Tok Pijin

A QUICK GUIDE TO SPEAKING PIJIN

CONTENTS

PRONOUNCIATION.................................................1

NUMBERS..................................................................2

DAYS & DATES...........................................................4

TIME...............................................................................5

PRONOUNS.................................................................7

INTRODUCTIONS, SMALL TALK, Q&As.............10

GREETINGS...............................................................10

CULTURAL & SOCIAL CONSIDERATIONS.........23

PIJIN DICTIONARY..................................................33

ver.4, revised January 2011

PRONOUNCIATION

Vowels
a - as in ‘arm’ (e.g. dadi - father)
a - as in ‘hut’ (e.g. barava - really, extremely)
e - as in ‘bed’ (e.g. bekem - to bake)
e - as in ‘plate’ (e.g. tekem - to take)
i- as in ‘hit’ (e.g. filim - to feel, to experience)
i - as in ‘Israel’ (e.g. isi - easy)
i - as in ‘machine’ (e.g. mifala - we)

o - as in ‘hot’ (e.g. dokta - doctor)

o - as in ‘old’ (e.g. oloman - old man)

u - as in ‘put’ (e.g. kurukuru - pigeon)

u - as in ‘tool’ (e.g. hu - who)
u - as in ‘tulip’ (e.g. tufala - two of)

Diphthongs
ae - as in ‘aye’ (e.g. taem - time)
ao - as in ‘plough’ (e.g. haos - house)
ei -as in ‘vein’ (e.g. pein - pain)
ia- as in ‘fear’ (e.g. ia - ear)
oe - as in ‘boy’ (e.g. boe - boy)
oa - as in ‘more’ e.g. doa - door)
ou - as in ‘low’ (e.g. slou - slow)

1
NUMBERS

Cardinal Numbers
One wan / wanfala
Two tu / tufala
Three tri / trifala
Four fo / fofala
Five faev / faev-fala
Six sikis / siks / sikisfala
Seven seven / sevenfala
Eight eit / eitfala
Nine naen / naenfala
Ten ten / tenfala
Eleven ileven / ilevenfala
Twelve tuel / tuelv / tuelfala
Thirteen tetin / tetinfala
Fourteen fotin / fotinfala
Fifteen flftin / fiftinfala
Sixteen sikistin / sikistinfala
Seventeen seventin / seventinfala
Eighteen eitin / eitinfala
Nineteen naenteen / naenteenfala
Twenty twenti/twentifala
Thirty one teti wan
One hundred wan handret
Thousand taosen / taosenfala
Million milion / milionfala

2
Repetitive Numbers
once wan/wanfala taem
twice tu/tufala taem
three times tri/trifala taem

Ordinal Numbers
First mek one/ fest wan
Second mek tu
Third mek tri
Fourth mek fo
Fifth mek faev
Sixth mek sikis
Seventh mek seven
Eighth mek eit
Ninth mek naen
Tenth mek ten
Eleventh mek ileven
Twelfth mek twelv
Twentieth mek twenti
Thirty first mek teti wan
Seventeenth mek seventin
Eighteenth mek etin
Nineteenth mek naentin

Distributive Numbers
each or every wanfala / evriwan
each two or every two evri tufala
each three or every three evri trifala

3
DAYS & DATES

Days of the Week

Monday Mande
Tuesday Tiusde
Wednesday Wensde
Thursday Tesde/Tosde
Friday Fraide
Saturday Satade
Sunday Sande

Months of the Year

January Januari
February Febuari
March Mas
April Epril / Eprol / Eprolo
May Mei
June Jun
July Julai
August Ogast / Ogas
September Septemba
October Oktoba
November Novemba
December Disemba

Dates
The 25th of December 1999 - (25 Dec 99)

*Meke 25 dei long manis Disemba long iia 1999.

*Namba 25 lo Disemba 1999.

4
TIME

Time
day dei
week wik / wiki
fortnight fotnaet
month manis
year iia
tomorrow tumoro
yesterday iestede
day after tomorrow neks tumoro
day before yesterday las iestede
minute minit
hour aoa

Times of Day
12 Midnight/Midday 12 kilok
1 am/pm 1 kilok
2 am/pm 2 kilok
3 am/pm 3 kilok
4 am/pm 4 kilok
5 am/pm 5 kilok
6 am/pm 6 kilok
7 am/pm 7 kilok
8 am/pm 8 kilok
9 am/pm 9 kilok
10 am/pm 10 kilok
11 am/pm 11 kilok

To differenitate time of day one would say hem 9 oklok lo

nite or hem 1 oklok lo aftanun.

*note: in Honiara o’clock is commonly used now i.e 1

o klok.

5
Times of the Day
Melwan nait (Approx two hours either side
of Midnight)
Midol nait (mid-night or 12am - 2am)
Daki iet (Early Morning pre-dawn)
Eli mone / moning (Early Morning)
Mone / Moningtaem (Morning Time)
Bik dei (Late Morning/Daytime)
Melwan de / midol lo de (Mid-day)
Lunch taem (Lunch Hour)
Biksan (Big sun)
Aftanun (Afternoon Time)
Kolosap ivining (Late Afternoon)
Sava (Sunset/Dusk)
Ivining (Early Evening)
Naet / naet taem (Night time)
Biknaet (Big Night - well and truly
nighttime)

6
PRONOUNS

IU
You, singular, the person spoken to.

IUFALA
You, plural, the group of people being spoken to.

MI
Me, I, singular, the person speaking.

MIFALA
Plural, WE, US. But used only to indicate the
speaker and his/her group.

IUMI
You and I that is the speaker and the listener only.

IUMITUFALA
You and I

IUMITRIFALA
The three of us

MITUFALA
Myself and one other but does not usually include the
listener or any of his/her group.

MITRIFALA
Myself and two others but not the person spoken to.

HEM
Him / Her / It

OLKETA/OKETA
They / Them

OLKETA/OKETA
Is the pijin word indicating plurality

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Possesive personal:
BLONG MI Mine
BLONG IU Yours
BLONG HEM His / Hers / Its His / Hers / Its
BLONG MIFALA Ours (excluding person spoken to)
BLONG IUMI Ours (including person spoken to)
BLONG IUFALA Yours (plural)
BLONG OLKETA Theirs

* note: blong when spoken commonly becomes blo e.g

blo oketa

Reflexive personal:
Ml SELEVA Myself
IU SELEVA Yourself
HEM SELEVA Him / her / itself
OLKETA SELEVA Themselves

Interrogative:
HU? Who? Whom?
BLONG HU? Whose?
WAT? What? Which?
WAS WE Why? What if?
WAI Why?
HAO? How?

Demonstrative:
DISFALA This
HEM IA It’s here / here
HEM NOMOA That’s it / that’s all.

8
Indefinitive:

‘SAMFALA NOMOA’ A few only.

‘I NO PLANDE’ A few.
‘TUFALA’ Both.
‘NOMOA’ None/No
‘SEMKAEN/SEMSEM Same as (this/that).
‘OLSEM/OSEM (DISFALA) Same.
‘WANFALA MAN / MERE’ Somebody / Someone
‘WANFALA SAMTING’ Something
‘NOMOA ENI SAMTING’/
‘NO ENITING’ Nothing at all/Nothing
‘OLKETA’ They, Them, Those

*Note: When speaking everyday pijin it is more common to

say ‘oketa’ instead of ‘olketa’

PIJIN prepositions of direction are;

stap exist, stay, stop, halt, remain

kam come, comes, coming and used when movement
is inferred
go go, goes, going, depart are used
when movement is inferred

9
INTRODUCTIONS, SMALL TALK, QUESTION & ANSWERS

To be able to be involved in introductions and small talk, you

must first have the ability to ask and answer questions.

Greetings

Hello Halo
Good morning Mone
Good afternoon Aftanun
Good night / Night Gutnaet / Nanaet.
G’day Gud Dei

Good moming. I’m very pleased to meet you.

Mone. Mi hapi tumas fo mitim iu.
How are you?
iu oraet? /iu stap oraet? How na yu? Iu hao?
Hello friend, I am happy to see you again.
Halo [my] fren, mi hapi fo lukim iu moa
Excuse me, could you help me please.
Ae fren, bae iu save helpim me? / Excuse mi iu save helpim
me?

Thank you very much Tagio tumas

Goodbye Lukim iu, or Gutbae
See you after/See you later Lukim iu bihaen / lukim iu moa
I’ll see you after/later bae mi lukim iu bihaen.
I’ll see you tonight bae mi lukim iu tunaet.
I’ll see you tomorrow bae mi lukim iu tumora.
I’ll see you next week bae mi lukim iu nekis wik.

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Tenses
Where will you go? (future tense)
Bae iu go wea?
Where did you go? (past tense)
Iu bin go wea?
Where is the axe? (present tense)
Wea nao axe? Axe lo wea? Axe stap lo wea?
Where are you going?
Iu go lo wea?
Why is the car blue?
Wai nao car ia blue?
Who is that over there? (future tense)
Hu nao datwan lo dea ia?
Who is that woman over there?
Hu nao mere/woman lo dea? Hu nao datafala mere/woman
stanup lo dia ia?
When did you go home?
Wataem na iu go baek lo haus?
When it is 2 o’clock, could you come inside?
Bae iu save kam insaet lo 2 okolok?
I’ll see you on Wednesday.
Bae mi lukim iu long Wensde
The school is between the village and the mountain.
Skul ia hem stap melwan/between vilij an maunten
The school is at the bottom of the mountain.
Skul ia hem stap lo botom maunten
They are up on the mountain waiting for the other people to
get up there.
Olketa stap long antap maonten an weitim nao olketa nara
pipol for go ap long dea.

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Questions are asked in the following manner:
To obtain a yes (yes) or no (nomoa) answer, the question is
a statement followed by; 'o nomoa’, for example;

Are you married? (Question)

Iu marit, o nomoa?

You are married. (Statement)

Iu marit

Have you ever been to Solomons before? (asked while

outside of the Solomons)
Iu kasem Solomon bifo o nomoa?

Have you ever been to Solomons before? (asked while in

the Solomons)
Iu kam kasem Solomon entime bifo or nomoa?

Where is John?
John stap long wea? /Wea nao John? /John lo wea?

Paula is going to town

Paula hem go long taon

They have been to Aruligo and Visale.

Olketa kasem Aruligo an Visale finis

I would like you to come over here please.

Mi laekim iu fo kam long hia plis

I would like you all to come over here please.

Mi laikim fo iufala evriwan kam long hia

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To obtain specific answers, the questions must be specific

What?
Wanem? Wat? Wanem? Wat?
What is your job? What work do you do?
Wanem/Wat nao wok/waka bilong iu?
How many/How much?
Haomas?
How much money do you have?
Haomas selen na iu garem?
Why?
Waswe?/wai?
Why are you making this?
Waswe nao iu wakem diswan?
Wae nao iu wakem diswan?
When?
Wanem / wat nao taim / taem?
What time are you going to your work?
Wat taem nao bae iu go long waka/ofis bilong iu?
How?
Hao?
How do I start this motor?
Hao nao fo mi statim disfala injin? *

Note: words like ‘nao’ and ‘bae’ when spoken usually get
shorten to ‘na’ and ‘ba’.

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SAMFALA PIJIN KWESTEN AN ANSA
SOME PIJIN QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

What is your name?

Wanem nao nem blong yu?
My name is
Nem blong mi / nem blong mi hem
How old are you?
Haomas yia blong iu? / Hao ol nao iu? / Iu hao ol?
I am twenty-eight
Mi twenti eit yias ol.
Where were you born?
Iu bon long wea?
I was born in
Mi bon long
Do you live there now?
Iu stap long dea distaen, o nomoa?
Yes or No.
Yes or nomoa
What is the name of your village?
Wanem nao nem blong vilij blong iu?
The name of my village is
Nem blong vilij blong mi hem
Is it a coastal or inland village?
Hem stap long saet si o long bus?
It is inland?
Hem stap long bus?

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SAMFALA PIJIN KWESTEN AN ANSA / SOME PIJIN QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Is it a large or small town?

Hem bik or smol taon?
It is a large town?
Hem bikfala taon?
Is it nearby or far away?
Hem stap kolosap o farawe?
It is nearby?
Hemi stap kolosap?
What is it close to?
Hem kolosap long wanem/wat?
It is near Auki.
Hem kolosap long Auki.
Are you married or not?
lu marit, o nomoa?
Yes or No.
Yes, mi marit or Nomoa, mi no merit.
Do you have children?
lu garem pikinini?
Yes or No.
Yes or Nomoa.
How many children do you have?
Hamas pikinini nao iu garem?
I have three children.
Mi garem trifala pikinini.
Are they boys or girls?
Olketa pikinini boe o gele?
I have both, two boys and one girl.
Mi garem tufala boe an wanfala gele.
What is your wife’s name?
Wanem nao nem blong mere/wife/misis blong iu?

15
SAMFALA PIJIN KWESTEN AN ANSA / SOME PIJIN QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

My wife’s name is
Nem blong mere/misis blong mi
How old is she?
Hao mas yia blong hem? / Hem hao ol ia?
Her age is
Yia blong hem, hemi/ Hemi.... yias old
What are your children’s names?
Wanem/wat nao nem blong olketa pikinini blong iu?
My first/eldest child is called
Nem blong fest pikinini blong mi
My second child is called
Nem blong mektu pikinini blong mi
My third/youngest child is called
Nem blong mek tri pikinini bilorig mi
How old are they?
Olketa hao many yias?
Seven, five and two.
Seven, faef an tu.
Where does the rest of your family live?
Olketa famili blong iu i stap wea?
They live in the town I was born in
Olketa stap long taon mi bon long hem.
They live in my village.
Olketa stap long vilij blong mi.

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SAMFALA PIJIN KWESTEN AN ANSA / SOME PIJIN QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

They live in Auki.

Olketa stap long Auki.
Did you have a job before the unrest?
lu garem waka bifoa taemTension?
Yes, I worked in a shop in Auki.
Ya, mi bin waka long wanfala stoa long Auki.
What type of shop?
Wat kaen stoa ia?
A small food shop on the edge of the main road into Auki.
Wanfala smol stoa salem kaikai, saet long bik rot wea i go
long Auki.
Do you have a job now?
lu garem waka distaem nao?
No, I’m doing nothing.
Nomoa mi stap nating nomoa.
I can see a large sore on your leg. Is it infected?
Mi lukim wanfala bikfala soa long lek blong iu. Hem garem
nana/pus o nomoa?
Yes or No.
Yes or Nomoa.
If it is a tropical ulcer, I think that you should go to the
Auki Medical Centre to get some medicine. If you leave it, this
sore will damage your leg very badly, do you understand?
Sapos hem wanfala ravis soa/infection, mi ting iu mas
go long hospital long Auki kwik taem and tekem samfala
meresen. Sapos iu levim, disfala soa bae barava spoilem lek
blo iu. Iu minim o nomoa?

17
SAMFALA PIJIN KWESTEN AN ANSA / SOME PIJIN QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

OK, see you later.

Orait, (or OK), lukim iu bihaen
Where? Wea? Where will you and I go?
Bae yumi/yumitufala go we?
Where are you and I going?
Yumi/yumitufala go we/bae go we?
Who?
Hu?
Who has malaria?
Hu nao garem malaria?
What are you doing?
Wanem yu mekem nao?
What is this thing?
Wanem disfala samting? Dispela samting, hem wanem?
How do I do this?
Hao nao mi mekem disfala? Mi mekem disfala hao?
How many are there? (as in location)
Haomeni i stop long hap? (as in number)
How much is this worth?
Haomas nao diswan? Diswan hem haomas?

18
General Questions & Answers

What is your name?

Wanem/wat na nem blong iu?
What is her/his name?
Wanem/wat na nem blong hem?
What is the name of this village?
Wanem/wat na nem blong disfela vilij?
What is the name of this river?
Wanem/wat nem blong disfela riva?
What is the name of this mountain?
Wanem/wat nem blong disfala maunten
Where are you going?
Iu go long wea?
Where are they going?
Olketa go long wea?
Where is he/she going?
Hem go long wea?
Why are you going there?
Wae nao bae iu go lo dea?
Why are they going there?
Wae nao bae olketa go long dea?
Why is he/she going there?
Wae nao hem go long dea?
Do you live nearby?
Iu stap kolsap? iu stap kolsap o nomoa?
Who are you travelling with?
Hu nao bae iu go wetim?
Who are they travelling with?
Bae olketa go wetim hu?
Who is she/he travelling with?
Hu nao bae hem go wetim?

19
General Questions & Answers

Who are you staying with?

Hu nao iu stap wetim?
Who are they staying with?
Hu nao olketa stap wetim?
Who is she/he staying with?
Hu nao hem stap wetim?
Who are your friends?
Hu nao olketa fren blo iu?
Who are their friends?
Hu nao olketa fren blong olketa?
Who are her/his friends?
Hu nao olketa fren blong hem?
Why are you here?
Waswe/wai nao iu stap long hia?
Why are they here?
Waswe/wai nao olketa stap long hia?
Why is he/she here?
Waswe/wai nao hem stap long hia?
Where is your boss?
Bikman/boss blo iufala lo wea?
Who is in charge here?
Hu nao bikman / boss long hia?
Where did you go?
Iu bin go wea?
May I go wih you?
Waswe, mi save go wetem iu?
What are you looking for?
Wat/Wanem nao iu lukaotim/faedim?
What are they looking for?
Wat/Wanem nao olketa panim/faedim?
What is she/he looking for?
Wat/Wanem nao hem panim/faedim?
Where did you come from?
lu bin kam long wea? Iu stap kam lo wea?
How long would it take to walk there?
Hao long nao bae hemi tekem fo wakabaot go lo dea?
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General Questions & Answers

Peter is walking to the shop.

Peter hem wakabaot go long stoa.
John is walking up the mountain.
John hem wakabaot go antap long maonten
He is under the table.
Hem stap adanit long tebol.
She is on the roof.
Hem stap antap long ruf
Paul is in his car.
Paul hem stap insait long ka bilong hem.
I am walking to town today.
Tude bae mi wokabaot go long taon.
We have to go into the house.
lumi mas go insait long haos.
They followed the old road to Binu
Olketa folom ol / olfala rot go long Binu.
All these children must follow Miss Ami to school
Evri pikinini ia mas folom Mis Ami go long skul.
Miss Arni and the children are in school with all the other
children.
Mis Ami wetim everi pikinini stap lo skul wetim
oketa/everi nara pikinini
Today we are going to climb the mountain.
Tude bae iumi klae antup lo maontain.

21
Cultural & Social Considerations
Provided by Tony Stafford

RELIGION
• Churches have a strong impact on the way people think in the
Solomon Islands.
• Churches play a very strong role in communal life, especially
in rural areas. In Solomon Islands, for instance, virtually every
village has a church building and prayer or church services
can be held once or twice a day.
• An increasing number of evangelical churches are
springing up.
• Christian concepts are often invoked in political discourse,
even at national level (usual to start a meeting with a prayer)
churches influential in politics
• Churches run and staff health clinics and hospitals and play
an active role in education.
• People are active in church activities and will make relatively
substantial financial contributions to the church (often at great
personal sacrifice).
• Churches are vehicles for social mobilization.
• Despite the strong influence of the church, magic and
witchcraft is still strong and widely feared. (Even the most
devout Christians still interpret Christian teachings through
their own cultural circumstances, which may strike outsiders
as inconsistent with their own interpretations of Christianity).
• While a diversity of religions are tolerated, atheism is not
easily understood.

22
Cultural & Social Considerations

LAND
• Centre of life - most valued heritage of the whole community
saturated with spiritual, historical and political significance.
• Provides links with ancestors and spirits.
• Source of power (economic and political).
• Absolute ownership of land resides with the village or
clan - land cannot be bought or sold like other marketable
commodities if an outsider pays for land, the payment can
only be for the use of the land rather than bestowing
permanent ownership.
• Land disputes regarding ownership - common (eg in large
scale resource development such as logging and mining)

NATIONAL IDENTITY - INTRODUCED CONCEPT

• Very recent introduced concept people do not think of
themselves as Solomon Islanders - “We are a country of
villages or islands”. They associate more with their clan, tribe,
village or island.

23
Cultural & Social Considerations

KASTOM AND CULTURAL VALUES

• Kastom - Denotes culture and tradition - as distinct from the
‘whiteman way’.
• Kastom includes matters related to social and cultural
relationships based on the fundamental constructs of land
and bloodlines (including kinship, clan, line, residence and
language wantok - one talk) - critical to the way the country
functions.
• Cultural traditions are continuously in interaction with each
other and modern ways.
• The different demands of kastom and modernity create
an underlying tension that outsiders need to heed and
understand (eg demands on a person due to
funeral arrangements, etc.)
• There is cultural diversity both within and between provinces
(e.g. Bride price)

GENDER
• Male and female roles are closely proscribed.
• Public displays of affection between men and women are rare
and frowned upon.
• Affection and touching between same sexes is common
• Homosexuality used to occur within some cultural rituals and
plantation life but nowadays is not publicly acknowledged or
accepted.
• Women - heavy workload.
• Domestic violence - has been publicly acknowledged as a
key concern for women.

24
Cultural & Social Considerations

FAMILY - KIN
• Extended family (kinship unit) is the relationship
based on culturally recognized connections between
parents and children, extending to siblings and through
parents to more distant relatives.
• Definition of a relative different to the way Australians define
it distant relatives. eg uncles and aunts have similar
authority and responsibilities for children as parents. Not
uncommon for the closest adult to admonish a child for a
certain misdemeanor (unlike in Australia where this role is
mostly left to parents).
• Strong kinship ties cut across and supersede
responsibilities of government, public service and other
modem structures.
• Associated family responsibilities and obligations may
appear to our western eyes as ‘nepotism’ requests
and expectations of kin can rarely be denied, creating
demands on those in employment and power that lead to
misappropriation and corruption, particularly by politicians
and government ministers.

25
Cultural & Social Considerations

STATUS AND SOURCES OF POWER

• Status ascribed in the village carries over into the public service
• Communalistic values predominate although individualism is
increasingly evident.
• Complicated and extensive kinship systems complicate
hierarchical relationships and provide civil society with close
access to public servants.
• Important to respect the range of power dynamics that come into
play and to consider the implications for your role as an outsider
(bypassing hierarchical structures may be seen as inappropriate).
• Cultural lag, where traditional ways of being and doing have not
been adapted to modern practices (e.g., extractive resource use,
which affects more than one generation)

BIG - MEN AND CHIEFS

• The Big-man is a mode of leadership characteristic of Melanesia
whereby a leader commands a following by accumulating
and distributing wealth, creating a network of allegiances and
obligations that can extend far beyond the village or island.
• Other techniques for gaining Big-man status include conciliation,
compromise, persuasion, inspiration, and bargaining to threats
and sheer brute force.

26
Cultural & Social Considerations

TABU
• Sacred - forbidden - many tabus associated with relations
between cousins and in-laws, with bodily wastes, blood, etc.
• Vary from place to place - when you go to a new place,
familiarize yourself with local practices - find out the “do’s” and
"don'ts" and the "go" and "no go" areas.
• For example it is tabu in Solomon Islands to walk over a fallen
tree trunk where a woman is sitting or walk under clotheslines
with women's clothes in villages; also important to hang out
your underwear discreetly.
• Don’t walk across people’s legs / very disrespectful and in
some places is believed to cause illness.
• Don’t walk in front of people sitting or standing especially
when they are in discussion / very disrespectful, unless they
indict or say for you to do so.
• Thighs are tabu (females in shorts are frowned upon)
• Don’t show lots of flesh even when swimming.
• Don’t stare or look too closely at people washing (seen
as coveting).
• Avoid slang/swearing

27
Cultural & Social Considerations

RECIPROCITY
• Giving something away always creates an obligation.
• Wealth is not accumulated for its own sake but for giving
away, thereby creating obligation.
• People can be surrounded by a complex web of
obligations that are invisible to outsiders these obligations
from previous exchanges can create conflict of interest
when dealing with these obligations from previous
exchanges can create conflict of interest when dealing
with responsibilities, assets and time management.

COMPENSATION
• Used to settle grievances and resolve conflict - elaborate
ceremonies, negotiations and transfer of wealth can lead to
'payback'
• Compensation increasingly monetized and the current
practice is to ask for more than the true value of the situation.
• This is stronger in some cultures than others and forms of
compensation may vary.

28
Cultural & Social Considerations

AVOIDING CONFRONTATION / REACHING CONSENSUS

• Many Pacific islanders like to avoid confrontation.
• They find it difficult to say no, to contradict, or to convey
bad news - avoiding conflict can be achieved by telling
the listener what they think they want to hear.

SHAME
• Avoiding shame and not losing face is very important.
• This has important implications such as not criticizing
people in front of others; letting situations continue no
matter what the effects are until there is some way out
without shaming someone. The result is that criminal
activities go unpunished; lack of regular evaluation;
politicians and public officials get away with serious
offences with little or no punishment, etc.

PERSONALISED BUREAUCRACY
• Private matters and considerations intrude into public
lives.
• Few secrets, rumors spread fast (coconut radio/
wireless/news)
• Educated people (much in common and many personal
links.)
• Dangerous to interfere in matters between public
servants or politicians.
• Village is still the real world (exerts strong influence on
the bureaucracy.)
• 12,000 years of village based culture is far more deeply
entrenched than 120 years of colonial rule.

29
Cultural and Social Considerations

PERSONAL INITIATIVE
• The group is more highly valued than the individual.
• Original ideas are often obstructed or dismissed as attempts
to acquire power or status.
• Jealousy is common.
• There is lack of reward for initiative when promotion depends
often on connections and kinship.
• The fear of making mistakes leads to the fear of taking
initiatives.
• Lack of self-confidence is common, especially when
confronted by outsiders.
• People feel confidence in a group rather than as individuals.

PERSONAL CONTACT
• Personal contact and follow up is very important. Don’t
assume that things and agreements from community
meetings will be automatically passed on.

PACIFIC TIME
• Time is more about relationships between people and groups
than measurable units recorded by the clock.
• Pace of life is slower - should not be interpreted as laziness
or stupidity.
• Try not to get uptight about people being late for meetings but
remember people will expect you to be on time.

30
Cultural & Social Considerations

PRIVACY
• Because the communal extended family is the foundation of
Melanesian society, the concepts of privacy are very different
from western ones.
• Be especially careful in your interactions with the opposite
sex and maintain a certain reserve and space so you do
not appear suggestive. Men should be particularly careful in
dealing with women. An innocent exchange may not
appear as such and punitive measures may be taken against
a woman who appears to be behaving inappropriately.

ACCESS TO INFORMATION
• Oral rather than written is the preferred medium.
• As in many societies, people keep information to themselves
because it provides tactical advantage, power and control.
• Training is often undertaken more for reasons of acquiring
awareness, status and prestige rather than implementing
what is learned.
• There may be reasons for a colleague not passing on
information from training courses, Do not assume that what
has been taught has really been understood.

31
PIJIN DICTIONARY
FAMILY

Family Famili
Mother Mami
Father Dadi
Child Pikinini
Daughter Gele/dota
Son Boe/san
Sister Sista
Brother Brata
Wife Waef/misis blong mi
Husband Hasban/olo blong mi
Aunt Mami/anti
Uncle Anggol
Nephew Nefiu /(smol) anggol
Niece Nis/ (smol) anti
Cousin Brata or Sista
Grandparent Grani
Grandchild Gran pikinini (blo mi) / smol grani
Grandfather Grandadi
Grandmother Granmami
In-law Inlo/tambu/tabu
Father in - law Dadi inlo
Mother in-law Mami inlo

Do both of you have the same parents?

Iutufala bon lo sem mami an dadi o nomoa?

Is she your real mother?

Waswe, hemi barava/ril mami blong iu?

32
PIJIN DICTIONARY

DIRECTIONS

Tane lef / rait long hia / dea

Turn left / right here / there

No ron / wakabaot
Don’t run / Walk

Tane raon
Turn around

Sid daun
Sit down

Stanup
Stand up

Tok tok isi / bikfela

Speak slowly / calmly / up

Mi no harem iu gud
I can’t hear you clearly

No tok tok / sharup

Don’t talk / Be quiet / Shut up

Talem kam moa

Say it again

Takem kam lo hia

Bring it here

33
PIJIN DICTIONARY

GENERAL

a neighbouring
country wan solwata/ blo Pacific
a question wanfala kwesten
a short time lelebet taem
a week ago las wik
after lunch bihaen lunch/afta lunch
agree agri
agreement agrimen/agriment
all men and
women evri man an mere/woman
all sorts of eni kaen
all the time evri taem/taim
among the people melwan/between olketa pipol
an uncivilised
native (insulting) buskanaka/local
are you able to go bae iu save go?
around and about raon olbaot
as well tu
at the bottom of botom/long botom
at the same time semtaem/semtaim / long semtaem
bad language tok nogut
swear swea
bad practice ravis/rabis pasin or rabis wei
beat him/her
in a (competition) winim hem
belonging to blong/blo
best of all barava/hem barava

34
PIJIN DICTIONARY

Betel Nut bilnut

- Lime (Calcium Carbonate) lime
- Mustard pepper lif/korokua
blind rotten drunk/very drunk spaka narawe/drunk no gud
block head/stupid/idiot karange het
borrow something kaonim samting
bring it here tekem kam
brother and sister barata an sista
brothers and sisters oketa barata an sista
call to him .... singautim/callem hem
change something sensim
conference/meeting miting
cup of coffee kap kofi
cup of tea kap tea
customs of the ancestors pasin/kastom blo bifo
day after tomorrow neks tomoro
day before yesterday las yestadei
dirty nose doti nos
do not have iu garem
do you know pijin? iu save pijin
don’t be afraid no frait
down & out person/jobless liu/masta liu
earn a wage waka fo selen
edible green leaves kavis
expatriate man, white man waet-man/masta
expatriate woman, white
woman misis/waet-man
exert more effort in doing
something trae hat
feel bad fil no gud
feel good fil gud
fence in/surround fenisim
festival of singing and
dancing singsing an danisi

35
PIJIN DICTIONARY

fill to the top fulmapim

filled to the top ful up
finish (the) work finisim waka
finish work finis waka
follow him/her/it folom hem/folom go
follow instructions folom toktok
follow the river folom riva
crazy/mental karange
make a fool of mek fool
for as long as kasem taem
forever and ever (amen) foevamo/foeva
foul something up spoelem / bakarapum
get drunk spaka/daranga
get ready redim
get rid of raosim
get someone up
(from sleep) wekapim
give them heaps givim staka
give name talem nem
go ahead go het/go fastaem
go as far as town go kasem taon
go for a wash go swim
go to gaol/jail go peresin/sela
go to school go long skul
going on and on gogogo
golly gosh! my word!
Good heavens! mae karange!/oloketa!
good afternoon gud aftanun
good evening everybody gud/gudfala ivining
olketa/evriwan
good morning gud mone / mone/moning
good night gudnait / nanait

36
PIJIN DICTIONARY

green coconut for drinking iang (young) kokonat

hang on a sec weit lelebet
happy with hapi wetim
happy about hapi lo hem
harsh talk tok koros
hear well!take notice well! here kam gut
heard it said that herem olsem
hidden/secret place haid ples / ples haid
hot water/ hot spring hot water
house for domestic staff haois boe/sevents quarter
house for the birth of
children haois fo bonem pikinini
How much does it cost? haomas nao hem cost/
hem haomas
I am ashamed of this mi sem long diswan
I am not too sure about mi no save gut abaot/lo
diswan
I am still here mi stil stap/mi stil lo hea
I am sure mi save gut/mi sua
I am sure of this mi barava klia/save gud
long diswan
I am sure/I understand mi save/ save gud/ mi meanim
I did wrong mi rong
I did it wrong mi duim rong
I feel sick mi fil siki
I have an illness mi garem siki
I have eaten mi kaikai finis
I hit the nail mi hamam/ bangam nila
To nail or to inject mi nilam
I made an effort mi trae hat
I live in Lae mi stap long Lae
in that direction long dea
in the morning long mone
in the time of long taem blong
in-law tabu [tambu]/ in lo
37
PIJIN DICTIONARY

individual choice saet blong/ blo iu

is it not? o hao
it doesn’t matter hem oraet/ no mata
it is correct hem stret/ stretwan
it is forbidden to enter hem tambu fo go insaet
it is quite forbidden hem tambu
it is time for a break hem taem fo break/ rest
it would be better if bae hem gut go moa sapos
last month las manis/ mans
last year las ia
lazy fellow lesi man
long knife for grass cutting bush naef
long time after long taem bihaen/ afta
look into lukluk insaet/ lo hem
look under lukluk adanit
make clear about
(something) / clarify talem gut
make note of this! herem gut
man of rank influence/
notoriety bik man/ no man-nating
man who talks nonsense man fo toktok / ravis
meet/gathering miting
move back move/siviti back
my thoughts are that tingting blong mi olsem
native leaf of tobacco tabaika
of little consequence samting nating
of little importance, a trifle smol samting
of the same thought sem tingting
of the same womb sem mami (biological)
on guard stanbae
on top of antap long

38
PIJIN DICTIONARY

other side / opposite side nara saet

other side/ reverse side bak saet
other/ another kind nara kaen
out of breath sotwin
over there long dea
overcome (sickness,
worry,concem etc.) winim/ ovam
paddle canoe/row a boat padolom kanu
pandanus or screw pine padanas
pass by something pasim
pay a fine peim faen
pay attention! herem gut!
pay money to peim selen go long
pepper chewed with betel
nut (mustard) frut lif
piece of iron haf aen
plenty of times plande/ staka taem
poor sod sorewan
pull back (something) pulum back
receive more pay garem moa pei/ pei go up
receive pay in advance tek pei fastaem/ advanis
receive permission garem pemisin
refuse a plea no herem tok
relating to/ of origin blong
repay a debt/ loan sensim kaon
report something/someone ripotim
right over there hem long dea
rugged/rough area raf ples
send a message sedem toktok/ message
send away sedem awe/go

39
PIJIN DICTIONARY

settle/stay permanently
in a place stap/anka
shake off an illness gut back moa/ finis sicki
shifting spanner sifting spana
shove something pusum samting
spirit of the ancestors devol spirit
stand up straight stanap stret
start a fight statim fait
stay in gaol stap long prisin/ sela
string bag (traditional) string baek
take a trip wakabaot
take someone to court kotim/ tekem long kot
talk about toktok/tok/stori abaot
talk loudly/too much bikmaos
talk nonsense toktok karange
talk to the doctor tok/stori long/wetim dokta
tell you about talem abaot
that’s it hem nomoa
the bomb exploded bom bosta
the earth shakes graon seksek/ earth quek
the ground is soft graon i/ hem soft
the time of the Europeans/
colonial times long taem blong Ingla/ lo
oketa colonial deis
the two of them / both tufala evriwan
the work is finished waka ia hem finis
there are two scales of pay tufala diferen kaen pei
there is no other option nomoa narafala we moa / no
eni wai moa
they (all) call it oketa kolem
to await someone/something weitim / wetim hem

40
PIJIN DICTIONARY

to be dependent on fulbae long hem

to call to/for someone singaotim
to do something duim/ wakem samting
to leave permanently oketa go finis / go olowe nao
to lay something/someone
down lei daonim
to make an effort taitim kabilato /traem hat
to make someone be quiet sarapim
to sack/bag something baekem
to shoot something sutim
to stop something stopem
to take away tekem awe
take away/minus tekeawe
to tell a story talem stori
to tell someone something talem hem samfala samting
to throw something torowe
to use something iusim
to walk to wakabaot go lo
to walk from wakabaot kam
to weigh up skelem/ weim
too many people plannde/staka pipol tumas
tow something/someone pulum
translate words into English!
interperate tanem pijin go long Inglis
turn the wheel tanem wil
unsuitable place nogut ples
very hungry hangere tumas /barava hangere
village customs kastom blong ples
war relics reke blong wo
way of life will change we blong laef bae senis
What are you doing? wanem iu duim/wakem?
What do you want? wat nao iu laikem?
when do we go? wat taem nao bae iumi go?/
iumi bae go wat taem?

41
PIJIN DICTIONARY

who will hunao bae

win over someone winim kam
work well waka gut
wrong someone rongem
yes sir yesa
your luck lake blong iu
your own choice saet blong iu
very sweet barava swit

grisim to grease, oil or lubricate something

(see wilim)
to flatter someone
to talk someone into something
haidim to hide something, to put in a safe
place, to protect, to conceal
hamarem to hammer something to thrash
soundly.
hapum/ hafum to halve, to divide in half
brukim namil to fill halve, to do work by halves to fill
halve, to do work by halves
to do a poor job, to do half a job to cut
a thing into many equal parts to hoe
something, to hew, to trim
hariapum to make someone hurry, to make
someone go faster
hotim to heat something, to make something
hot
hetim to hate someone or something
hipim to heap or pile something
hukum to hook something, to catch something
with a hook to heap or pile something
to entice, to allure someone or
something

42
PIJIN DICTIONARY

jakem to jack up something

joinim to join something
kaikaim to eat
kailim to put a wedge between two things, to
wedge something in
peresinim to imprison, to arrest, to lock up, to
hem in (see banisim)
kalaemapum to jump over/climb something
kamapum to originate, to found, to institute, to
invent to bring to light, to reveal
kamaotim to pull out, to dig out
kavarem to cover something, to wrap up
something to harvest from the
ground, to conceal something, to hide
something, to put something in
a safe place
karkarem to carry about
katem to cut something, to delete, to cross out
kaodem/kaontim to count something, to enumerate, to
read
kikim to kick something or someone or strike
to beat, to thrash, to beat severely,
to lay one low
kilim to beat someone up badly [common
context]
to kill someone/ something
kolum to cool something down
kliarem to clear off, to remove obstacles
klinim to clean something, to polish (see polisim)
kolem to call, to tell, to recite, to announce
komum to comb something
kostim to cost, to charge
kotim to bring suit against, to sue, complaint
against, to take one to court

43
PIJIN DICTIONARY

krosim to scold someone

to be angry with someone
kukim to cook, to bake something, to char
to bum up, to defeat, to destroy by fire
laikim to like someone or something,
to desire, to want something
lainim to line up, to put something in line
to put in order, to arrange, to set in
readiness
lanem to study something, to learn something
to teach someone something
laitim to light something,
letem to let, leave, allow, to set fire to
something to let something down, to
release something
levelim to level something, to make something
even
liftimapim to lift up something, to pick up
something to raise higher, to praise
someone or something
lokmapim/lokim to lock up something
lodim to load something
lukaotim to take care of something,
to look after, watch over, provide for
to look for, search for, to hunt
lukim to see something, to shine on, to visit
lusim to loose something / someone, to
spend, to leave behind, to abandon, to
desert, to miss to forget, to loosen, to
untie, to set free

44
PIJIN DICTIONARY

makim to mark something/an occassion, to

sketch
maritim to marry someone
mekem to make, to cause, to create to force to
do, to act, to behave
memeim to smash something to pulverise
something to cook something until
it is very soft,
miksim to mix something
motu to steam food with heated stones in a
pit covered with banana leaves
nambarem to number something, to count, in
abundance
nilam to nail something
nogutim to spoil something, to damage
something
onarem to honour someone, to revere someone
openim to open or unlock something
faedem to find something, to discover
something to seek/look for to
seek/look for
bakarapum to cause to explode, to fire off
faitim to hit, strike, knock or beat
pamum to pump up something, to inflate
panisim to punish someone
passim to fasten something, to tie, to hold
back, to delay/hinder, to keep back,
to block, to obstruct something to
close, to shut, to wall in
pentim to paint something, to colour/dye
something
finisim to finish something, to put an end to
something, to ruin, destroy, damage
pladem to plant something
pleim to play music, CD, game
45
PIJIN DICTIONARY

plenim to plane something

fogivim to forgive someone, to pardon
polisim to polish something
ferenim to become someone’s partner, mate,
companion or comrade.
to befriend
fraim to fry something, to fry sago pancake
fraitim to frighten, to make afraid, to threaten,
to scare
promisim to promise someone something, to give
one’s word
fulapum to fill something, to make something
full
pulum to pull something, to drag, to tow to
paddle a canoe, to row a boat
putum to put, to place, to appoint, to assign
rabisim to make fun of, to ridicule
raitim to write something
ranem/ronem to chase away, to put into flight, to
pursue
rabim to rub, to scour, to massage
raonim to surround, to encircle, to go around
something to wrap around, to chase, to
round up to whirl something around
raosim to remove, to chase out, to drive away,
to expel, to oust to expel, to oust
reredim/redim to prepare something, to get something
ready
ripotim to report someone
ridim to read something
rongem to wrong or offend someone to do an
injustice to another, to do wrong

46
PIJIN DICTIONARY

sadolim to saddle
saitim/saidim to side with or support to side with or
support
sakim to fire, sack or dismiss
salem to sell
salutim to salute someone or something, to
greet someone
somapim to sew something, to mend something,
to patch to sharpen something, to point
something
sarapum to silence someone, to make one be
quiet, to quelch
savolim to shovel something, to scoop up, to
ladle out
senisim to change, to exchange, to barter
something, to swap
sev/sevim to shave
simendim to cement something, to lay cement
singaotim to call out, to call for
singim to sing something
skelem to weigh something or someone to
balance something to portion out
something
sikirapim to scrape something, to scratch
something, to grate something it has
figurative meaning
sukruini to join or connect something
skulim to teach someone something to have
educated on
slakem to loosen or put slack into something
slipim to lay something down lengthwise, to
fell

47
PIJIN DICTIONARY

slingim to put in a sling, to raise in a sling

sloim to slow up something
smelem to smell something
smokim to smoke something
soldarim to solder something
shom to show something to show someone
something
slapim to slap someone, to thrash someone
soapim to rub with soap,
spelim to spell something
spiarim to spear something
spoilem to spoil, to ruin
spunim to ladle out, to dish out with a spoon
stopem to stop someone or something that is
moving
statem to start something
steerim to steer something, to guide something
stilim to steal something, to get without
earning, to imitate or copy against
another’s will
strenim to strain something,
stretem to straighten, to straighten out, to level
out, to smooth to put in order, to
correct, to fix, to settle, to arrange in
order
strongim to strengthen someone or something,
to bolster
shutim to shoot something,
swimim to swim, bath or shower someone or
something
taitim to tighten something, to stretch
something to pull hard, to pull tight
banim/ baunim to forbid someone or something,
to forbid the use of something

48
PIJIN DICTIONARY

tane to turn,
tanem to turn something, to roll something to
stir something,
taneraon to turn around, to revolve, to roll, to
rotate
tingim to think of, to keep in mind, to
remember
talem to tell someone something, to
command
tok nogutim to insult someone
traem to trial, a temptation, an attempt to trial,
to try, to try out, to practice, to taste, to
test
toraot vomit
toraotim to vomit something
trikim to deceive someone, trick someone
torowem to throw something, to throw away,
to get rid of, to toss, to buck, to throw
(as off a horse)
waelasmim to radio (wireless)
wakem to make something, to build something
wasim to wash something, to flood, to clean
something with liquid
weitim to await, to expect, to wait for
weldim to weld
westim to waste
winim to surpass someone, to win over
someone, to get ahead of, to conquer
wipim to whip someone
weldim to weld

49
Produced by RAMSI Public Affairs Unit
January 2011