Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Learning Melanesian Pidgin - Tok Pisin

Lehman family picture

This is a picture of my side of the family and boy oh boy is there a lot of grandkids!

We started a new training module called orientation.  In this module we are focusing on the living in the town of Madang before moving to a tribe.  Last week we focused on the trade language of Papua New Guinea:  Tok Pisin (Pidgin).  There are many words in Tok Pisin that sound similar, and many that are there own in sound and spelling.  Below are some simple phrases and words that you can try!

English word/phrase  -  Pidgin equivalent

Good morning  -  Monin
Good afternoon - Apinun
Good night - Gutnait
Father - Papa
Mother - Mama
Brother - Brata
Sister - Susa
Man - Man
Woman - Meri
Children - Pikinini
Yes - Yes
No - Nogat
Friend - Wantok
Money - Mani
Coconut - Kokonas
I do not know - Mi no save
Where are we going? - Yumi go we?
I walked to the store - Mi wokabaut i go long stua

Our strategy in learning Tok Pisin is to learn as much stateside as we can before we leave in 2014.  From phrases to individual words the more that we know before we go the faster CLA will be.  

Continue to pray for us, that we would be diligent.  There is much to do in preparation to leave, and there can always be the feeling of falling behind.


picture by:  Janelle Zeller Photography

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