How to Say “Where?” in Chamorro

When we want to ask about location in Chamorro, one word we can use is månu nai — which means “where.” This little word helps us ask everyday questions like “Where are you?”, “Where are my keys?” or “Where did you buy it?” In this lesson, we’ll start exploring how månu nai works in different kinds of sentences, from asking about people and things to asking about where actions took place.

As always, you’ll find example sentences, English translations, and Chamorro audio recordings by Jay Che’le to help with listening and pronunciation. Happy studying!

Contents

Introduction to “Where” in Chamorro

Chamorro uses månu nai to ask “where” questions, which is often expanded to månu nai gaigi or månu nai when asking more detailed questions.

In this lesson we’ll learn how to use these phrases to ask “where” questions. Specifically, we’ll learn:

How to use månu nai gaigi, to ask where something or someone is
The shortened form månggi for everyday speech

After that we’ll pair månu nai with verbs to ask about actions, such as where you bought something or where you will buy something:

Asking about past actions (“Where did you buy it?”)
Asking about future actions (“Where will you buy it?”)

In the next section, we’ll start building questions to ask where someone or something is.

Asking Where Someone or Something Is

If we want to ask where someone or something is in Chamorro, we use the phrase månu nai gaigi followed by the who or what we are asking about. We’ll practice several variations on this pattern, starting with “Where are you?”.

“Where are you?”

Questions like Where are you? Where are they? use månu nai gaigi followed by a Yu’ Type Pronoun. The full pattern is below:

Månu nai gaigi + Yu’ Type Pronoun

Chamoru	English
Månu nai gaigi hao?	Where are you?
Månu nai gaigi (gui’)?	Where is she/he?
Månu nai gaigi siha?	Where are they (2)?
Månu nai gaigi hit?	Where are we (2)?
Månu nai gaigi hamyu?	Where are you (2)?
Månu nai gaigi ham?	Where are we (2)?

“Where is Juan?”

What if we want to ask about a specific person, like Where is Juan? Where is Addie? We still use månu nai gaigi, but with si + Person’s Name at the end.

Here’s the full pattern:

Månu nai gaigi + si + Person’s Name

We’ll practice this pattern with different names in the sentence drills below:

Chamoru	English
Månu nai gaigi si Juan?	Where is Juan?
Månu nai gaigi si Illuminada?	Where is Illuminada?
Månu nai gaigi si Addie?	Where is Addie?
Månu nai gaigi si Cas?	Where is Cas?
Månu nai gaigi si Zayne?	Where is Zayne?

“Where is the coffee?”

Now we’ll form “where” questions about things—Where is the coffee? Where is the car? Where is the house? We still use månu nai gaigi with one change: add i + Object to the end.

We’ll practice with this pattern:

Månu nai gaigi + i + Noun

Chamoru	English
Månu nai gaigi i tilifon?	Where is the phone?
Månu nai gaigi i kareta?	Where is the car?
Månu nai gaigi i yabi?	Where are the keys?
Månu nai gaigi i kafé?	Where is the coffee?
Månu nai gaigi i sapåtos?	Where are the shoes?

What if you want to ask about items that belong to you?—Where is my phone? Where is my car? Where is my coffee? Just add the possessive pronoun to the item.

Let’s practice with the same sentences above, modified to ask about my phone, my car, my coffee:

Chamoru	English
Månu nai gaigi i tilifon-hu?	Where is my phone?
Månu nai gaigi i karetå-hu?	Where is the car?
Månu nai gaigi i yabi-hu?	Where are my keys?
Månu nai gaigi i gimen-hu kafé?	Where are my glasses?
Månu nai gaigi i sapatos-hu?	Where are my shoes?

This same form also applies if we want to ask about people—Where is the child? Where is the woman? Where is the teacher?

Chamoru	English
Månu nai gaigi i patgun?	Where is the child?
Månu nai gaigi i palao’an?	Where is the woman?
Månu nai gaigi i fafa’na’gue?	Where is the teacher?
Månu nai gaigi i taotao?	Where is the person?
Månu nai gaigi i neni?	Where is the baby?

The Short Form: “Månggi”

In everyday speech, the phrase månu nai gaigi is frequently shortened to månggi. Both forms can be used, but over time you may find that månggi is the easier, faster option in conversation.

To use månggi, just use it in place of månu nai gaigi. We will practice this with some of our sentence drills from the previous sections:

Chamoru	English
Månggi hao?	Where are you?
Månggi hamyu?	Where are you (2)?
Månggi si Juan?	Where is Juan?
Månggi si Cas?	Where is Cas?
Månggi i kareta?	Where is the car?
Månggi i yabi?	Where are the keys?
Månggi i sapatos-hu?	Where are my shoes?
Månggi i gimén-hu kafé?	Where is my coffee?
Månggi i patgun?	Where is the child?
Månggi i neni?	Where is the baby?

📝What About Groups of 3 or More? For the pronouns referring to more than one person, use manggaigi to talk about groups of 3 or more.

“When” Questions About Actions (With Objects)

Now we’ll transition and ask “where” questions about actions—Where did you buy it? Where did you find it? Where will you send the package?

In this section, we’ll focus on learning the patterns for “when” questions about actions with objects (transitive verbs), meaning that we’re doing actions to someone or something.

Asking “Where did you buy it?”

To form these questions we put månu nai in front of action statements such as You bought it. You found it. You saw it. These are two-word sentences that take a Hu Type Pronoun and a Transitive Verb (actions we do to others).

Here’s the full pattern:

Månu nai + Hu Type Pronoun + Transitive Verb

Chamoru	English
Månu nai un na’falingu?	Where did you lose it?
Månu nai un fåhan?	Where did you buy it?
Månu nai un sodda‘?	Where did you find it?
Månu nai un li’e‘?	Where did you see it?
Månu nai un na’hånao?	Where did you send it?
Månu nai un po’lu?	Where did you put it?

Asking “Where did you buy the coffee?”

What if you want to be more specific and ask questions like Where did you lose your phone? Where did you send the package? Just add the item after the verb, and remember to include any necessary articles.

For focused practice, we’ll practice with nouns:

Månu nai + Hu Type Pronoun + Transitive Verb + [i + Noun]

Chamoru	English
Månu nai un na’falingu i tilifon-mu?	Where did you lose your phone?
Månu nai un fåhan i kafé?	Where did you buy the coffee?
Månu nai un sodda’ i ga’lågu?	Where did you find the dog?
Månu nai un li’e’ i sihek?	Where did you see the kingfisher?
Månu nai un na’hånao i paketi?	Where did you send the package?
Månu nai un po’lu i yabi?	Where did you put the keys?

❓ Can We Use Månggi in These Sentences?: The word månggi can only be used when we are asking questions about where someone or something is. If we want to ask “where” questions that involve actions, such as “Where did you buy it?” or “Where are you staying?” use månu nai.¹

Asking “Where will you buy the coffee?”

These questions are formed with månu nai, the Chamorro future markers and Hu Type Pronouns. Before we make full sentences, let’s practice these key phrases with the pattern below:

Månu nai + Future Marker + Hu Type Pronoun

Here’s all the phrases, with the different pronouns:

Chamoru	English
Månu nai para un…	Where will you…
Månu nai para bai hu…	Where will I…
Månu nai para u…	Where will she/he…
Månu nai para u ma…	Where will they…
Månu nai para bai in…	Where will we… (exclusive)
Månu nai para en…	Where will you… (plural)
Månu nai para ta…	Where will we… (inclusive)

To make a complete question, add a transitive verb at the end. Here’s the full pattern:

Månu nai + Future Marker + Hu Type Pronoun + Transitive Verb

We will practice using Månu nai para un… (“Where will you…”) in the drills below, to keep our practice focused:

Chamoru	English
Månu nai para un fåhan?	Where will you buy it?
Månu nai para un aligao?	Where will you look for it?
Månu nai para un li’e‘?	Where will you see it?
Månu nai para un na’hånao?	Where will you send it?
Månu nai para un po’lu?	Where will you put it?

What if we want to be more specific about what you will buy, look for, or send? Just add it after the verb. Specifically, here’s the pattern we’ll practice:

Månu nai + Future Marker + Hu Type Pronoun + Transitive Verb + [i + Object]

Chamoru	English
Månu nai para un fåhan i kafé?	Where will you buy the coffee?
Månu nai para un aligao i salungai?	Where will you look for the whale?
Månu nai para un li’e’ i sihek?	Where will you see the kingfisher?
Månu nai para un na’hånao i paketi?	Where will you send the package?
Månu nai para un po’lu i yabi?	Where will you put the keys?

💡Remember the Shortened Forms! We practiced with the full månu nai para un, but you may also hear the contracted månu nai pon in everyday speech.

See my Quick Guide to Future Tense Shortcuts in Chamorro for a list of these future tense contractions.

“Where” Questions About Actions (Without Objects)

Now we’ll learn patterns for “where” questions about actions that we don’t do to someone or something else—Where did you go? Where are you staying? Where will you work?

Essentially, we’ll practice sentence patterns with transitive verbs, which follow a different structure than our previous action sentences.

Also, all the sentences in this section offer patterns for 1-2 people doing the action. To make them refer to 3+ people, the verb needs to be transformed with the plural man- prefix (this will be covered in a different lesson).

In the next section, we’ll focus on asking about past actions.

Asking “Where did you stay?”

What if you want to ask someone about a past action—Where did you stay? Where did you go to school?

To make these sentences, we take the statement—You stayed. You went to school. You worked.—and put månu nai in front of the sentence.

Here’s the full pattern:

Månu nai + Past Tense Intransitive Verb + Yu’ Type Pronoun

In these sentences and throughout the section, we’ll frame this questions to “you” (“Where did you stay?”) to keep our practice focused.

Chamorro	English
Månu nai sumåga hao?	Where did you stay?
Månu nai humånao hao?	Where did you go?
Månu nai macho’chu‘ hao?	Where did you work?
Månu nai umeskuela hao?	Where did you go to school?
Månu nai malågu hao?	Where did you run?

📝Use the Past Tense Form: Since these are questions about actions that have already happened, the verbs need to be in the form for the past tense. For a review of these forms, see the lesson How to Say “I Stayed” in Chamorro.

Asking “Where are you staying?”

Let’s say we need information about current events, such as Where are you staying? Where are you going to school?

Forming these questions uses the same pattern as before, with just one change: reduplicate the verb.

Here’s the full pattern:

Månu nai + Present Tense Intransitive Verb + Yu’ Type Pronoun

Chamorro	English
Månu nai sumåsåga hao?	Where are you staying?
Månu nai humåhånao hao?	Where are you going?
Månu nai machocho’chu‘ hao?	Where are you working?
Månu nai umeskuekuela hao?	Where are you going to school?
Månu nai malålågu hao?	Where are you running?

📝Use the Present Tense Form: Since these are questions about actions that have already happened, the verbs need to be in the form for the present tense. For a review of these forms, see the lesson How to Say “I Am Staying” in Chamorro.

Asking “Where will you stay?”

Finally, we can ask about future actions like “Where will you stay?” or “Where will you work?”. Forming these questions uses månu nai with future markers and Hu type pronouns at the beginning of our sentence. We’ll actually use the same phrases that we used before, when we learned how to ask “Where will you buy the coffee?”.

Here’s the full form we’ll practice:

[Månu nai + Future Marker + Hu Type Pronoun] + Future Tense Intransitive Verb

Chamorro	English
Månu nai para un såga?	Where will you stay?
Månu na para un hånao?	Where will you go?
Månu nai para un facho’chu’?	Where will you work?
Månu nai para un eskuela?	Where will you go to school?
Månu nai para un falågu?	Where will you run?

📝Use the Future Tense Form: Since these are questions about actions that have already happened, the verbs need to be in the form for future tense. For a review of these forms, see the lesson How to Say “I Will Stay” in Chamorro.

Summary

And that wraps up this lesson! In these notes we started using the Chamorro question word månu and we learned the patterns for making the following kinds of sentences:

Asking where someone or something is with månu nai gaigi
Practicing with the short form månggi
Asking about past and future actions with månu nai

➡️ Keep Learning! Continue to the Next Lesson (TBD)

Stay tuned for the next lesson in this Beginner Chamorro series.

Documentation & Further Study

Notes

Donald Topping, Spoken Chamorro: With Grammatical Notes and Glossary (Second Edition). (University of Hawaii Press: 1980), 53. ↩︎

References

_. 2024. Revised and Updated Chamorro-English Dictionary. Inetnun Kutturan Natibun Marianas/ Kkoor Aramasal Marianas (IKNM/KAM). https://natibunmarianas.org/chamorro-dictionary/.

Topping, Donald M. Spoken Chamorro: With Grammatical Notes and Glossary (Second Edition). University of Hawaii Press, 1980.

Lengguahi-ta

How to Say “Where?” in Chamorro

Introduction to “Where” in Chamorro