Wine & Spirits

1. Siña hu li'e' i listan binu?

   May I see the wine list?

   Usage

   Requesting wine list at restaurant

   Grammar Note

   "Siña hu" = I can / may I. Wine is binu; "ninu" means "godfather" and has nothing to do with drink

2. Siña un rikumenda binu lokåt?

   Can you recommend a local wine / spirit?

   Usage

   Requesting a local wine recommendation

   Grammar Note

   "un" marks 2sg agent

3. Malago' yu' binu agaga' / å'paka' / rosa / espumoso.

   I'd like red / white / rosé / sparkling wine.

   Usage

   Ordering wine by type

   Grammar Note

   "Malago' yu'" = I want. White is å'paka'; "puha" means "to capsize"

4. Un tåsa / Una boåya, pot fabót.

   A glass / bottle please.

   Usage

   Specifying glass or bottle order

   Grammar Note

   "pot fabot" is the Chamorro politeness formula, from Spanish "por favor"

5. Håfa na binu gof umaya yan este na nengkanno'?

   What pairs well with this dish?

   Usage

   Asking about food and wine pairing

   Grammar Note

   "Gof umaya" means "well-matched (in look or taste)" (example: "Gof umaya si Josefa yan i asagua-ña."). "with" is yan. Nu (object marker) and mångge ("where") cannot mean "suits"

6. Kuanto porsiyento i atkahót?

   What is the alcohol content?

   Usage

   Asking about alcohol percentage

   Grammar Note

   "Kuanto" = how much

7. Este binu ti gof mames / fruta / su'åbi.

   This wine is very dry / fruity / smooth.

   Usage

   Expressing tasting notes

   Grammar Note

   Wine "dry" is expressed as "not sweet": ti gof mames (mames means "sweet"). Ånglo' means "dry" of soil or laundry, not of wine. Fruta means "fruit"; su'åbi is "suave, sophisticated"

8. Siña un rikumenda serbesåt / binu lokåt?

   Can you recommend a local beer / spirit?

   Usage

   Asking for local beer or spirit recommendation

   Grammar Note

   From Spanish "cerveza" (beer)

9. Malago' yu' chumagi binu.

   I'd like to do a wine tasting.

   Usage

   Expressing desire to do wine tasting

   Grammar Note

   "Chagi" means "to try, to taste"; the complement of "malago'" takes the -um- infixed form (chumagi). "kinu" is not a valid spelling

10. Guaha muestra ni siña hu chagi?

    Do you offer flights / samples?

    Usage

    Asking if samples are offered

    Grammar Note

    "Guaha" = there is/are. "Chagi" means "to try, to taste". "fåhan" means "to buy", not "to taste"

11. Ti gof mames, pot fabót.

    Not too sweet, please.

    Usage

    Requesting not too sweet

    Grammar Note

    "ti gof" = negation + intensifier. "pot fabot" = please, from Spanish "por favor"

12. Håfa i binun guma'?

    What's the house wine?

    Usage

    Asking about house wine

    Grammar Note

    "binun guma'" = the house's wine; the linker -n expresses "of" (binu + -n). "gi guma'" means "in the house", not "of the house". "kåsa" means "to cock a firearm"

13. Ginen månu este na binu?

    What region is this wine from?

    Usage

    Asking about wine's region of origin

    Grammar Note

    Origin is asked with the frame "Ginen månu …?" (ginen = "from", as in the example "Ginen manu hao mågi, kåyu?"). Mångge takes a noun phrase directly and does not fit before a "from" phrase. "ñålang" means "hungry"

14. Malago' yu' koktehl ginen [tipo].

    I'd like a cocktail made with [spirit].

    Usage

    Ordering a cocktail with specific spirit

    Grammar Note

    "ginen" = from (source/material)

15. Biba!

    Cheers! Let's toast!

    Usage

    Toasting expression

    Grammar Note

    "Biba!" is an interjection: acclamation, hurrah (example "Biba!, San Isidro!"), used here as a toast

16. Guaha opsion sin atkahót?

    Do you have non-alcoholic options?

    Usage

    Asking for non-alcoholic options

    Grammar Note

    "sin" from Spanish "sin" (without)

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