Basic Nouns

1. Ralm

   Water

   Usage

   Ask for drinking water; pair it with “bottle” if you want sealed water

2. Kall

   Food

   Usage

   The general word for food; useful when hunting for somewhere to eat

3. Udoud

   Money

   Usage

   The base word for paying and changing currency

4. Toilet

   Usage

   Combine it with the “where” question

   Grammar Note

   A loan from English "toilet"; public signage uses the same word.

5. Tissue

   Usage

   Many toilets have no paper — use this word to buy some

   Grammar Note

   A loan from English "tissue."

6. Kar

   Medicine

   Usage

   At a pharmacy; combine it with gestures for your symptom

7. Nimots

   Luggage

   Usage

   For checking in, carrying on, or reporting lost bags

8. Ki

   Key

   Usage

   At hotel reception when collecting or returning it

   Grammar Note

   A loan from English "key."

9. Tiket

   Ticket

   Usage

   Covers both transport tickets and admission tickets

10. Pasaport

    Passport

    Usage

    Comes up at check-in, currency exchange, and any police check

11. Telepon

    Phone

    Usage

    When you need to borrow one or ask for a number

12. Charger

    Usage

    To borrow one at a hotel or café, or buy one in a shop

    Grammar Note

    English "charger" is used as is.

13. Station

    Usage

    A landmark word when asking for directions

    Grammar Note

    A loan from English "station"; Palau has no railway, so it means a bus stop.

14. Ospital

    Hospital

    Usage

    The first word you need if you fall ill

15. Pulis

    Police

    Usage

    For theft or accidents; combine it with “where?”

16. Stoang

    Shop

    Usage

    When looking for somewhere to buy something

    Grammar Note

    A loan from English "store."

17. Delmerab

    Room

    Usage

    Use it when asking a hotel about vacancies

18. Rael

    Road

    Usage

    The base word when asking the way

19. Telungalek

    Family

    Usage

    A guaranteed small-talk topic; showing photos goes a long way

    Grammar Note

    "Telungalek" names a matrilineal kin group and is broader than the English word "family."

20. Ngakl

    Name

    Usage

    For introductions and for giving your name at a counter

21. bedul

    Head

    Usage

    Body-part word for pointing at where it hurts

22. mad

    Eye

    Usage

    Also means "face" and "front", so point at your eye while showing it

23. uingel

    Tooth

    Usage

    Point at this to report a toothache

24. omerkaol

    Throat

    Usage

    Point at this to report a sore throat; also spelled "omerekaol"

25. diil

    Abdomen / belly

    Usage

    For stomach pain

26. uulk

    Back

    Usage

    For back pain

27. singch

    Waist / lower back

    Usage

    For lower-back pain

28. chim

    Hand / arm

    Usage

    Palauan uses one word for hand and arm — point at the part you mean

29. oach

    Foot / leg

    Usage

    One word covers foot and leg — point at the part you mean

30. ding

    Ear

    Usage

    For an ear problem

31. chikl

    Neck

    Usage

    For neck pain

32. ongelungel

    Shoulder

    Usage

    For shoulder pain

33. bkul a oach

    Knee

    Usage

    Literally "the joint of the leg" — the standard phrase

34. cheldingel

    Finger

    Usage

    Finger or toe — point at the one you mean

35. buld

    Skin

    Usage

    For a rash or skin irritation

36. iis

    Nose

    Usage

    For a nose problem

37. rasech

    Blood

    Usage

    To show that you are bleeding

38. skosio

    Airport

    Usage

    Point at this to give a taxi your destination

39. hoter

    Hotel

    Usage

    Point at this to give a taxi your destination

Browse all TravelPhrases languages