Palauan Language Online: Palauan-English Dictionary

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).

techa isei

expr.

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

tela isei

expr.

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

Examples:

lebekiis,

chei.

> When they get up, they go fishing.

rrat

mla

sei.

> The bicycle was over there.

kedorem

bad.

> That stone is sharp.

mle

ngii

tang

ngmasech

rois

meluluuch.

bocha

lekebesengei,

Jesus

mle

ngii

tang.

> He went up a hill by himself to pray. When evening came, Jesus was there alone.

ulemuchel

melai

bukl

beluu.

> They started out to invade the hill country.

Proverbs:

obutek

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:

chuleku