Chamorro Yam Recipes

Last Saturday, our group wrapped up Håyi Mansakke’?, a historical fiction piece we read and translated as part of this year’s Mes Chamoru celebration. This week, we’re continuing with a read-through of a Chamorro recipe book by Carmen C. Blas, which I found on the UOG Digital Archives and Exhibitions website. In this post, we’re diving into some traditional Chamorro yam recipes.

Do you recognize any of these dishes? Or are there any you’d like to try for the first time? I’ve had the boñelus dågu and gollai åpan before, but the kåddun o’o’ was completely new to me! This post includes a Chamorro audio narration by Jorell Meno, the Chamorro text, and an English translation. Happy reading!

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Nå’i Yu’ Un Råtu by Gerard De Leon Guerrero – Chamorro Lyrics and English Translation

Our friend Dabit Taitingfong teaches a beginner class on Sundays, and he was gracious enough to let me and Jay attend this week’s lesson so we could observe how he teaches. It was a great session, where Dabit had everyone listen to the Chamorro song Nå’i Yu’ Un Råtu by Gerard De Leon Guerrero. First, he had everyone listen to the song without the lyrics. Immediately after we listened to it again while reading the Chamorro lyrics, which is great for building listening comprehension. Then he went around the room and had everybody translate the Chamorro lyrics before listening to the song a final time, encouraging everyone to sing along.

In this post we have Chamorro lyrics and an English translation of Nå’i Yu’ Un Råtu by Gerard De Leon Guerrero. Happy listening!

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O’sun Yu’ by Daniel De Leon Guerrero – Chamorro Lyrics and English Translation

Our Saturday evening practice group is back after a two-week pause, and last Saturday night we transcribed and translated this song. In this song, the singer wonders if his sweetheart has found someone else, as she appears to no longer have feelings for him. This post includes Chamorro lyrics and an English translation for the song O’sun Yu’ by Daniel De Leon Guerrero. Happy listening!

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Doing Things For or To Someone in Chamorro: Key Verbs Explained

In Chamorro, some verbs don’t just need an action—they need a recipient. If you give something, someone must receive it. If you teach something, someone must learn it. These types of verbs require not just the thing being acted upon, but also the person receiving the action. In this post, we’ll take a closer look at how this concept is applied in Chamorro, start practicing with some of the most common verbs that are used this way, and explain why these verbs can be challenging for our English-oriented brains. By the end, you’ll have a better grasp of this concept by practicing with commonly used verbs. Happy studying!

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Fanékungok yan si Dabit: Jorell Meno

In this second interview on the podcast Fanékungok yan si Dabit, we get to hear from Jorell Meno, a Chamorro language learner from Guam and currently stationed in South Korea. Jorell and I originally connected on the Chamoru language subreddit a couple of years ago, and soon after he joined our practice groups, quickly becoming a core regular. In this interview we get to hear more of his story about how he learned Chamorro, including how he would seek out elders at parties to listen to them speak. But one of my favorite parts of the interview was his advice to anyone wanting to learn. He urges us to remember that life is short, so if you want to learn Chamorro, do it. Swallow your pride, ask for help, and remember that there are many people and resources to learn from.

This episode was transcribed by Alicia Aguigui Dart and recorded and edited by Dabit Taitingfong. To support her amazing transcription work, consider visiting Alicia’s online tip jar! And to support the podcast, please consider visiting Dabit’s online tip jar!

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