

   Don't get hurt / Be careful

   Usage

   A safety reminder to a playing child

   Grammar Note

   dåñu is borrowed from the Spanish daño (harm)

6. Nihi ta fañocho

   NI-hi ta fa-ÑO-cho

   Let's eat (everyone)

   Usage

   Calling children to come eat

   Grammar Note

   "Mañuda" belongs to the "chuda'" (to pour out, to spill) family and does not mean "eat". To eat is "chocho"; with the fan- prefix it undergoes the regular ch → ñ nasal substitution, giving "fañocho" (the same alternation as "che'lo → fañe'lo" and "fañotsot"). The hortative is "Nihi ta …" (nihi "Let's (do something)"; ta "we (inclusive)").

7. Hånao para eskuela

   ha-NAO PA-ra es-KWE-la

   Go to school

   Usage

   Sending a child off to school

   Grammar Note

   eskuela is borrowed from the Spanish escuela

8. Gof maolek!

   gof ma-O-lek

   Wonderful! Excellent!

   Usage

   Strongly praising a child's performance or action

   Grammar Note

   gof is the intensifier that precedes an adjective (e.g. "gof dikike'" = very small). Note: lao is the conjunction "but", not an exclamation

9. Håyi gaipatgon hao?

   HA-yi gai-PAT-gon hao

   Whose child are you?

   Usage

   Identifying whose child a lost child belongs to

   Grammar Note

   "Whose X ...?" uses the frame "Håyi gai ..." (e.g. "Håyi gai opinion este?" = Whose opinion is this?). "gaipatgon" is gái- (to have) + påtgon (child) = to have a child

10. Chumo'gue i taotao respetåyon!

    chu-MO-gwe i ta-o-TAO res-pe-TA-yon

    Be respectful / Behave!

    Usage

    Telling a child to be polite and respectful

    Grammar Note

    "Mahålang" is used in Chamorro for "lonely, homesick" — not respectful. Respectful/polite is "respetayon". "Taotao" means "human beings, people; person"

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