Michael Gaynor has graciously suggested and agreed to try and start an on-line lesson about Papiamentu here on BonaireTalk. This will be where it all starts!

The Moderators

I will try to have a new lesson ready on each Sat.or Sunday.

Papiamentu Lessons

Welcome to Papiamentu Beginner’s class!

There are a number of theories on the origin of the Papiamentu language. Whichever theory one embraces, it is fact that the language consists of words from Arawak Indian, Spanish, Dutch, and a mixture of African dialects, Portuguese and later, English and French.

For generations, the language was passed down in an oral tradition with little regard for uniform spelling. The words were, and still are, written as they are heard. What has evolved is a beautiful written language, which has become standardized for Netherlands Antilleans and a slightly different set of standards for Arubans.

We welcome you to our Papiamentu Primer and hope you enjoy the lessons. If you have any comments, please feel free to contact us at gmichael@bonairelive.com.


Lesson 1 Verb am (to be) ta, tin

I am going	Mi ta bai/baiendo
I am happy	Mi ta Kontento/u
I am hungry	Mi tin hamber
I am thirsty	Mi tin set/sedu
I am forty-two years old	Mi tin kuaent’i dos aň;a di edat

Greetings

Hello!				Halo
Good-bye!				Ayó!
How are you?				Kon tai bai?
I am fine.				Mi ta bon.
Good Morning!				Bon dia!
Good afternoon!				Bon tardi!
Good Evening!				Bon nochi

When you are departing:

Have a good day!
Pasa un bon dia!

How would you say have a good morning (Evening)?

Try to write this dialogue in Papiamentu

Joe: Good morning!
Cora: Good morning!

Joe: How are you?
Cora: I am fine!
Joe: Good-bye, Cora. Have a nice day!
Cora: Good-bye Joe!

Michael,
Just noticed this thread. Thanks for the help.
Bon dia (it is still before noon here in Texas) but I probably should say - bon tardi - since you are two hours ahead of us thanks to daylight savings time.

Thanks for the lessons you e-mailed me. I printed them out this morning and will get started on them tonight.
How do you want to handle my 'best guess' translations? Post here or e-mail?

John

Hello Michael
What a great idea!!
I'm looking forward to all the lessons!!
Thanks in advance!!
Greetings Sis

Masha danke for the lesson..looking forward to watching this site
grocery store items would be a help..that meat counter @ cultimara sure is a challange, would be nice to not have to point and say I want this ?

Next lesson is this Saturaday. I will take a look at the grocery question...but most of that is in Dutch.

John, e mail them to me....

Ahhh..thats the beauty of Bonaire.....so DIVErse..just when you think you know some papiamentu..or some Dutch..someone will start speaking Spanish...I know american sign langauge and use that alot underwater to communicate with my buddy.....topside, not much luck ! hee hee !

If anyone needs a word translated, e mail me. Pehaps, we can find an online papiamentu/English dictionary some where.

Papiamentu Lesson # 2

This is the second lesson for our friends who wish to learn more of the local language. Look for more in the following weeks.

Days of the week

Sunday	djadumingo/diadumingu
Monday	djaluna/dialuna
Tuesday	djamars/diamars
Wednesday	djarason/diarason
Thursday	djaweps/diaweps
Friday	djiabièrne/diabièrne
Saturday	djasabra/diasabra

When you hear the days pronounced, you barely can discern the d sound. For example, Monday almost sounds like “jalunna with a slight hint of the d sounded

Numbers. 1 –20

Un	Diesun/djiesun
Dos	Djiesundos/diesdos
Tres	Djiestres/diestres
Kuater	Djieskuater/dieskuater
Sinku	Djesinku/diesinkuj
Seis	Djeseis/dieseis
Shete	Djieshete/dieshete
Ocho	Djiesocho/diesocho
Nuebe	Djiesneuebe/diesnuebe
Dies/djies	Binti

New words: palabra nobo

Ora	when		ruman muhe (hòmber)	sister/brother
Un person	a person		plaser	pleasure
Un hende	man		konosé	know
Un otro hende	other man		amigu	friend
Permiti-mi	allow me		drente	enter
Pasport	passport		permiti	allow
Até aki	here it is		Kuantu	how much?
Bini	come		yená	fill (in)
Awor aki	here,now		na ordu	in good order
For di	from		tempu	time
Pasa	pass		papel	paper
Unda?	Where?		Su	his, her, their (possessive)
Algu di	something
Deklará	declare

Arrival at Flamingo Airport!

Selador: (customs agent): Pasport, senor?

Turista: Até aki, mener. (sir)

Selador: For di unda, senor ta bin awor aki

Turista: For di Boston

Selador: Senor tin algu di deklara?

Turista: Wèl, mi tin dos bòter di ròm.

Selador: Esei ta pèrmiti. Kuantu Tempu mener ta keda aki?

Turista: Tres siman so.

Selador: Bon, tur kos na ordu; tur papel ta yená. Ata mener su pasport. Pasa bon fakansi!

Turista: Mashá danki.

Masha' danki', Michael. We will all be proficient in speaking, reading and writing Papiamentu before you know it! This was a wonderful idea.....please continue with the lessons!! Carole

sorry about the run on vocabulary words..hopefully jake will try to format them better for me. If anyone wishes to post the English translation of the disucssion, it might be a great help. If not, send them to me and I will check em out.

Ok, I'll take a bite:

Agent: Passport, sir?
Tourist: Here you go, sir.
Agent: Where are you coming here from?
Tourist: From Boston.
Agent: Sir, anything to declare?
Tourist: I have 2 bottles of rum.
Agent: That's allowed. How much time do you plan to stay here?
Tourist: Three weeks.
Agent: Ok, all your things are in order, all your paper is full (filled out???). Here's your passport. Have a great vacation!
Tourist: Thank you very much!

Got a little awkward there at the end! I love this Learning Papiamentu area. Danki!

Kate

Just thought everyone out there might be interested in "meeting" their new Papiamentu Instructor! The gentleman on the Right is, noneother, than Michael Gaynor!! The other fellow is my husband, Joe Ward. Great shot of you, Michael....wait, what is that I see on your kitchen countertop??? Smoke??? Ah, it must be the infamous bottle of hot sauce!! LOL

This is a post script to my earlier posting with the pic of Michael and Joe....the bottle of water you see on the table was from our trip DOWN to Bonaire on the airplane! I certainly would not drink bottled water while on Bonaire....the best water in the world is at your "tap"! Just thought I would clear that up in case anyone noticed the Poland Spring bottle on the table. I would refill the bottle daily with Bonaire tap water and lug it around in the car and in our dive bag...we all know how thirsty one can get on a desert island! LOL. Carole

Great job kate...One thing about papiamentu, it is a very forgiving language. Carole, thanks for posting the photo...now no one will want to take lessons any more from a barefoot language teacher!

Michael...I wouldn't trust anyone teaching Papiamentu who wore shoes!! Carole

Today I will supply the first in a lesson in pronounciation as well as the next dialogue.
Papiamentu pronunciation

Now that we have a few lessons, lets get some pronunciation down. The alphabet is a bit different.

A ah
B bay
C say
D day
E aye
F ef
G guttural k as in hay
H ha
I ee
J yea
K ka
L el
M m
N en
O oh ( as in bone)
P as in pay
Q kü
R er (as in air)
S es
T tay
U oo (as in too)
V vay
W way
Sorry no x in the papiamentu alphabet
Y igrek
Z zet

Vowels –unaccented

a father spar, blas
e day tres, trese
i me kis, nir
o more kor, bor
u rule tur, buki

stress vowels

á salbá, obligá
é awé. ménos
í perdí, difísil
ó afó, prólogo
ú sunú, kútis


Papiamentu lesson # 3

Today’s lesson will be a simple dialogue which you can practice making changes with the supplied substitute words.

Enrnesto: Bon dia, señora.

Señora: Bon Dia.

Erenesto: Mi ta Ernesto
Mi ta amigu di Carlos

Señora: Ah si. Drenta un ratu
Mi ta mama di Carlos

Ernesto: Ah, señora ta mama di Carlos
Muchu gustu di konosé señora:


Ernesto: Good afternoon, madam.


Señora: Good Afternoon


Ernesto: I am Ernesto
I am a friend of Carlos


Señora: Oh, yes. Come in for a while
I am Carlos’ mother


Ernesto: I see, madam is Carlos’s mother
It’s a pleasure to know you

Substitute words

Father tata
Sister ruman muhé
Brother ruman hòmber
Aunt tia
Uncle tio
Cousin primo(a)

Bless you, Michael! You are a dear to keep this going. I am still adding each lesson to my "book"...with your name given due credit, of course! Ayo. Carole

Don't panic...it's not a BOOK, it is just a compilation of lessons saved in my computer! cb

Lesson #4
Palabra Nobo

This lesson will consist mainly of new words and short phrases and an exercise.

amigu friend
bisiña neighbor
bo you
hende hòmber man, male
hende muhé woman, female
hende pichiri stingy person
ken, kende who, whom
kolega colleague
kon ta bai? how are you?
konosí known, acquainted
kontentu di sera happy to meet
mi I, me
na manera kortes in a courteous manner
ningun hende nobody
ora when
permiti-mi allow me
plaser pleasure
prima female cousin
primu/o male cousin
ruman hòmber brother
ruman muhe sister
ruman sibling
tata father
tur hende everybody
un hende a man, person
un otre hende another person
un persona a person

Ask and answer the following questions

1. Ken bo ta?
2. Ken ta bo ruman?
3. Ken ta bo amigu
4. Ken ta bo kolega
5. ken ta bo bisiña?
6. Ken ta bo primuj?

Write the answers out and send them to me at gmichael@bonairelive.com

Bon Suerte!

Go, Michael!!! Keep those lessons coming! It is very kind and generous of you to dedicate yourself to the 'training' of the masses who particpate in this wonderful media/format. Hopefully someday we will be able to carry on a conversation as if we were true locals!! Keep 'em comin'! Masha Danki...Carole

Today's lesson is bit short but I will make up for it the next time!
Palabra Nobo

Nò no
Sinku five
Drenta enter
Hasi do
Gesto gesture
Man hand
Siña learn
Direkshon direction
Bientu di Pasat Tradewind
Supla blow
Nortost northeast
Sùitwèst southwest
Keda remain, stay
Keda ketu stay quiet
Keda kas stay home
Keda laf continues to be boring
Situá situate
Ainda still, yet
Barki`i bela sailboat
Pabou west
Entre between
Den in
Nabegá navigate
Mas di more than
Kontestá question
San Dumingu Santo Domingo
Haf harbour

Try to make a few short sentences using some of the words and texts from previous lessons. Post them or e mail me.

Michael: Sorry to be late. This page doesn't come up on Webster. I thought you hadn't started yet. May I join now?

What does Nanke mean? I was with a Bonarian for a week and each time he said something, he ended it with "Nanke"..I asked him to translate but still do NOT get it..



Annie

Not found in my dictionary. Was he saying "danki" ? which means thank you.

No, he would end each sentence with Nanke..it meant like something..ughh...wish I knew..Annie

Which one of the sailors was it? I can ask Byron for you. None of my Bonairean friends seem to know what he meant. There is a lot "street talk" in Papiamentu and it may be a new part of that jargon.

Tonky was the windsurfer I hung with at the Gorge who said Nanke..HA! What detective work..I hope to learn a few words before I come in Dec. Byron has taught me Kom to bai and Dushi..

today's lesson.
Papiamentu Lesson # 6

Today we have a little quiz. Please fill in the blanks from the past vocabulary list.

1. Bientu di Pasat_______ na Kòrsou di nortost pa sùitwèst.
2. Sanit Lucia ________ entre Saint Vincent i Martinique.
3. Haiti i San Dumingu _______ isla di Hispaniola.
4. Ruba i Kòrsou __________ pabou di Boneiru.
5. Bark’I bela__________- ainda den Laman di Caribe?
6. Mi __________un pregunta: e no ta __________.
7. Surnam _________ mas di mil kilometer for di Kòrsou.

Send me your answers at gmichael@bonairelive.com

Palabra Nobo

mas grandi bigger, larger
islanan ariba windward islands
islanan abou leeward islands
kapital capital
tin has, have
haf port
tambe also
diferente different
boka mouth
importante important
saliña salt pan
e….mas chiki smallest
playa beach
santu sand
largu long
masha’ bunita very pretty
hopi lots
laqun lagoon
lago lake
chiki small

Anne: I have had many answers to nanke. It is a sort of hip word used in transisition for one sentecne or thought to another. For exmaplle: I went to Annes house, Nanke and boy, did she put on a great party, nanke. The words Nan and Ke translante but make no sense out of context, however, English has many idoms, etc. as well.

Another one is si, sigur no Literally, yes sure no. actually we translate it as "for sure" I imagine there are probally lots more opinions and meanings out there.

Well, that does make sense..Thanks Michael..Cannot wait to continue my lessons so when I see Tonky and friends I will know a little of their native language. Seems like they learn English later in school? Is Papimiento the official language or Dutch or what?

Ann and Michael: Almost sounds to me as if the word would fit into a very popular phrase used in the NJ area.....being "ya know"?? It is used at the end of sentences and statements and comments...ya know? What do you think, guys??? Like, ya know?! Carole

Carole, you are right. Anne, the offical language is Dutch. All the kids learn English, Spanish, French and Papiamentu. Sort of makes me feel a bit inadequate!

Where could I get a book on Papiamentu? I wish to learn more before I come so I can understand it better. Was with two Bonaireans for awhile and so many words can be easily translated into English, particuliarly some words with Spanish extraction. Annie

That was covered here a few months back. Try a keyword search.

Sorry about the delay in lessons. I will have a few more this week. Actually, there are no good lesson books on Bonairean Papiamentu. There is one on Aruban, however. I will take a look at the book store and see if the have it and let you know.

Michael..I am practicing for this weekend...



Annie

I bought the pink grammer book but still need a dictionary. Super Nova was closed and Bonaire Book and Flamingo had none. Where may I purchase one??

Thanks..Annie

p.s. would anyone want to tutor me online? I will pay of course.

Michael, ik wil je bedanken voor de lessen die je geeft ze zijn erg duidelijk. Trouwens ik ben sander uit holland. En ik ben informatie over andere landen aan het zoeken omdat ik hier graag weg wil... Vandaar dat ik het op prijs stel dat je de lessen geeft want taal spreken is toch wel het belangrijkst....

Hoe is het leven op Bonaire?

While I don't plan to take lessons :-) I greatly appreciate this thread. I will be wrting to alittle boy, my letters will then be translated for him, but now I can sprinkle a few words in with out translation . Thanks!

the Papiamentu dictionary is available at the gift store at the airport.

Anyone who wants to practice writing can email me. I have an online tutor who is WONDERFUL!

Annie
Cape Cod

Michael-
I have a question. What is the difference between using "Pakiko" and "Di kon"? They both seem to translate as "why". Are they analagous to the English interrogatives "why" versus the more slang "how come"?? Annie, there are also great dictionaries to choose from at Bonaire Boekhandel. Of course, I left my books down at the house; hence the question...grrrr..

Pakiko or kiko are the same as Di kon but as I understand it, the are quite informal and kiko is like Huh? and considered a bit rude. I am sure someone will add to this...one thing about Papiamentu, there are as many intepretations as to rules, spellings, meanings, as there are people who speak it. (or at least try to)

Michael, Bon tarde. Kon ta bai? What happened to the Papiamento lessons? Also, back on June 2nd you mentioned that the Papiamento spoken in Aruba is different. How different is it? I was born and raised in Aruba, in the American colony where the refinery was. I go back every year for, at least a month. We always try to stop by Bonaire because we love it so much. I never did learn to speak Papiamento and I want to know how big the difference is between Bonaire and Aruba.
Mucha danke,
Deb R.

Michael...just flipping through this posting..have to start jotting notes...we bought the Papalamento book on our first trip down....Saw the above picture of you....we stay at Sandollar alot an I believe we have been there when you were there a few times...can this be true....

Yes...I used to spend LOTS of time at Sand Dollar. As for the Papiamentu lessons, I have been lax in keeping up with it (Island time) and have been looking for a better set of lesson plans. I have some contacts with folks from Curacao who are developing a interactive CD. The differnces in Aruba and the language on Bonaire and Curacao is the spelling, some words, the accents (think of Macon Georgia vs Boston, Mass.) Also there are differences between Bonaire and Curacao as well.

Michael... sorry to be so late to the party. I didn't know you had posted so much information on Papiamentu. You may not remember, but my wife, Donna, and I stopped by your house back in March of 1999. We just made the bold executive decision to return in August of 2002 and want to make an effort to learn some of the native language before we go back. I'll have to take the time to really go back through this post and pull as much information as I can from it. I see on Amazon.com, the only Papiamentu book they list (that isn't out of print) is called "Papiamentu Reader" by Kate Howe. It's listed for $46... do you know anything about it? Just wondering if it would be worthwhile.

Michael Gaunt

Micheal,

I don't know about the reader, but for greater Papiamentu exposure you may want to visit http://www.extrabon.com - PDF versions of the latest Bonaire news in Papiamentu from the Extra newspaper here.

Jake

Thanks, Jake... I'll check it out.

I also suggest you pick up the Papiamentu Dictionary when you arrive. It is around 35 dollars.

I read La Prensa on-line most days for my papiamentu practice. There are usually three or four stories about Bonaire, plus sports news about folks like Sidney Ponson and Andruw Jones.
http://www.laprensacur.com

Now, can you help me with some slang? What is a common quasi-swear word--you know, the kind you can say in front of your mother without getting your mouth washed out with soap. (Do they do that on Bonaire?) Something like "Rats!" or "Nuts!"

Masha danki.

Michael, Well we were in Bonaire Nov 25 - Dec 2, bought you a Sunday times, but you never came by. Anyway It is still at the townhouse. Annie Phelan will be staying there LBR #13 Dec 22 - Dec 30...If the cleaning people didn't through it away, it should still be there if you still want it...Anyway, I purchased the green book on Papiamentu and am studying it, but am having diffiulties with pronunciation. Is there anyone or anywhere I could get tapes or a CD? Thanks!

I just did a metacrawler search on Papiamento and there are several programs to learn with CD's:

http://www.worldlanguage.com/Products/42848.htm
is one..anyone ever try any commercial products?

Annie
Cape Cod

Hi Annie,
can you please supply a list with all the programs you found?
Thanks in advance.
Birgit

Check this URL:

https://www.worldlanguage.com/

Annie
Cape Cod

I thought I had picked up a couple of new words of papiamentu from the board. Then I did a keyword search on imho & rotflmao to see if I could further define their meaning by use in context.

imho = in my honest opinion

rothflmao = rolling on the hard floor laughing my a** off

Kay,
I know! I know! Thought you might enjoy a laugh on me. After I searched the board and found the "error of my ways" I did a google on e-mail abbreviations to complete my education.
Bob

Papiamentu CD. We bought it..VERY basic....easy to use...not a program for anyone serious about learning Papiamentu...but for about $50 maybe worth having!

Scott

Which one did you buy Scott and Sharon?

Annie
Cape Cod

We bought the only one we saw on the Website: Talk Now! Learn Papiamentu. Pretty basic, but a good start for most people. Covers about 50 general words, food words, countries, colors, numbers, alphabet, basic phrases. It has "easy" and "difficult" tests and the ability to record your voice and receive a score regarding how well you pronounced the word.

It is NOT a deep learning program..only one CD...but if your expectations are set right...probably a good investment for learning some basics! I don't regret the purchase...even though I already knew many of the words and phrases.

Scott

ok, so you bought it off the web site above? I ordered one from someone in CUR so will report on it once I get it..

Annie
Cape Cod

Annie, Alvin stopped by to show me your books (his sister is the one who published them) I imagine they will be first rate as I have met the women and she is brilliant. Pa bien i bon suerte ku bo lesnan nobo.

Thanks for the well wishes re: my lessons..LOL..I cannot wait to recv them.

Brigite at Coco Palm said they were there for my friends to pick up..she also said it is SUPER windy..


Annie
Cape Cod

WINDY is not the word! Hang on to your hats, dogs, little kids, etc.

hey everybody my name is aqua and yesterday I found this site, I really want to learn papiamentu because my grandma is from aruba en I got a lot of antillians friends from curaçoa in Netherlands I live in the NEtherlands And I am dutch so if you have questions..... ayo tur hende

Bon tardi Aqua!
Hopi danki. Mi no tin preguntanan, pero si mi tin un pregunta, mi lo pidi.

Ayo!

I'm not sure or this is correct, I don't speak Papiamentu, but I'm learning. It's a great language!

What does 'kuida' mean?

tend, guard or care for.....denpends on the context in which it was used.

Hello Michael
A great idea !!! teaching papiamentu!
do you know where i could get a sound file of some people talking in papiamento?..I need this for a presentation for a seminar in linguistics...maybe you can help me?

There is a CD Rom available, but quite expensive. I will try to find the e mail address of the company and forward it too you.

Michael, if you find the information for the CD Rom could you please e mail me or post it on BT. I am interested as well. Thanks

Maybe a beter place to learn papiamentu is this one: http://www.donamaro.nl/papiamentu/
And it is for free.

Rob, webmaster mainstreetbonaire.com

I have two CD's. EuroTalk interactive "Learn Papiamento" and "Vocabulary Builder"

Annie

www.eurotalk.co.uk

011 44 20 7371711 phone

Actually the lady who made them is from Curacao, Joseiline Clemencia. Some of you may know her brother, Alvine who used to work at Sand Dollar. BTW, the translator site is wonderful. Does anyone have access to a papiamentu spell check?

Hi Mike,
You say Alvine Used to work at Sand Dollar. Does this mean he has landed at another dive operation after his trip to Austrailia?

Scott

He works for Divi now

Hi everybody!

This is my first time in this chat. Is last week that I had an opportunity to read a text in papiamentu. You can not imagine how happy I feel by noticing the great similarity existing between this language and the kriol from Guine-Bissau. Likewise, I am glad to access all the information on concerning available softwares as well as lessons on papiamentu.

I did publish a small dictionary Swedish/Kriol -Kriol/Swedish (95 pages) as well as novel in kriol (74 pages). I have the idea of writing a dictionary papiamentu/kriol-kriol/papiamentu.Is there any possibility to get in touch with institution or individuals that can be supportive or with interest to take part in this task?

Carimo

Welcome Adul,

Where is Guine-Bissau please? And what is Kriol? Sounds like creole which I believe is a dialect in Louisiana??

Annie

Hi Anne!

Thank you for welcoming me.

Guine-Bissau is located in West Africa, in coastal side, with Senegal in the North and Guine-Conackry in the East and South Eastern side.

Well… I don’t know exactly how the Louisiana Creole does sounds. It must probably be French Creole.
The Guine-Bissau Kriol is the same like Papiamentu with exception to the words originally coming from Dutch, Spanish and English.

Let’s keep in touch and exchange experience concerning Papiamentu and Kriol.
Do you live in United States? Are from Aruba, Curacao, ...?

Same example of similarity between Papiamentu and Kriol:

PAPIAMENTU KRIOL

Hello! Halo Good-bye!

- Bon dia! Bon dia!
- Bon tardi Bo tardi!
- Bon Noche Bo noti!/Boi noti
- Kon tai bai? Kuma ky bu ista / Ky noba di kurpu/Kuma ky bu na bai
- Pasa un bon dia! Pasa un bon dia
- djadumingo/diadumingu Dia Domingu
- djasabra/diasabra Dia Sabadu
- konosé Kunsi
- amigo amigo
- permiti pirmiti
- Kuantu Kantu/kuantu
- Tempu tempu
- na ordu diritu/ en orden (modern kriol)
- For di di
Papel papel
Pasa pasa
Bini Bin
Permiti-mi pirmiti-n’
Ate aki Te li / ate aki (modern kriol)
..................................................................

Well... it’s now 24:29 (Tuesday). I have to sleep.
I expect to hearing from you. Write!
Until next time (Te utru bias)

Hi Anne!

Thank you for welcoming me.

Guine-Bissau is located in West Africa, in coastal side, with Senegal in the North and Guine-Conackry in the East and South Eastern side.

Well… I don’t know exactly how the Louisiana Creole does sounds. It must probably be French Creole.
The Guine-Bissau Kriol is the same like Papiamentu with exception to the words originally coming from Dutch, Spanish and English.

Let’s keep in touch and exchange experience concerning Papiamentu and Kriol.
Do you live in United States? Are from Aruba, Curacao, ...?

Same example of similarity between Papiamentu and Kriol:

PAPIAMENTU KRIOL

Hello! (Kuma?)

- Bon dia! (Bon dia!)
- Bon tardi (Bo tardi!)
- Bon Noche (Bo noti!/Boi noti)
- Kon tai bai? (Kuma ky bu ista / Ky noba di kurpu/Kuma ky bu na bai)
- Pasa un bon dia! (Pasa un bon dia)
- djadumingo/diadumingu (Dia Domingu)
- djasabra/diasabra (Dia Sabadu)
- konosé (Kunsi)
- amigo (amigu)
- permiti (pirmiti)
- Kuantu (Kantu/kuantu)
- Tempu (tempu)
- na ordu (diritu/ en orden - in modern kriol)
- For di (di)
Papel (papel)
Pasa (pasa)
Bini (Bin)
Permiti-mi (pirmiti-n’)
Ate aki (Te li / ate aki (modern kriol)
..................................................................

Well... it’s now 24:29 (Tuesday). I have to sleep.
I expect to hearing from you. Write!
Until next time (Te utru bias)

I live in Cape Cod. Wow, what a close similiarity indeed.

Bon Bini!
I met someone from Curaçao (at my church). I like him (I've been interested in him for a while and was praying he would say something someday, finally after a year he did). I wanted to learn some of his language (though he speaks, Dutch and Spanish as well). I'm from West Africa, raised also in Savannah, Georgia (water babies unite!). Any Suggestions?

Danké

How romantic...Eurotalk Interactive has beginner CD's..also you can get a dictionary and text book on Bonaire. But heck, just have him speak to you and maybe you can pick it up?

Hi all,

I have been searching for a site to learn Papiamento from. So far this is the best (only) I have found. I am from Massachusetts, but have roots in Curacao. At 28 I feel I really should know the language by now, and am gung-ho to learn!!!!

I understand there is a difference between Cur and Bonaire, but I will take my chances....

Has anyone any idea where to get a book (online) "how to speak papiamento" it has a yellow cover and is usually sold in VanDoorp, although when I was there last it was sold out!!!!

Wow,

We need to start a new conversation.
Lisanne, I am on Cape Cod!

I do not know about the book but let me know what you find out.

I have a dictionary and text book written by Betty Ratzlaff. I also have two Papiamento CD's.

Annie

Are the language Cd's helpful? I have used a few in the past for Dutch, and I was not too impressed. (???)

Ann, I am out in Watertown (just outside of Boston). It would be great to have someone to learn/practice with!!!

I am getting pretty good at reading Papiamentu--I have an old grammar book I study, and a good dictionary, and I read the Extra most days--but I can't speak it worth a darn. Mostly, I just don't know what it sounds like. No ta bonaironan na New Jersey.
Are the CDs good for pronunciation?

Maybe that should be Boneirianonan.

Hi,

I've just registered and I'd like to know whether this course will continue...

Every one?

No need to pluralze Bonairean. It is understood to be plural or singular depending on usage.

Hello everybody there !

I'm a new poster here, and I'm from France. I want to learn papiamentu because my girlfriend is from Bonaire. I find this page really interesting.

I found another site you don't mention about papiamentu. It seems to be a new site, it's still under construction. There is place for a course to be done, a dictionary and a chat room.

The address is http://www.papiamentu.net/.
I hope this can be useful.

I also want to say that it's possible to find people to talk with online searching in the MSN, yahoo or ICQ databases.

Ayo !

Raphaël

Alo tur hende! Desde poko tempo ma komensa sinia papiamentu. Ami ta gusta islanan antiyana hopi masha i mi ta spera ku un dia mi lo por bisita nan. Ami ta gusta tambe hasi konversashon ku otre hende ken ta papia e idioma pa miho mi konosimentu. Mi ta spera tambe ku michael lo sigi dunanos chiki leshonan.
Ayo i Dios bendishona tur hende! Ta difisil skirbi aksentonan pa mi teklado ingles.
-Jack S

Not bad....your spelling is a bit off, but lots better than many who are native speakers. Bon Bini i pa bien

Bon dia Michael,
Could you teach us more on comparisons; I know you've touched on the subject, e.g. mas grandi = bigger, e...mas grandi = the biggest ..., and I assume you would say menos or e...menos for less or least? How would you express, for example, "she is as pretty as her sister" ...or "he is weaker than his brother," etc., etc.
Also, could you teach us more verb tenses; we know the simple present and past with ta and a, respectively, the future with bai or lo, and tabata for was, but are there others as well? Such as how would you say "I would do it if I could?" Or "I have just finished my work?"
Masha danki i pa bien,
-Jack
PS I too have found that reading LaPrensa on-line helps a lot.

"she is as pretty as her sister"
E ta mas nechi/bunita ku su ruman muhe.

"he is weaker than his brother," etc., etc.
E ta mas swak/debil ku su ruman homber. .

"I would do it if I could?"
Mi por hasie basta mi por.

"I have just finished my work?"
Djis awore mi a kaba ku mi trabou.

I must admit, I had help from a native speaker.

Masha danki Michael! Bo por instruinos mas palabranan sobre e tempo? Ya mi ta conose friu, seka, calor i algun otre, pero kon ta bisa pa ehempel it's raining, it's nice, etc?

"When the marines isn't your job, you have to look for a good diver!"
- Creole proverb (le lamrin pa metye-w fok-ou bouske yon bon dayiva)

Bon dia tur hende! Ami gusta konose algu amigunan kende ta kier intercambia e-mailnan conmigo pa praktika papiando e idioma. Si boso ta interesa, hasi click riba mi nomber pa manda mi un karta den papiamentu. Mi ta spera ku bosonan skirbi mi masha pronto!
Pa bien,
Jack

What are some phrases to use, say, in a restaurant?

"I would like some water."

"Do you take credit card?"

"Where is the bathroom?"

"What time is it?"

"May I have the bill/check?"

How about:
beer
soda
milk
coffee
wine
chicken
fish
beef

danki!

Bon dia tur hende! Mi a deskubri un bon chiki dikshonariu ingles-papiamentu papiamentu-ingles on-line. Hasi click riba http://www.wordgumbo.com/pc/pap/index.htm i bo lo yega aya! Esei leksikon no tin kada palabra pero ta yuda masha.
Mi ta spera ki algu hende ken papia miho ku mi lo kontesta Ashley su preguntanan! Ami falta i konfianza pa hasi lo, aunke mi tin ideanan.
Pa bien!

Bon dia!

I have a question about the pronunciation of
diacritically signs, in a earlier message I found the notice:

stress vowels

á salbá, obligá
é awé. ménos
í perdí, difísil
ó afó, prólogo
ú sunú, kútis

Two questions:
- Is é,á and so on just a indicator for the stressing, or differ also the pronunciation?

What about the other accents:
- è and so on.?


danki í saludos fo'i germany.

sf.

> Hasi click riba >http://www.wordgumbo.com/pc/pap/index.htm

halo Jack, esei ta gran! kí di creation di un babylon-dikshonario fo'i bo dikshonario?

http://info.babylon.com/cgi-bin/search.cgi?layout=sr_new.html&cat=435&sort=&nc=2&n=10

Bon dia Stefan,
mi ta kontentu ku bo ta gusta dikshonariu ku mi a hania. Bo idea pa hasi un dikshonariu babylon ta bon tambe. Bo a bisa bo ta biba den Alemania. Unda? Mi ta amerikanu, pero mi antepasdonan tataba aleman. Konosimentu aleman ta yuda mi sinia papiamentu komo masha palabranan ulandes i aleman ta parse o kasi mescos. ami gusta pais alemania pero mi no ta gusta i tempo tan frio!
Asta la vista, bis spaeter!
-Jack

Halo Jack,

sorry for answering in english, I'am a beginner in Papiamentu (what a
cute language :-), writing is toughly for me but reading goes well!

I'am from Stuttgart, in the south of Germany, but south means thesedays
also 0 C degree.
Indeed dutch and german
are very similar. But not as close that we can understand each other
immediatly.
And they are some traps:
eg.
nl: huur -> to rent
de: mieten -> to rent
but
de: Hure -> strumpet, harlot

Do you know how to compile a babylon-dictionary, I never tried it.
They offer a free "dictonary-building software". I estimate as source
CSV-Files cold work, that would be a great contribution!

Asta la vista,
sf.

Jack: If I'm reading your post correctly, you're from "Alemania"...I'm assuming this is a city name? Where is this?

Alemania... isn't that the city in Europe - Europe this Island (whith asia) in front of the US-east-coast?


;-)

Hrm...I think I'm being made fun of. What am I missing (and I fear it's going to be embarassing...)

Don't worry Brian - just a joke from good old Europe

=B-)

No worries - I can dish it out as much as the rest of them. ;)

So I'm taking it that "Alemania" translates into "Europe" in English? I guess I should have looked that up on-line before asking. Oh well!

Alemania = Germany

Dear Bonaire Talkers,

I visited Bonaire in October 2003 and I am organizing a return with family and friends to Bonaire in Summer of 2005. I have always preferred to communicate when possible in the local language. Unfortunately, I did not speak Papiamentu or Dutch, but the people were very patient and helpful when we did not have a common language.

However, I would like to have at least a working command of Papiamentu grammar and vocabulary when we return. Some internet contacts have suggested the following English version books might be available at a bookstore on Bonaire. The following are descriptions I copied from another site (the owner of which could not tell where I might find them)


Papiamentu Textbook
E. R. Goilo
Published by De Wit Stores N. V.
Oranjestad - Aruba, Netherlands Antilles, 1994
Price: NAF 27.00

This book contains twenty Papiamentu lessons ranging from the basics to more advanced topics and texts. It has a good balance between practical examples and grammar. Versions in Spanish and Dutch are also available.

_____________________________
English/Papiamentu Dictionary
Papiamentu/Ingles Dikshonario
Betty Ratzlaff, ed.
Published by the TWR Dictionary Foundation
Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles, 1995
ISBN: 99904-0-030-X
Price: NAF 49.00

This English/Papiamentu Papiamentu/English dictionary is popular in Curaçao and Bonaire. Dictionaries in other languages are also available.
________________________________________

I would greatly appreciate if someone could please forward me the postal address(es) and/or email address(es) of some bookstores on Aruba, Curacao, or Bonaire.

Masha Danki,

Terry K. Green

The dictionary is available at a few outlets on Bonaire....The price is slightly higer than you quoted...The book stores do not carry it however. The other book is out of print but there may be a few copies floating around.

Michael,

Did you find the other book? If so I would love a copy please..or see it..

Ann

Terry,

I saw an English/Papiementu dictionary in the variety shop in the departures lounge at the Flamingo Airport in Bonaire in August. Don't know if it's the same one you referred to but it was a good size, about 3/4 " thick. Maybe someone else can give you some information about how to contact them.

The papiamentu dictionary is available at a few local stores on Bonaire. I can point anyone in the right direction. info@chatnbrowse.com

I have the dictionary and the pink workbook..I am curious about the out of print workbook??

Thanks for all the replies to my enquiry about a Papiamentu course for English speakers and dictionary. The consensus seems to be that, yes it exists or was published at some time, but is out of print, etc.

So, I'm going out on a limb and risking getting a boatload, sorry, that's an English idiom for A LOT of responses. I'd like to buy a Papiamentu course book, workbook, and dictionary from anybody who will part with them. Send an email to acres73@infinet.com, so we don't clog this forum and let me know what you have and how much you want for them. If you know of a source for new items you may not have or don't wish to part with, please include name, address, email, etc. of this source. Of course I'll pay the postage on top of what you ask for the material.

If I conclude a deal then I'll reveal my postal address to that person.

Thanks,

Terry

These days there are a lot of self-publishing options for authors (iUniverse, etc.). These will publish your book for a fee of approximately $300-$600US. Authors provide a copy of the manuscript in a word processing format (usually Microsoft Word or RFT text format). For this price, the author gets five or so free copies, but the book is then available for purchase through bookstores or online via Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble.com for approximately $15US. The author gets a portion of the sale price for each book sold. This might be a good way to make books on exotic languages in remote areas like Papiamentu more affordable and more readily available.

I'd definitely buy one, and from the indications of the discussion here, many of you would also.

I know a number of people who have done this for novels of 250-400 pages. The cost might be lower for language instruction books, which tend to be shorter. It would certainly be more affordable than going through the traditional publishing methods.

The only such publisher I'm aware of right now is iUnivers.com at http://www.iUniverse.com but I know there are others.

I am a fairly new writer on BT, but I think I might have something to offer here. Michael has given great lessons in this forum and I was wondering if anyone needs or wants some extra help via oral pronunciation advice. I have American parents, but speak Dutch and Papiamentu fairly fluently as I was born, raised and went to school on the islands. I currently live in the US so can advise on pronunciation on the phone! My Papiamentu is still very good, but only my pronunciation is still good with my Dutch!! My Dutch vocabulary and grammar are now a bit lacking. Anyway - the offer stands.

New on this site, but will be moving there in April for school. This is so helpful! Just one lesson so far...

an some one translate this for papiamento to english for me please, thanks

ba hanja e sunchi ku ma manda pabo via jen of mike...?

si ma hanjele di jen, paso mi ta kere mike a warda nan pasu mes:P Kontaaa einan?

ahinda nos ta warda mike

try this translator ;
http://www.donamaro.nl/papiamentu/index.php?pAction=tradusi