Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

Ke ua ngarang?

, expr.

How are you?

mellemau

, v.s.

blue; green; black and blue; bruised.
mellemau a bedengel a toachel; a blai a melelemau, oumellemau.

ngera
/ngerang
/ngarang
/ngara

, pro.

what; which; what kind of; anything (but or except).
ngerang a ker; ngera ke melekoi? tia ng ngerang? ngera soam?

omerrous

, v.t.

dream about.
omerrous a berrusel; merrusii a mla mad el demal; merrous a meklou el blai.

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:

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.

Ng ua ngara a telkelel a subelengem?

> What's the measurement of your trousers?

Ng mo ua kerrekar el mla medul er a ngau a rechelel, me a bngal a mosebek er a eolt el mo cheroid.

> They will be like trees whose branches are burned by fire, whose blossoms are blown away by the wind.

Ng ua ngara a kedel a blim?

> How close is your house?

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

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

Proverbs:

Ng di ua dorael er a medal a oles.

> It's as if we were walking on the blade of a knife.

i.e., we're treading on dangerous ground; if we make one wrong move, we're finished.

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

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 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

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.

More Examples:

Ng ua lsal meringel a cheral a dengki er chelecha el buil.

> The electric bill this month is a bit high.

Ng ua ngara omelechesel tia el tekoi?

> How do you spell or write this word?

Ke ua ngarang?

> How are you?

Ke ua ngarang?

> How are you?

A delal a mesesuau me ng kmal di ua ingii.

> Her mother is an idiot and she is just like her.

Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

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