Transportation

1. Ke mo er a Koror?

   Ke mo er a Ko-ror

   Are you going to Koror?

   Usage

   Confirm travel to Koror, Palau's main commercial town

   Grammar Note

   Ke is the second-person subject marker ("you") and mo is the Palauan verb "to go" (Ak means "I")

2. Ng ngar er ker a skozio?

   Ng ngar er ker a sko-zi-o?

   Where is the airport?

   Usage

   Ask for the location of Palau International Airport

   Grammar Note

   The frame for asking a location is "Ng ngar er ker a X?" (ker = where). "Airport" is skozio / skosio, a Japanese loan (example: Aki mlo oltak er a ngelekam er a skozio)

3. Msall er tiang.

   Msall er ti-ang

   Please stop here.

   Usage

   Ask the driver to stop at this location

   Grammar Note

   msall (variant small) is the interjection "Stop! Wait!". The example "Msall, e kulidai er kau!" ("Wait! Give me a lift!") is exactly this situation

4. Ng tela a cheral er a taxi?

   Ng te-la a che-ral er a ta-xi

   How much is the taxi?

   Usage

   Ask about the taxi fare

   Grammar Note

   The fixed frame for asking a price is "Ng tela a cheral ...?". er is the Palauan preposition marking location or relation

5. Ng ngar er ker a bas stop?

   Where is the bus stop?

   Usage

   Ask where the bus stop is

   Grammar Note

   The frame for asking a location is "Ng ngar er ker a X?". "Bus" is bas (an English loan); there is no compound for "bus stop", so "stop" is left in English

6. Ng soak el meleng a kar.

   Ng so-ak el me-leng a kar

   I would like to rent a car.

   Usage

   Request to rent a car in Palau

   Grammar Note

   A wish uses soak (the first-person possessive of sau "liking") with the subject marker ng. meleng is "borrow; rent; hire". kar is an English loanword

7. Ng ngar er ngii a blil a kas er tiang?

   Ng ngar er ngii a blil a kas er ti-ang?

   Is there a gas station nearby?

   Usage

   Ask for a nearby gas station while driving around Palau

   Grammar Note

   The frame for asking whether something exists is "Ng ngar er ngii a X?". "tei" is not a Palauan word. "Gas station" is the expression blil a kas (kas = gas/gasoline, blil = the building of; same pattern as blil a bulis "police station")

8. Ng tela el taem el mo er a Koror?

   Ng te-la el taem el mo er a Ko-ror

   How long does it take to get to Koror?

   Usage

   Ask how long the trip to Koror takes

   Grammar Note

   Quantity is asked with "Ng tela el ...?". mo means to go; taem is borrowed from English time

9. Mong me ko el lmuut er a hotel-ek.

   Mong me ko el lmu-ut er a ho-tel-ek

   Please take me to my hotel.

   Usage

   Request a ride to your hotel from the airport or beach

   Grammar Note

   -ek is the first-person possessive suffix in Palauan

10. Ke mesulang er a drive!

    Ke me-su-lang er a drive

    Thank you for the drive!

    Usage

    Thank the driver after a taxi ride or transfer

    Grammar Note

    There are two forms: Sulang. (very informal "thanks") and Ke mesulang. (examples: "Ke mesulang. = Thanks. Informal."; "Ke kmal mesulang. = Thank you very much."). Sulang is an interjection-like formula derived from saul "trouble; gratitude" and stands alone, whereas the second-person subject marker ke requires the verbal form mesulang. For a fuller thanks, say Ke kmal mesulang. drive is from English; code-switching between Palauan and English is natural in Palau.

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