Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

kid

, mod.

contentless word used for emphasis.

se
/sei
/isei

, pro.

that object far from speaker and far from listener.
sei a melutk er a cheroid er a mengedecheduch; ngar sei; diak el tiang; sei er a mong a skuul.

se el

conj.

when (in the future); whenever.

se el sekum

conj.

if (used in negative sentences).

sel

cont.

se el

er se er a

expr.

when (in the past).

er se er a Sebadong

expr.

last Saturday.

er se er a taem er a mekemad

expr.

during the war.

er sei

expr.

over there; in that place.

mekera isei

expr.

[used to refer to a method of doing something that the speaker has forgotten.]

ngera isei

expr.

thingamajig; thingamabob; whatchamacallit. [used to refer to something whose name the speaker has forgotten.]

se di kau

expr.

it's up to you.

se el soam

expr.

whatever you want; it's up to you.

se el tebel

expr.

that table (over there).

se er a

expr.

conj. when (in the past).

tela isei

expr.

[used to refer to a number that the speaker has forgotten.]

tia isei

expr.

what's-his-name; what's-her-name. [Used to refer to someone whose name the speaker has forgotten.]

Examples:

Ak mo kolii se el ringngo me aike el tuu.

> I am going to eat up that apple and those bananas.

Ak milengang er se el ringngo me aike el tuu.

> I was eating that apple and those bananas.

A reungil el chad a ungil a rengrir, er se el leseterir a remekngit el obals.

> Good people are glad, when they see the wicked punished.

A Satsko a chiliis er se er a lesa a deleb.

> Satsko fled when she saw the ghost.

A bilis a oteb er sei.

> The dog is barking there.

Proverbs:

Se el obutek a medak.

> When my eyes are closed.

When one dies the eyes are "closed"; hence, to be dead. The term for "death" is mad as is the term for "eye," (mad; madak: "my eye"). Some sources suggest that the term for death refers to the closed eyes of a dead person.

More Examples:

Ng dimlak kisang er sei.

> I didnt see him or her there.

Se el kokil ribsakl a sils.

> When the sun sets slowly.

Se el lomrechorech a meduu e ke lmuut el mechirei el locha teruich me a eim el bung.

> When it starts boiling, let it boil for about 15 more minutes.

Ng locha ngar er ngii a chisil a cheluch er se el isiobing.

> There might be a few drops of oil in the bottle.

Techa isei ngka el merredel er a Aleks?

> Who's Alex's boss again?

ua
/uai

, mod.

like; as.
ua a ko er a; ua medal a demal; chad er a Belau e ua bedengel a chad er a ngebard.

uaisei

cont.

ua se

ua se
/uai sei

expr.

like that.

Synonyms: ,

Examples:

Ng ua ngara a telkelel a subelengem?

> What's the measurement of your trousers?

Ng dimlak kkingatsku el ua se ng mla mesodel a bilek.

> I didn't notice that my clothes were torn.

A beab a sebechel kmerd er a Ngcheangel el ngar er a chelsel a blil a kall el ua bek el beras.

> Rats can get to Kayangel in bags of food such as rice.

A Droteo a uai a decham er a omeruul el mlai.

> Droteo fixes cars as well as you.

Kau ng blak a rengum el merirem er a renguk el ua a omoachel el mo medirt er a blsechel a kleald?

> Do you intend to disappoint me like a stream that goes dry in the summer?

Proverbs:

Ng mlenga a telochel a demal me ng uai ngii.

> Like his father, for he ate his father's premasticated food.

Applied to a child by adoption, with the implication that the adopted child resembles his adoptive father

Ng ua kukau el omertort a ditel e chemoes.

> Like taro, though the leaves are tall, still immature.

Taro (Colocasia esculenta) is mature only when the leaves produced by the plant are small. When the plant produces its largest leaves the tuber in the ground is still quite small. The saying may be applied to a person who, while yet young and inexperienced, is proud and boastful.

Ng ua beab el mengard.

> Nibbling like a rat.

Activity that slowly destroys another person or institution. Generally applied to verbal actions; spreading malicious gossip; a speech loaded with subtle insults. However, it can be applied to wider behavior such as economic behavior that destroys the resources of the country: killing fish by dynamite; cutting forests without planting

A ungil el merreder a ua chull el melemedem er a daob.

> A good leader, like rain, stills the ocean.

Rain falling during an ocean squall often seems to wipe away the winds and still the ocean. A good leader should be able to dispel the problems facing his people. He can calm down disputes and settle problems easily.

Ng ua lemechebiso tolekngel a Modelab

> Like making a whirlpool in Modelab's water tub.

Probably having reference to a folk tale, this saying is applied to any state of general social confusion. Some worldly Palauans used it with reference to the state of world affair

More Examples:

Ng ua ngara a teletelel a iedel?

> What's the shape and texture of mangoes?

Ng ua ngara omelechesel tia el tekoi?

> How do you spell or write this word?

Ke ua ngarang?

> How are you?

Ng ua ngara a chasi er a iedel?

> What does mango taste like?

Ng ua ngara a odimiu?

> How's your meat?

Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

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