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Learn Papiamentu One Word at a Time Obviously this document is in the early stages of construction. Please excuse the lack of fancy formatting. A natural way to learn a language is to pick up one or two new words each day, starting with common words that are used in everyday life. Grammar is absorbed by learning simple example sentences. This is how infants learn their native language, so presumably it's how the human brain is designed to work. To use this course study one or two words each day, perhaps during your lunch break. For the rest of the day, whenever you have a free moment, review what you've learned and try to make up new sentences using the words you know. When you're waiting for a bus, waiting for a traffic light to turn green, or waiting for a pot of water to come to a boil, think about the words you've learned. During the commercial break in your favorite TV show, instead of channel-surfing, use the time to reveiew your new words. Thinking about the material several times during the day will help it to stay in your memory. When you have completed this course you will understand 30 of the most vital words in Papiamentu. These common little words are the glue that holds every sentence together. 1. ta ta indicates the present tense. Mi ta biba na Otrobanda. = I live in Otrobanda. Note: A few common verbs, including tin, are not normally accompanied by ta: Mi tin basta. = I have enough. ta also serves as the copula (roughly equivalent to English am, are, is). Mi ta kontentu. = I am happy/glad.
2. mi mi is the first person singular pronoun (equivalent to English I or me). Mi ta tende bo. = I hear you.
Sometimes mi is possessive, corresponding to English my. Mi pushi ta gordo. = My cat is fat. When mi is the object of a verb, it is sometimes written as a suffix attached to the verb. Bo ta stimami? = Do you love me?
3. no no is a negative particle, similar to the English word not. It usually appears before a verb. Mi tin plaka. = I have money.
“Double negatives” occur in Papiamentu, as in Spanish. Mi no tin nada. = I don’t have anything. (Literal translation: “I not have nothing.”)
4. i i corresponds to the English word and. Mi kas tin tres kamber i dos baño. = My house has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
5. di di has roughly the same meanings as the Spanish word de. When translating from Papiamentu to English, di is usually translated as “of” or “from.” Ki sorti di kachó tin? = What kind of dog do you have?
If English is the only language you know, some of the ways di is used will seem surprising to you. Make a special effort for a few days to notice how di is used in your favorite Papiamentu blogs, newspapers and song lyrics. Take notes! |