Chamorro, or Chamoru, is the native language of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. Although the English language and Japanese language are commonplace on both Guam and the Northern Marianas Islands, people still use the Chamorro language. Chamorro is also used on the continental United States by immigrants and some of their descendants.

The numbers of Chamorro speakers have declined in recent years, and the younger generations are less likely to know the language. The influence of English, Spanish, and Japanese have caused the language to become endangered. Various representatives from Guam have unsuccessfully lobbied the United States to take action to promote the language.

A large number of Chamorro words have Spanish etymological roots (e.g. tenda "shop/store" from Spanish tienda), which may lead some to mistakenly conclude that the language is a Spanish Creole: However, Chamorro very much uses its loan words in a Micronesian way (e.g.: bumobola "playing ball" from bola "ball, play ball" with infix -um- and reduplication of root). However, Chamorro can also be considered a mixed language (Hispano-Austronesian) or a language that resulted of a contact and creolization process in the Mariana Islands. Modern Chamorro grammar has many elements of Spanish origin: articles, numbers, prepositions...

There are approximately 50,000 to 75,000 speakers of Chamorro throughout the Marianas archipelago. It is still common among Chamorro households in the Northern Marianas, but fluency has greatly decreased among Guamanian Chamorros during the years of American rule in favor of (a largely pidginized) American English. Ancient Chamorro is still spoken in the northern islands like Pagan, Saipan, Luta, and Tinian.

Pronunciation guide

Vowels

Chamorro has six distinct vowels. They are: å, a, i, e, u, and o. Note that å isn't usually distinguished in written Chamorro. Therefore you can't tell the difference between båba 'bad' and baba' 'open'.

Å

like English a in car (IPA /a/)

A

like English a in cat (IPA /æ/)

I

like English ee in meet or i in pit.

E

like English e in met or ee in meet or even i in pit.

U

like English oo in tool or u in put.

O

like English o in low or u in put.

All vowels are cardinal, like in Spanish, not like in English. The vowels I and E are similar because I sounds like 'ee' in meet when stressed, or 'i' in pit when unstressed. E sounds like 'e' in met when stressed, 'ee' in meet when unstressed or even 'i' in pit when unstressed. U and O are similar because U sounds like 'oo' in tool when stressed, or 'u' in put when unstressed. O can sound like 'o' in low when stressed, or 'u' in put when unstressed.

Consonants

Chamorro has B- as in boy Ch- as in caBold textts D- as in de F- as in Feh G- as in Geh H- as in Heh (short e sound) K- as in Keh L- as in Leh M- as in Meh N- as in Neh N- like the 'n' in senora Ng O- as in "oh" P- as in "peh" R- as in reh S- as in seh T- as in teh U- as in oo in soon Y- as in tzeh

Phrase list

Basics

Hello!.

Håfa adai! (Hah-fuh-day)

How are you?

Håfa tatatmanu hao? (Hah-fuh-tah-taht-mah-noo-How?)

Good

Maolek (M-Ow-Lick) or Very Good : Todu maolek (toe do mau lek)

What is your name?

Hayi na'an-mu? (Ha-zi-nuh-un-moo?)

My name is John.

Guahu Si Juan.(Gwah-Hu-C-Wan.) or Si Juan Yu. (See-Wan-dzu.)

Thank you.

Si Yu'us ma'ase. (C-zu-oohs-Muh-ah-seat)

You're welcome.

Buen probechu. (Bwen-pro-bet-sue)

Goodbye.

Adiós. (Ah-Deh-Oss)

Good morning.

Buenas días. (Bwenas-Dee-as)

Good evening.

Buenas tatdes. (Bwenas-taht-des)

Good night.

Buenas noches. (Bwenas-no-tses)

Good night (see you tomorrow)

Esta agupa'. (eh-stah-ah-goo-pah)

Problems

Note that the letter Y is pronounced more like 'dz' as it is in some dialects of Castilian Spanish, and that Ch is usually pronounced like 'ts' rather than 'tsh'. Note also that A and Å are not always distinguished in written Chamorro, often being written simply as 'A'; nor are N and Ñ always distinguished. Thus the Guamanian place name spelled Yona is pronounced 'dzo-nya', not 'yo-na' as might be expected.

Numbers

Current common Chamoru uses only number words of Spanish origin: unu, dos, tres, kuatro, sinko, sais, siette, ocho, nuebi, dies, onse, dose, trese, katotse, kinse, disesisáis...; beinte (benti), trenta, kuarenta, sinkuenta...: sien, dos sientos, tres sientos... kinientos...; mit, dos mit, tres mit...

The Old Chamoru version used different number words based on categories: "Basic numbers" (for date, time, etc.), "living things", "inanimate things", and "long objects".

1

uno

2

dos

3

tres

4

kuattro

5

singko

6

sais (but pronounced "sayce"

7

siette

8

ocho

9

nuebi

10

dies

11

onse

12

dosse

13

tresse

14

katotse

15

kinse

16

diesisais

17

diesisiette

18

diesiocho

19

diesinuebi

20

bente

30

trenta

40

kuarenta

50

singkuenta

60

sisenta

70

sitenta

80

ochenta

90

nubenta

100

siento

500

kinentos

1,000

mit

1,000,000

miyon

Time

Clock time

ora

Days

Sunday

damenggo

Monday

lunes

Tuesday

mattes

Wednesday

metkoles

Thursday

hubes

Friday

betnes

Saturday

sabalu

Months

Inero- January Ferbrero- February Matsu- March Abrit- April Mayu- May Junio- June Julio- July Agosto- August Septembre- September Oktubre- October Nubembre- November Dicembre- December

Colors

agaga' - red
kulot kahet - orange
amariyu - yellow
betde - green
asut - blue
lila - purple
kulot di rosa - pink
kulot chukulati - brown
apaka - white
attelong - black

Transportation

Bus and train

Car-Automobit

Directions

Lagu - North
Hayan - South
Luchan - West
Kattan - East

Money

Salape - Money
Peso(s) - Dollar(s)
Cento(s) - Cent(s)

Eating

MEATS

• guihan - fish
• uhang - shrimp
• pånglao - crab
• ayuyu (pronounced ah-zoo-zoo) - coconut crab
• asuli - eel
• påhgang - clam
• tapon - baby clam
• do'gas - sea shell
• mahongang - lobster
• kunehu - rabbit
• chåda' - egg
• påbu - turkey
• kåtne - beef
• månnok - chicken
• katnen babui - pork
• fritådan babui - pork chitterling
• fritådan guaka - beef chitterling
• fritådan månnok - chicken chitterling
• chachalon - pork rind

STARCHES

• kamuti - sweet potatoes
• mendeoka - tapioca
• suni - taro
• lemmai - breadfruit
• nika - sweet yam
• batåtas - potatoes
• hineksa' - rice (cooked)
• pån - bread
• titiyas mai'es - corn tortilla
• titiyas arina - four tortilla
• pugas - uncooked rice

OTHER INGREDIENTS

• donne' - pepper
• donne' pika - hot pepper
• plimenta - black pepper
• mantika - lard
• friholes - beans
• asiga - salt
• asukat - sugar
• mantekiya - butter
• yam - jam, jelly
• miet - honey
• mantekiyan kakaguates - peanut butter
• kesu - cheese

FRUITS

• laguana - soursop
• åtes - sweetsop or sugar apple
• chandia - watermelon
• melon - melon
• bilembines - star apple
• lalanghita - tangerine
• kåhet - orange
• aga' - banana
• ubas - grape
• papåya - papaya
• åbas - guava
• mångga - mango
• chotda - green bananas
• ibba' - sour grapes
• anonas - custard apple
• piña - pineapple
• aga' - banana
• granåda - pomegranate
• kikamas - sweet turnip
• makupa - mountain apple
• tupu - sugar cane
• alageta - avocado
• mansåna - apple
• månha - young coconut
• niyok - coconut
• kåhet må'gas - grapefruit

VEGETABLES

• tumåtes - tomato
• nappa' - Chinese cabbage
• ilotes - corn on the cob
• mai'es - corn
• puntan calamasa - pumpkin tips
• kundot - squash
• friholes - beans
• siboyas - onion
• biringenas - eggplant

BEVERAGES

• hånom - water
• leche - milk
• kafe - coffee
• binu - wine

SNACKS & DESSERTS

• chukulåti - chocolate
• kande - candy
• krakas - crackers
• inafliton batåtas - potato chips
• kakaguates - peanuts
• empanåda - spiced corn turnover
• kek chamorro - Chamorro cake
• brohas - sponge cake
• apigige' - grilled young coconut w/starch
• kalamai - corn pudding
• påstet - baked turnover
• buchibuchi - fried turnover
• buñelos aga' - banana doughnut
• buñelos dagu - Yam doughnut

Driving

Paseo - Stroll, cruise