When our måli’ Monique enrolled her son in Hurao Academy on Guam, she asked us for some simple Chamorro phrases she could start using at home. She wanted everyday expressions she could say to her son—basic commands and reminders like “put on your shoes” or “it’s time to sleep”—so that Chamorro would become part of their daily routine.
That request inspired this post. We’ve gathered around 40 easy, practical Chamorro phrases that any parent can start using with their children right away. Whether your child is in a Chamorro immersion program, learning from family, or just starting to hear the language at home, these phrases are meant to make Chamorro feel natural in everyday life.
As always, this post includes Chamorro audio narrations by Jay Che’le and English translations for every phrase. Happy studying!
Basic Commands
In the table below are some common, everyday commands to use with your children. Please keep in mind that there are different ways to say things in Chamorro, but our goal throughout this post is to keep things light and easy, so you can use them right away.
| Maigu’. | Sleep. / Go to sleep. |
| Kahulo’. | Get up. |
| O’mak. | Shower. / Bathe. |
| Me’mi’. | Urinate. |
| Masinek. | Defecate. |
| Chochu. | Eat. |
| Boka. | Eat. |
| Kånnu’ i na’-mu. | Eat your food. |
| Gimen hånum. | Drink water. |
| Guesgues i nifen-mu. | Brush your teeth. |
| Usa i kemmun. | Use the restroom. |
| Na’minagågu hao. | Get dressed. (Literally: Make yourself clothed) |
| Na’sinapåtus hao. | Put on your shoes. (Literally: Make yourself shoed) |
| Usa i sapatos-mu. | Put on your shoes. (Literally: Use your shoes) |
| Hålum gi kareta. | Get in the car. |
| Hokka’ i hugeti siha. | Pick up the toys. |
| Chule’ i lepblu. | Take the book. |
| Pega tåtti gi sagå-ña. | Put it away. (Literally: Put it back in its place) |
| Palala’i hao nu i lotion. | Put on lotion. (Literally: Smear yourself with lotion) |
Go and…
For all of the commands in the previous section, you can add the phrase sigi ya un… in front of those phrases to say “Go and [do the action].” For example:
| Sigi ya un maigu’. | Go and sleep. |
| Sigi ya un gimen hånum. | Go and drink water. |
| Sigi ya un palala’i hao nu i lotion. | Go and put on lotion. |
Please note that in rapid speech, the phrase sigi ya un… is often contracted to Sigi yon… For example:
| Sigi ya un maigu’. | Sigi yon maigu’. |
| Sigi ya un gimen hånum. | Sigi yon gimen hånum. |
| Sigi ya un palala’i hao nu i lotion. | Sigi yon palala’i hao nu i lotion. |
It’s Time For…
In this section, we have a few phrases to say that it’s time to do something. For all of these phrases, they all start with esta oran… which literally means “already the hour of…”.
| Esta oran maigu’. | It’s time to sleep. |
| Esta oran makmåta. | It’s time to wake up. |
| Esta oran amotsåt. | It’s time for breakfast. |
| Esta oran chumochu. | It’s time to eat. |
| Esta oran manaitai. | It’s time to pray. (or it’s time to read.)* |
*In Chamorro, the word taitai or manaitai can mean “to pray” or “to read.”
Are You…
Here are some basic questions to ask your children if they are hungry, thirsty, etc. Basic replies to these questions can be hunggan (yes) or åhe’ (no).
| Kao ñålang hao? | Are you hungry? |
| Kao må’u hao? | Are you thirsty? |
| Kao matuhuk hao? | Are you sleepy? |
| Kao yayas hao? | Are you tired? |
| Kao monhåyan hao? | Are you finished? |
Do You Need…
These are simple questions about needs, which can also be answered with hunggan (yes) or åhe’ (no).
| Kao un nisisita i kemmun? | Do you need the bathroom? |
| Kao un nisisita ayudu? | Do you need help? |
| Kao un nisisita hånum? | Do you need water? |
| Kao un nisisita nengkånnu’? | Do you need food? |
| Kao un nisisita maigo’? | Do you need to sleep? |
Lengguahi-ta 