Contacts & SNS

1. Ngklem a ngara?

   Ngk-lem a nga-ra

   What is your name?

   Usage

   Standard way to ask someone's name in Palauan

   Grammar Note

   ngklem (your name) + a ngara (what) forms the complete "what is your name?" question. Ngara is "what". Aika is a demonstrative meaning "these things", not "what".

2. Ke chad er ker?

   Ke chad er ker

   Where are you from?

   Usage

   Friendly way to ask about someone's origin in Palauan

   Grammar Note

   The same frame as the example "Kau ke chad er ker?" (where are you from?). "Chad er a X" means "person of X". "Ker" is the interrogative for "where"; "techa" means "who"

3. Ak kmal ungil el omes er kau.

   Ak kmal un-gil el o-mes er kau

   I am very happy to meet you.

   Usage

   Warm greeting when meeting someone for the first time

   Grammar Note

   omes means "to see; meet". Omengur means "to dine", not "to meet".

4. A email-ek a...

   A e-mail-ek a...

   My email is...

   Usage

   Share your email address in Palauan

   Grammar Note

   -ek is the first-person possessive suffix; email is borrowed from English

5. Ng soak el connect er a social media.

   Ng so-ak el con-nect er a so-cial me-dia

   Please connect with me on social media.

   Usage

   Suggest connecting on social media

   Grammar Note

   Palau uses English officially; social media vocabulary is borrowed from English

6. A phone number-ek a...

   A phone num-ber-ek a...

   My phone number is...

   Usage

   Share your phone number in Palauan

   Grammar Note

   -ek is the first-person possessive suffix; phone number is borrowed from English

7. Ng soak el omes er a Facebook er kau.

   Ng so-ak el o-mes er a Face-book er kau

   Please tell me your Facebook account.

   Usage

   Ask for someone's Facebook account

   Grammar Note

   Facebook is from English. "er kau" adds "yours" (loanwords take no possessive suffix; same form as telepon er ngak). "Ng soak el ..." means "I want to ...". Mong means "go" and oruikl means "basket", so neither is a request formula.

8. Ng ngar er ker a adres-em er Koror?

   Ng ngar er ker a ad-res-em er Ko-ror

   What is your address in Koror?

   Usage

   Ask for someone's address in Koror

   Grammar Note

   The frame for asking a location is "Ng ngar er ker a X?" (expression ngar ker = "where is it"). adres is borrowed from English address; -em marks second-person possession

9. Ak mo omekedong er kau er a klukuk.

   Ak mo o-me-ke-dong er kau er a klu-kuk

   I will call you tomorrow.

   Usage

   Promise to call someone the next day

   Grammar Note

   "To call (on the phone)" is omekedong. This follows the example sentence "Bechere, ak mo omekedong er kau er a uriul." ("Nevermind, I'll call you later."). klukuk = tomorrow

10. Ak kmal ungil el omes er kau lmuut.

    Ak kmal un-gil el o-mes er kau lmuut

    I am very glad to meet you again.

    Usage

    Express happiness upon seeing someone again

    Grammar Note

    Lmuut carries "back / again" (the same word as "once more" Lmuut el tang). Uchei means "before / earlier", not "again". Omes means "to meet".

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