Cooking & Markets

1. Ngera a kall el sorir a rechad er a Belau?

   Nge-ra a kall el so-rir a re-chad er a Be-lau?

   What is a traditional Palauan dish?

   Usage

   Used to ask about traditional local cuisine

   Grammar Note

   "Sorir" is the 3rd-person plural possessive of sau (liking), so it needs a plural human subject (rechad = people). "Belau" is the native Palauan name for Palau.

2. Ng kmal ungil el ousbech a taro er a sabau.

   Ng kmal un-gil el ou-sbech a ta-ro er a sa-bau.

   It's best to use taro in the soup.

   Usage

   Used when instructing how to cook with taro

   Grammar Note

   "Ng kmal ungil el ..." is a recommendation: "it is very good to ..." (the subject marker is Ng; with Ke it would mean "you are very good at ..."). Soup is sabau; cheluch means "coconut oil; fat".

3. Ke melau a ngikel el mekerang?

   Ke me-lau a ngi-kel el me-ke-rang?

   How do you grill / cook the fish?

   Usage

   Used to ask how to cook or grill fish

   Grammar Note

   "Melau" means to heat or cook. "... el mekerang?" asks "how does one ...?"

4. Ng soak el omes er a teletelel a omeruul er a beras el kall.

   Ng so-ak el o-mes er a te-le-te-lel a o-me-ru-ul er a be-ras el kall.

   I would like to see the recipe for the rice dish.

   Usage

   Used to ask to see a cooking recipe

   Grammar Note

   "Omes" is the verb "to see". Palauan has no word for "recipe", so it is expressed with "teletael" (way, manner — cf. "teletelel a chium" = your hairstyle). The possessive form "teletelel" gives "the way of making ...".

5. Kot el locha a chuit er a chelsel a sabau.

   Kot el lo-cha a chu-it er a chel-sel a sa-bau.

   First, add coconut milk to the soup.

   Usage

   Used when explaining cooking steps

   Grammar Note

   Built on the example "Mngai a meduu el locha er a chelsel a olekall." (Put the breadfruits in the pot) — "locha er a chelsel a X" = put into X. "Kot" is the particle for doing something first.

6. Ng ngar er ker a oles er a uum?

   Ng ngar er ker a o-les er a u-um?

   Where is the knife in the kitchen?

   Usage

   Used to ask where kitchen utensils are located

   Grammar Note

   The frame for asking a location is "Ng ngar er ker a X?", with "ker" (where) as the interrogative; "ngera" ("what") cannot ask a location. Palauan has its own words here - "oles" (knife) and "uum" (kitchen; cf. the example "A delak a ngar er a uum." = My mother is in the kitchen) - so no English loan is needed.

7. Ng kmal soak el mengerocher a ngikel.

   Ng kmal so-ak el me-nge-ro-cher a ngi-kel.

   I like to season the fish with salt.

   Usage

   Used when sharing your preferred way of seasoning fish

   Grammar Note

   Mengerocher is v.t. "add (more) salt to" - the verb for salting food.

8. Ke melau a kall er a tela el bung?

   Ke me-lau a kall er a te-la el bung?

   How many minutes do you cook it?

   Usage

   Used to ask about cooking time

   Grammar Note

   "Bung" is a loanword from Japanese 分 (minute). "Tela el bung" = "how many minutes".

9. Ng kmal choisii a beras.

   Ng kmal cho-i-sii a be-ras.

   The rice is very delicious.

   Usage

   Used to express that food tastes delicious

   Grammar Note

   "Delicious" is choisii, from Japanese oishii. beras is "rice", a Malay loan

10. Ng sebechem el omes er a teletelel a omeruul er a kall?

    Ng se-be-chem el o-mes er a te-le-te-lel a o-me-ru-ul er a kall?

    Can you teach me how to cook this dish?

    Usage

    Used to ask someone to teach you how to cook a dish

    Grammar Note

    "Ng sebechem el ..." means "can you ...?". "Omes er a teletelel a omeruul" is to look at the way of making it. The "teach" verb is not used; the request is to be shown how it is made. Mekemad means "war", not "how".

Browse all TravelPhrases languages