'''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