'''Chamorro''', or Chamoru, is the native language of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. Although the English language and Japanese language are commonplace on both Guam and the Northern Marianas Islands, people still use the Chamorro language. Chamorro is also used in mainland United States by immigrants and some of their descendants.

The numbers of Chamorro speakers have declined in recent years, and the younger generations are less likely to know the language. The influence of English, Spanish, and Japanese have caused the language to become endangered. Various representatives from Guam have unsuccessfully lobbied the United States to take action to promote the language.

A large number of Chamorro words have Spanish etymological roots (e.g. tenda "shop/store" from Spanish tienda), which may lead some to mistakenly conclude that the language is a Spanish Creole: However, Chamorro very much uses its loan words in a Micronesian way (eg: bumobola "playing ball" from bola "ball, play ball" with infix -um- and reduplication of root). However, Chamorro can also be considered a mixed language (Hispano-Austronesian) or a language that resulted of a contact and creolization process in the Mariana Islands. Modern Chamorro grammar has many elements of Spanish origin: articles, numbers, prepositions...

There are approximately 50,000 to 75,000 speakers of Chamorro throughout the Marianas archipelago. It is still common among Chamorro households in the Northern Marianas, but fluency has greatly decreased among Guamanian Chamorros during the years of American rule in favor of (a largely pidginized) American English.

Pronunciation guide

Vowels

Consonants

Common diphthongs

Phrase list

Basics

; Hello. : Hafa adai! (''Hah-fuh-day'') ; How are you? : Hafa tatatmanu hao? (''Hah-fuh-tah-taht-mah-noo-How?'') ; Good : Malek (Mall'ek) or Very Good : Todo malek (''toe doe mall ek'') ; What is your name? : Hayi na'an-mu? (''Hah-zi-na-ahn-moo?'') ; My name is John. : Si Juan Yu. (''See-Hwan-zu.'') ; Thank you. : Si Yu'us ma'ase. (''See-zu-us-Mah-ah-see'') ; You're welcome. : Buen probechu. (''Bwen-proh-beh-chu'') ; Goodbye. : Adios. (''Ah-dee-yos'') ; Good morning. : Buenas dias. (''Bwenas-Dee-as'') ; Good evening. : Buenas tatdes. (''Bwenas-tah-des'') ; Good night. : Buenas noches. (''Bwenas-no-ches'') ; Good night (''see you tomorrow'') : Esta agupa'. (''eh-stah-ah-goo-pah'')

Problems

Note that the letter Y is pronounced more like 'dz' as it is in some dialects of Castilian Spanish, and that Ch is usually pronounced like 'ts' rather than 'tsh'. Note also that A and A are not always distinguished in written Chamorro, often being written simply as 'A'; nor are N and N always distinguished. Thus the Guamanian place name spelled Yona is pronounced 'dzo-nya', not 'yo-na' as might be expected.

Numbers

Current common Chamoru uses only number words of Spanish origin: unu, dos, tres, kuatro, sinko, sais, siette, ocho, nuebi, dies, onse, dose, trese, katotse, kinse, disesisais...; beinte (benti), trenta, kuarenta, sinkuenta...: sien, dos sientos, tres sientos... kinientos...; mit, dos mit, tres mit...

The Old Chamoru used different number words based on categories: "Basic numbers" (for date, time, etc), "living things", "inanimate things", and "long objects".

  • 1 - uno
  • 2 - dos
  • 3 - tres
  • 4 - kuattro
  • 5 - singko
  • 6 - sais (but pronounced "sayce"
  • 7 - siette
  • 8 - ocho
  • 9 - nuebi
  • 10 - dies
  • 11 - onse
  • 12 - dosse
  • 13 - tresse
  • 14 - katotse
  • 15 - kinse
  • 16 - diesisais
  • 17 - diesisiette
  • 18 - diesiocho
  • 19 - diesinuebi
  • 20 - bente
  • 30 - trenta
  • 40 - kuarenta
  • 50 - singkuenta
  • 60 - sisenta
  • 70 - sitenta
  • 80 - ochenta
  • 90 - nubenta
  • 100 - siento
  • 500 - kinentos
  • 1000 - mit
  • 1,000,000 - miyon
  • Time

    Clock time

    Duration

    Days

    damenggo-sunday lunes-monday mattes-tuesday metkoles-wednesday hubes-thursday betnes-friday sabalu-saturday

    Months

    Hernero- January Ferbrero- February Marcha- March Abrilo- April Mayhana- May Junio- June Julio- July Augousta- August Sleptioro- September Octubro- October Nehana- Novemeber Decemnreoch- December

    Writing time and date

    Colors

    Transportation

    Bus and train

    Directions

    Taxi

    Lodging

    Money

    salapi

    Eating

    MEATS

  • guihan - fish
  • uhang - shrimp
  • panglao - crab
  • ayuyu (pronounced ''ah-zoo-zoo'') - coconut crab
  • asuli - eel
  • pahgang - clam
  • tapon - baby clam
  • do'gas - sea shell
  • mahongang - lobster
  • kunehu - rabbit
  • chada' - egg
  • pabu - turkey
  • katne - beef
  • mannok - chicken
  • katnen babui - pork
  • fritadan babui - pork chitterling
  • fritadan guaka - beef chitterling
  • fritadan mannok - chicken chitterling
  • chachalon - pork rind
  • STARCHES

  • kamuti - sweet potatoes
  • mendeoka - tapioca
  • suni - taro
  • lemmai - breadfruit
  • nika - sweet yam
  • batatas - potatoes
  • hineksa' - rice (cooked)
  • pan - bread
  • titiyas mai'es - corn tortilla
  • titiyas arina - four tortilla
  • pugas - uncooked rice
  • OTHER INGREDIENTS

  • donne' - pepper
  • donne' pika - hot pepper
  • plimenta - black pepper
  • mantika - lard
  • friholes - beans
  • asiga - salt
  • asukat - sugar
  • mantekiya - butter
  • yam - jam, jelly
  • miet - honey
  • mantekiyan kakaguates - peanut butter
  • kesu - cheese
  • FRUITS

  • laguana - soursop
  • ates - sweetsop or sugar apple
  • chandia - watermelon
  • melon - melon
  • bilembines - star apple
  • lalanghita - tangerine
  • kahet - orange
  • aga' - banana
  • ubas - grape
  • papaya - papaya
  • abas - guava
  • mangga - mango
  • chotda - green bananas
  • ibba' - sour grapes
  • anonas - custard apple
  • pina - pineapple
  • aga' - banana
  • granada - pomegranate
  • kikamas - sweet turnip
  • makupa - mountain apple
  • tupu - sugar cane
  • alageta - avocado
  • mansana - apple
  • manha - young coconut
  • niyok - coconut
  • kahet ma'gas - grapefruit
  • VEGETABLES

  • tumates - tomato
  • nappa' - chinese cabbage
  • ilotes - corn on the cob
  • mai'es - corn
  • BEVERAGES

  • hanom - water
  • leche - milk
  • kafe - coffee
  • binu - wine
  • SNACKS & DESSERTS

  • chukulati - chocolate
  • kande - candy
  • krakas - crackers
  • inafliton batatas - potato chips
  • kakaguates - peanuts
  • empanada - spiced corn turnover
  • kek chamorro - Chamorro cake
  • brohas - sponge cake
  • apigige' - grilled young coconut w/starch
  • kalamai - corn pudding
  • pastet - baked turnover
  • buchibuchi - fried turnover
  • bunelos aga' - banana doughnut
  • Bars

    Shopping

    Driving

    Authority