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Liamo Reef Resort

2 min

Tok Pisin Phrases to Learn

Tok Pisin also known as Neo-Melanesian is a creole combining gramatical elements of

indigenous languages, some German, and, increasingly, English. In addition to Tok Pisin, Papua
New Guinea speaks 840 difference languages, the most languages spoken for a single country in
the world! This is more than twice the number of languages use across all of Europe according to
SBS.

Before you travel to PNG, here are a few Tok Pisin phrases and words from the PNG Tourism
Authority that you can learn. It is quite simple!

PHRASES
What is your name? - Wanem nem bilong yu?

Who are you? - Yu whosait?

My name is (Joe) - Nem bilong mi (Joe)

Thank you very much - tenk yu tru(e)

No thank you - sori nogut

How are you? - yu orait ? (you alright)

I’m fine - mi orait tasol

How much is that? - em hamas?

How much is this? - dispela em hamas?

Where is the toilet? Toilet stap weh?

I’d like one please - mi laikim wanpela plis

I would like to go to the (Airport) - mi laik go long Airport

Can you come with me? - inap yu kam wantaim mi?

Sorry No, I don’t want to/this/that - sori nogut, mi less

Please, can you help me with this? - plis, inap ya halivim mi wantaim dispela samting?

What is that? - em wanem?

That is/was very good - em i gutpela stret!

That is/was bad! - em no gut

Where are you from? - yu bilong wanem hap?

I’m from (Australia) - mi bilong Australia

I’d like lots please - mi laikim planti plis

I need a rest - lait malolo liklik

WORDS

ketch - see you later

plis - please

sori - sorry

wanem - what

Dispela - this

nogut - no

em nau - yes/that’s right

bagarup - broken

meri - woman/girl

Haus meri - housekeeper

liklik pikinini meri - little girl

Man- man

boy - boi

sista/brata - sister/brother (can also denote cousins or friends)

mama/papa - mother/father

bubu - grand person / Older family

Aunty/uncle - respectful term for other adults/wantoks

Pikinini - child/children

malolo - rest/sleep/holiday

silip - sleep

Haus - house
raus/rausim - remove/throw out

itambu - forbidden

sindaun - sit down

sanap - stand up

dring - drink/drinking

kaikai - food

kaibar - place to buy food

Laikim - like/ would like

wantaim - together, with

halivim - help

noken - do not

no i nap - not enough, I can’t

inap - enough, can

risit - receipt

pulap - full up/full

yu - you

mi - me

em - him / her / it / that

blong, bilong - long belong

liklik - little

bikpela - big

planti - plenty, lots

pinis - finished
NUMBERS

Wanpela/wanpla 1

Toopela/toopla 2

Tripela/tripla 3

Forpela/forpla 4

ANIMALS

Dog - Dok

Cat - Ket

Chicken - Kakaruk

Fish - Pis

Bird - Pisin

Pig- Pik

Ants - Anis

Butterfly - Bataplai
Fly - Lung

Mosquito - Moskito