Author: Schyuler Lujan

Learning to speak, read and write Chamorro while creating digital materials to support our worldwide learning community.

How to Say “Where?” in Chamorro

On By Schyuler LujanIn Chamorro Lessons: Beginner2 Comments

This lesson is part of the Beginner Chamorro learning path.

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!

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How to Say “Who?” in Chamorro

On By Schyuler LujanIn Chamorro Lessons: Beginner2 Comments

This lesson is part of the Beginner Chamorro learning path.

“Who?” is one of the most natural ways we learn about the people around us—Who is missing? Who did you call? Who will you ask? In this lesson, you’ll begin learning Chamorro patterns for asking “who” questions using the word håyi (“who”). You’ll practice clear sentence structures for identifying people and for asking about who someone did an action to in the past, present, and future. As always, this post includes Chamorro sentence drills, English translations, and Chamorro audio narrations by Jay Che’le to support your learning. Happy studying!

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Tuma’lu Yu’ Piniti by Maria Naputi Quintanilla – Chamorro Lyrics and English Translation

On By Schyuler LujanIn Chamorro SongsLeave a comment

Last Saturday our Praktikan Pupuengi group listened to another song by Maria Naputi Quintanilla, which is a Chamoro cover of Patsy Kline’s “I Fall to Pieces”. It’s another heartbreak song, where it’s clear the singer’s love interest has moved on. Yet every time they pass by, she feels the pain of heartbreak all over again—Tuma’lu yu’ piniti.

This is another excellent song for beginners who want to strengthen their listening comprehension. As you listen, pay close attention to moments where pronouns are shortened or blended into surrounding words, something that happens often in natural, fluent speech.

As always, this post includes Chamorro lyrics, notes for learners, and an English translation for the song “Tuma’lu Yu’ Piniti” by Maria Naputi Quintanilla. Happy listening!

Continue reading “Tuma’lu Yu’ Piniti by Maria Naputi Quintanilla – Chamorro Lyrics and English Translation” →

How to Say “What?” in Chamorro

On By Schyuler LujanIn Chamorro Lessons: Beginner3 Comments

This lesson is part of the Beginner Chamorro learning path.

“What?” is one of the quickest ways we gather information—What are you doing? What did you buy? What are you going to make? In this lesson, we’ll start learning Chamorro patterns for asking “what” questions with the word håfa (“what”). You’ll practice clear sentence patterns for using the question word “what” and how these patterns shift when talking about past, present and future actions. As always, this post includes Chamorro sentence drills, English translations and Chamorro audio narrations by Jay Che’le to support your learning. Happy studying!

Continue reading “How to Say “What?” in Chamorro” →

How to Say “I’m Here” in Chamorro – Using Gaigi and Taigui

On By Schyuler LujanIn Chamorro Lessons: Beginner2 Comments

This lesson is part of the Beginner Chamorro learning path.

In this post we will get started with some foundational sentence patterns with gaigi and taigui, two verbs used to talk about whether someone is (or isn’t) somewhere. We’ll start with simple sentence patterns and gradually build from there. We’ll practice making basic statements, talking about the present and the future, and forming simple questions. Along the way, we’ll also cover how past meaning can be understood through context, and how ideas like “here” and “there” are often implied rather than stated directly. The goal is not to cover everything at once, but to recognize and use these patterns in a clear, manageable way.

As always, we’ve included Chamorro sentence drills, English translations, language notes and Chamorro audio narrations by Jay Che’le to support your learning. Happy studying!

Continue reading “How to Say “I’m Here” in Chamorro – Using Gaigi and Taigui” →