In this post we will learn how to make basic commands in Chamorro, which are also called imperative statements. We will learn how to say things like “Drink the coffee” or “Wipe the floor.” We’ll also make some sentence drills to practice these structures, and add locations to say sentences like, “Water the grass in the garden.” Happy studying!

Contents
Introduction to Commands in Chamorro Example Sentences: “Drink the coffee” Example Sentences: Adding Locations Wrapping Up: Practice on Quizlet! Keep Learning! Continue to the Next Lesson References

Introduction to Commands in Chamorro

When thinking about command statements in Chamorro, there are different ways to give commands depending upon how many people you are talking to, and if the object is specific or non-specific. Here are examples of different commands:

• Read the book.
• Read a book.
• Read (something)

In these notes I focus on commands that take the form of the first sentence, Read the book. It is the simplest form of command statements in Chamorro, and probably the easiest for native English speakers to absorb when you are first learning Chamorro.

The other examples require more verb transformations and different sentence structures. They also require more knowledge of the concepts of indefinite (non-specific) objects and the distinctions between single, dual, and plural forms. I intend to cover all of this in another post. These aren’t important to understand for this post, but I wanted to give a roadmap for awareness.

In the rest of this post, we will practice making basic commands in Chamorro using transitive verbs.

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Example Sentences: “Drink the coffee”

For basic commands in Chamorro, a simple rule is to take our basic transitive sentence, such as Hu gimen i kafe and remove the pronoun at the start of the sentence. And voila, you have a basic command statement! You can also use this structure when talking to any number of people.

Essentially, we are just using our transitive verb in its root form, and following it with an object. The structure is as follows:

Transitive Verb + i + Object

Now let’s look at some example sentences in the table below:

Taitai i lepblo.	Read the book.
Saosao i lamasa.	Wipe the table.
Na’gasgas i sapåtos.	Clean the shoes.
Fa’gåsi i magågu.	Wash the clothing.
Fåhan i guihan.	Buy the fish.
Rega i cha’guan.	Water the grass.
Nå’yi i arina.	Add the flour.
Chuda’ i hanom.	Pour the water.
Daggao i bola.	Throw the ball.
Atan i chalan.	Look at the road.

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Example Sentences: Adding Locations

We can also expand these sentences by adding locations or descriptions to our objects. If you need a review on how to add locations to sentences in Chamorro, see my post on Adding Locations to Sentences in Chamorro.

To add locations to our basic commands, we can follow this sentence structure:

Transitive Verb + i + Object + [gi / giya] + Location

Now let’s practice this structure with some example sentences in the table below:

Gimen i kafe gi kusina.	Drink the coffee in the kitchen.
Saosao i applacha’ na lamasa.	Wipe the dirty table.
Na’gåsgas i sapåtos gi sanhiyong.	Clean the shoes outside.
Fåhan i dangkolo’ na guihan gi metkao.	Buy the big fish at the market.
Taitai i lepblo gi eskuela.	Read the book at the school.
Rega i cha’guan gi hatdin.	Water the grass in the garden.
Aflitu i mannok gi kusinan sanhiyong.	Fry the chicken in the outside kitchen.
Baba i dangkolo’ na bentåna.	Open the big window.
Na’måpao i maipe na kåddo.	Cool off the hot soup.
Kana’ i fetgon na tu’åya.	Hang up the wet towel.

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Wrapping Up: Practice on Quizlet!

In this lesson we learned how to make simple commands in Chamorro, using transitive verbs. If you would like more practice with the example sentences from this lesson, use this Quizlet Flashcard Deck as a supplementary study tool.

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Keep Learning! Continue to the Next Lesson

And that concludes this lesson! When you are ready to continue, click the link below to navigate to the next lesson, where you will learn how to make sentences in the future tense.

Lesson 15: Talking in Future Tense – “I will drink the coffee.”

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References

Topping, D. M., & Ogo, P. M. (1980). Spoken Chamorro with Grammatical Notes and Glossary (PALI Language Texts―Micronesia) (2nd ed.). University of Hawaii Press.

• Rules for Imperatives / Commands: pg. 206 – 207

Topping, D. M., & Dungca, B. C. (1980). Chamorro Reference Grammar (PALI Language Texts―Micronesia). University of Hawaii Press.

• Imperative / Command Mode: pg. 264