We transcribed and translated this song a couple of Saturdays back in our practice group, on an evening when we decided to take it easy. It was also freakishly sunny and warm in the PNW on that Saturday, so we were also a bit tired from being out in the sun. This is one of the more popular Chamorro songs, with nice music and a catchy tune even though it’s kind of sad. This one is also a song I listened to in the first few months of my learning back in 2020, and at that time I could barely catch any of the words. Now I can easily sing along, which is really cool and proof that progress does happen if we keep at it 🙂 So here are Chamorro lyrics and an English translation for the song Koronan Flores, with this version by Ti Nåpu. Happy listening!
Continue reading “Koronan Flores sung by Ti Nåpu – Chamorro Lyrics and English Translation”Author: Schyuler Lujan
The Girl Who Turned Into Ash
Here is a Chamorro story about a girl named Rita who turned into ash. In this story we read a cautionary tale about making sure we understand what is actually important in life. Our actions ultimately reveal what we hold dear, and sometimes it can be too late to take things back once they have been said or done.
This post includes the Chamorro text, a Chamorro audio narration by Jay Che’le, and an English translation. Happy reading!
Intermediate Actions Part 1: Introduction to Indefinite Objects in Chamorro – “The Coffee versus A Coffee”
In this post, we’ll start our journey on learning how to talk about indefinite objects or non-specific objects in Chamorro. A couple of years ago I wrote a rather long post about using the man- prefix with transitive verbs, back when I was first working toward a clearer understanding of indefinite objects. Now I’ll be exploring the man- prefix more systematically, starting with our transitive verbs. The use of the man- prefix surfaces repeatedly in our practice groups these days, so I guess it’s finally time to dive in!
This post is meant to be an introduction to indefinite objects and how to transform verbs with the indefinite man- prefix. If you need a more general overview of transitive verbs, I suggest starting at my Intro to Transitive Verbs post before continuing. In this post, we’ll focus primarily on practicing how to transform transitive verbs with the indefinite man- prefix. We will also talk about what learners often call “the double man-” prefix and when it is used. The post will conclude with notes about the transitive verbs that don’t take the indefinite man- prefix and how to transform them. It’s a fairly long post, but hopefully it will make clear a complicated and confusing topic. Happy studying!
Continue reading “Intermediate Actions Part 1: Introduction to Indefinite Objects in Chamorro – “The Coffee versus A Coffee””Bonitu na Ha’åne by KC De Leon Guerrero – Chamorro Lyrics and English Translation
This song is the very first Chamorro song that I listened to where I was actually able to understand some of the lyrics. I remember it clearly – back in 2020, it was a really hot summer in Seattle and I was washing dishes in the kitchen while listening to Chamorro music. It was all a bunch of meaningless noise in my ears until this song started playing. I remember how thrilled I was to comprehend some words and attach meaning to them. It was nice to listen to this song again, as I haven’t listened to it in a few years. This song is great for beginners because it’s an easy-going tempo, the phrases are short and it’s sung clearly. Here are Chamorro lyrics and an English translation for the song Bonitu i Ha’åne by KC DeLeon Guererro. Happy listening!
Continue reading “Bonitu na Ha’åne by KC De Leon Guerrero – Chamorro Lyrics and English Translation”
How to Say “I Like Coffee” in Chamorro – Expressing Likes in Sentences
This lesson is part of the Beginner Chamorro learning path.
In this lesson, you continue learning how to talk about likes and dislikes in Chamorro. This time, you practice talking about things instead of people, with sentences like “I like coffee,” “I like the coffee,” or “Juan likes coffee.” You’ll build on what you learned in the previous lesson and practice making natural sentences through guided examples and drills. If you’d like a refresher before starting, you can review the previous lesson on how to make statements about what you like and don’t like. Happy studying!
Continue reading “How to Say “I Like Coffee” in Chamorro – Expressing Likes in Sentences”
Lengguahi-ta 