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Language

There is no doubt that Neo-Melanesian, Melanesian Pidgin or Pidgin as it is commonly called, has become an established language in Papua New Guinea. During the days of Australian colonial rule over the country, which ended in 1975, Pidgin was often considered a childish, barbaric dialect of English. It was often referred to as "Pidgin English". Few of the colonial rulers saw it as more than a dialect of English and a temporary means of communication until Papua New Guineans learnt "proper" English. There was even resistance to the translation of the Bible in Pidgin.

Today this is not the case. Pidgin is well established. It is a distinct living language with its own grammatical structure and vocabulary. It is now a first language among many Papua New Guineans, even replacing the village languages. It is used in Parliament, on radio stations, in newspapers and spoken by over a million inhabitants, ja lingua franca.

In a country where there are in excess of 700 languages, the emergence of "lingua franca", is a necessity for national development. In Papua New Guinea, English, Hiri Motu and Pidgin have filled this role. Whilst English is still the language of instruction in schools and the language of business, Pidgin is the language which Papua New Guineans will speak in the village and/or outside the workplace.

Like any language, Pidgin is constantly changing. Those familiar with Pidgin twenty years ago will see many pidgin words replaced with English ones. This trend is unfortunately increasing. Despite the fact that Pidgin contains many English words, the best approach is to learn it as a completely foreign language. Nearly all of the words derived from English have changed their meanings: for example, slip from "sleep" means "lie down" or "lying".

Pidgin is an easy language to learn and once you have learnt a few phrases and words it is not difficult to both understand and make yourself understood.

Dictionary

A, B, C   |   D, E, F   |   G, H, I   |   J, K, L   |   M, N, O   |   P, Q, R   |   S, T, U   |   V, W, X, Y, Z

A	B	C
a, an - wanpela abandon - lusim above - antap long accelerator - akselareta accident - birua, tupela i bam, bagarap acquaintance - poro, poroman acquitted - winim kot address - adres adhesive/sticking plaster - plasta adult - bikpela man advertisement - toksave aeroplane, airplane - balus afraid - pret after, afterwards - bihain, bihain long afternoon - apinun again - gen against - i go long aggressive person - man bilong pait agree - yesa agreement - wanbel air (n) - win air conditioner - win masin air mail - mel long balus airport - ples balus, epot alive - i gat laip all right - orait allow - larim almost - klostu alone - wanpela tasol also - tu although - maski always - oltaim among - namel long ancestors - tumbuna and - na angel - ensel angry - kros animal - abus annoy - hambak annoying person - hambakman, sikibaga answer - ansaim, bekim tok antiseptic - marasin bilong kilim jem, marasin bilong klinim sua apartment - rum appear in court - sanap long kot approximately - samting, samting olsem April - Epril area, place - hap arm - han arm, upper - han antap armpit - sangana army - ami around - nabaut arrive - kamap, kamap long arrow - supia bilong banara arrow or spear, barbed - supia i gat huk arrow, pronged - supsup bilong banara art - samting tumbuna art gallery - haus tambaran ascend - go antap ash(es) - sit bilong paia ask - askim at - long attempt - traim August - Ogas Australia - Austrelia avoid - abrusim axe - akis awake - i na slip	baby - pikinini backbone - bekbun backwards - long bek bad - nogut bad place - ples nogut bag (n) - bek bail up, hold up - hansapim bake - kukim bake bread - kukim bret banana - banana band - paspas bandage a wound - pasim sua bandicoot - mumut bank (n) - haus mani baptize - wasim, baptaisim bar - ba barbecue - kukim long paia bark - skin barman, bartender - baman basket - basket bathe - waswas bathroom - ples waswas, rum bilong waswas battery - bateri beach - nambis beans - bin, ol bin beard - gras usket, mausgras beat, beat up - paitim beautiful - nais be better than - winim become - kamap bed - bet bedroom - rum slip beef - bulmakau, kau, abus bulmakau beer - bia before - bipo begin - kirapim behaviour, manner - pasin behind - bihain long believe - bilip, bilipim belly - bel best - nambawan betelnut - buai , bilinat, bitolnat better - mobeta Bible - Baibel bicycle - wilwil big - bikpela bird - pisin Bird of Paradise - kumul biscuit - bisket bite - kaikaim black - blakpela blanket - blanket blood - blut blow - winim board a PMV - kalap long PM boat - bot boil, swelling, lump - buk book - buk born - mama i karim boss - masta, bos bottle - botol bottom - ananit boy - boi; manki, pikinini man boyfriend - boipren brain - kru bilong het bra - banis bilong susu bread - bret break the law - brukim lo breakfast - kaikai long moning breast - susu bright - lait bring - bringim, kisim . . . i kam brothel - haus pamuk brother - brata brothers and sisters - bratasusa bubble gum - abababa building - haus bullybeef - skweamit, pokona bus - bas, PMV bush knife - busnaip busy - i gat wok butter - bata buy - baim	cake - kek calendar - kalenda call (telephone) - ring long telipon calm (person) - belisi camera- kamera candle - kandel canoe - kanu canvas stretcher - bet sel cap - hat captain (of ship) - kapten car - kar, ka carefully - isi isi carry - karim case, suitcase - kes, sutkes, bokis cassowary - muruk cat - pusi Catholic - Katolik cattle - bulmakau, kau century - handet yia certainly - orait orait chair - sea, sia cheap - i no dia cheeky person - hambakman, sikibaga chicken - kakaruk chief - luluai child - pikinini chocolate - soklet Christian - kristen Christmas - krismas cigarettes - sigaret cinema - haus piksa city - biktaun clean - klin, klinpela clock - klok, kilok Coca-Cola - kouk, kokakola cockatoo - koki coconut - kokonas coffee - kopi colour - kala comb - kom come - kam company (firm) - kampani complain - kotim computer - komputa conceal - haitim conceive (a child) - kisim bel concert - singsing concrete - simen condom, contraceptive for males - gumi bilong kok confess - tokautim sin confession - konpesen constipated - bel i pas control, be in charge of - bosim controversy - tok pait convenient - i mekim isi conversation - toktok convert - tanim tingting, tanim bel cook - kuk, kukim cookie - switbiskit cooking pit, ground oven - mumu copra - kopra corkscrew - skru tuptup corn - kon corned beef - solmit, mit correct - stret, stretpela cost - kostim, kastim cotton - katen count (vb) - kaunim country (nation) - kantri court - kot cover (vb) - karamapim coward - pretman, man bilong pret crab - kuka cracker - draibisket crazy - longlong; waia i lus criminal - man nogut, raskol crocodile - pukpuk cross - diwai kros crowd - planti man na meri cry - krai cup - kap cup of tea - kapti curtain - laplap bilong windo cuscus - kapul cushion - pilo cut - kat, katim cut grass - katim gras
D	E	F
daddy - papa dance and/or sing - singsing darkness - tudak daughter - pikinini meri (bilong em) day - de day after tomorrow - haptumora day before yesterday - hapasde dead - i dai pinis dead person, the dead - daiman dear (expensive) - dia deceive - karamapim tok December - Desemba decide - pasim tingting deep - godaun tru defecate - pekpek demand (vb) - singaut long dessert - switpela kaikai devil - satan, setan dialect - nek diamond - daimen diarrhea - pekpek wara dictionary - buk bilong painim mining die - dai pinis difficult - i hatwok dig - digim dinner - kaikai long belo dirty - doti discover - painimautim dish - dis disobey - sakim tok divorce - katim marit dizzy - ai i raun doctor - dokta dog - dok don't! - nogat! drink (n) - dring drink (vb) - dringim drive (vb) - draivim drum - kundu, garamut drunk - spak drunkard - spakman dry season - taim bilong san dumb - mauspas dysentery - pekpek blut	ear - yau, ia earrings - ol bilas bilong ia earth - graun earthquake - guria Easter - Ista easy - isi eat - kaikaim educate - edukeitim eel - maleo egg - kiau eight - et, etpela electric - lektrik elevator - lipt empty - klia enemy, opponent - birua engine - ensin English - Inglis enjoy - hamamas tru enormous - bikpela tru enough - inap envelope - skin pas envy - mangal equal - wankain establish - kirapim eucalyptus tree, gum tree - gamtri, kamarere Europeans - mastamisis, ol waitman evening (early)- apinun evening (late) - nait everybody - olgeta, olgeta man everybody - olgeta man everything - olgeta samting exactly - stret excite - sikrapim bel bilong exert oneself - taitim bun expect - wetim expensive - dia explain - toksave, tok save long extremely - tumas, mo, tru eve - ai eyebrow, eyelash - gras bilong ai	face - pes, pes olgeta fact, in - em i tru fail - pelim, no inap mekim family - lain, famili famous - i gat biknem far - longwe farmer - man bilong wokim gaden fast - kwik fat, large - traipela, patpela father - papa feather - gras bilong pisin February - Februeri fellow worker - wanwok female - meri festival - singsing fever - skin i hat; fiva field - ples kunai fifty-five - fiftifaiv fight (vb) - pait film (movie show) - piksa find - painim pinis finger - pinga fingernail - kapa bilong pinga finish - pinis, pinisim fire - paia first - namba wan fish - pis five - faiv, faipela fix - fiksim, piksim flatulate, fart - piak, kapupu fly (insect) - lang fog - sno food - kaikai foot - lek, fut football - kikbal forget - lusim, lusim tingting forgive - lusim, lusim tingting long four - fo, foa, fopela Friday - Fraide friend - poro, poroman, pren, wantok frog - rokrok fruit - pikinini bilong diwai; prut funnyman, clown - paniman fur - gras fur (of dog) - gras bilong dok
G	H	I
gasoline - bensin Germany - Jemeni get - kisim get into a PMV - kalap long PMV ghost (of dead person) - dewel bilong man i dai ginger - gorgor, kawawar girl - gel, meri give - givim give up - larim glass (container) - glas glove - soken bilong han glutton - man bilong kaikai go - go go ahead - gohet go on! - koan! go to school - go long skul go down - go daun goanna - palai goat - meme, me God - God, Got good - gut, gutpela good afternoon - apinun good day - gude, yu stap good morning - moning good night - gut nait good worker - man bilong wok grass - gras grave - hul (bilong planim man) greet - tok gude ground - graun grow - gro guard (vb) - sambai long guava - guava, yambo guest - pasindia guide - man i soim rot or gait guidebook - buk em i soim rot gun- masket, raifol, gan	hair - gras, gras bilong het haircut - katim gras hairdresser - man i save katim gras bilong het half - hap ham - lek bilong pik hammer - hama, hamarim hand - han handbag - hanpaus handkerchief - hankisip happy - amamas, hamamas hate - no laikim tru, hetim have - gat he - em head - het headache - het i pen hear - harim heart - klok, kilok, pam, hat heat - hotim heaven - heven heavy - hevi hell - hel help - halivim, helpim her - bilong em here - hia hill - maunten his - bilong em hit - paitim hold - holim holy - tambu, holi home - haus, long haus honest - stret, stretpela hornbill - kokomo horse - hos hospital - haus sik hot - hat, hot, hotpela hotel - hotel how - olsem wanem how much/many - hamas hundred - wan handet hungry - hangre hurry, hurry up - hariap hurt - pen husband - maritman	I - mi I alone - mi wanpela I myself - mi yet I think (so) - ating ice - ais iceblock - aisblok ice chest, refrigerator - bokis ais ice-cream - aiskrim if - sapos ill - sik imitate - bihainim immediately - stret nau important - i bikpela samting impossible - i hat moa imprison - kalabusim improve - kamapim in - insait long increase (price) - antapim independence - independens indigenous person - kanaka information - toksave injection - sut injure - kilim insect - binatang inside - insait instead of - long halivim insult - nogutim, tok nogutim interesting - i laikim tru interfere - paulim interpreter - man i tanim tok ples interrupt - katim tok interviewer - intaviua intestines - liva in the middle of - namel long iron - ain; ainim, ainim klos is - stap island - ailan isn't it? - laka? it - em it would be better if - mobeta sapos
J	K	L
jack - jek jam - jem January - Janueri jaw's harp - susap jet plane - smokbalus jewelry - bilas jew's harp - susap joint - skru joke - giaman journey - wokabaut judge - jas July - Julai jump (vb) - kalap June - Jun jungle - bus, bikbus just - tasol just when - stret long taim	keep, detain - holim pas kick - kik kid, joke - glaman kill - kilim i dai pinis kilogram - kilogiram kilometer - kilomita kina (monetary unit 100 toea) - kina kind, sort - kain kind (friendly) - gut king - king kiss (vb) - givim kis kitchen - haus kuk, hauskuk, kisen knead bread - wokim, paitim bret kneel - nildaun knife - naip knock at door - paitim dua know - save know (someone/something) - save long know how to (do something) - save mekim/wokim	lake - raunwara lamb -pikinini bilong sipsip laplap - laplap large - traipela last - bihain tru late (behind time) - bihaintaim or taim i lus laugh - lap laundry - haus bilong wasim klos laundry (clothes) - klos was law - lo lawnmower - mowa leaf - lip, lip bilong diwai learn - lainim learned person - man bilong save leave (place) - lusim left - kais leg - lek lemonade - limonad, muliwara, loliwara let, allow - larim letter - pas, leta liar - man bilong giaman, giamanman licence - laisens, pemit lie down - slip light - lait lightning - klaut i lait like - laikim lime (powder) - kambang lipstick - pen bilong maus listen - harim little - liklik live (reside) - stap living person - laipman lizard - palai loaf of bread - bret local language - tok ples lolly, candy - loli look - luk, lukluk loudmouth - man bilong bikmaus love - laikim lunch - liklik kaikai or belo
M	N	O
machine - masin mad - longlong, het i pas magazine - niuspepa magistrate - majestret make - wokim make hole in ground - digim hul malaria - malaria man - man manager - menaga Manam Island - ailan Manam mango - mango many - planti map - map March - Mas market - bung, maket married - marit married man/woman - maritman/meri matches - masis meal - kaikai meal time - taim bilong kaikai mean - min meat - abus mechanic - mekenik medicine - marasin menu - pas bilong ol kaikai midnight - biknait milk - susu minibus - liklik bas minute - minit mirror - glas bilong lukluk Monday - Mande money - mani more - mo morning - moningtaim mosquito - natnat, moskito mosquito net - taunam most - moa tru mother - mama, mami mouse - liklik rat moustache - mausgras mouth - maus much - planti murderer - kilman museum - haus bilong tumbuna pasin mushroom - papai music - musik or sing sing must - mas mutton, lamb - sipsip my - . . . bilong mi myth - tok bilong bipo yet	name - nem napkin - napkin native village - ples kanaka natural - samting tru nauseated - bel i tantanim navel - hap bel near, nearby - klosap, klostu, klostu long neck - nek need - nidim, laikim needle (n) - nil bilong samap nest - haus bilong pisin never - i no gat wanpela taim never mind - maski new - nupela newspaper - niuspepa next (after) - bihain next to, beside - arere nice, attractive - naispela night - nait nine - nain, nainpela no - nogat no smoking! - no ken smok! nobody - i no gat man noise - nois noon - belo kaikai north - not nose - nus not - no not at all - no . . . tasol nothing - i nogat samting, nogat notice - toksave November - Novemba now - nau now and then - wanpela wanpela taim nuisance - hambakman number - namba nurse (n) - nes nuts - galip	obtain - kisim occasionally - wanpela wanpela taim occupied - pulap October - Oktoba offer - mekim ofa office - opis, ofis ointment - gris okay - oke, orait old - lapun; olpela old man - lapun old (things) - olpela on - antap long once - wanpela taim one - wan, wanpela onion - anien only - tasol open - op, opim, i op i stap opinion - tingting opposite - arasait or - no orange - switmuli order - oda, odaim ordinary - nating other - narapela our - bilong mipela outside - ausait oven - aven overcast - klaut i pas overcome - daunim oversee - bosim over-there - hap, long hap overtake a car - abrusim ka owe - gat dinau oyster - kina oyster shell - skin bilong kina
P	Q	R
pack (vb) - bungim wantaim paddle (canoe) - pul long kanu pain - pen pandanus fruit - marita paper - pepa parents - papamama park (n) - gaden bilas parrot - koki; kalangal passport - paspot patient - sikman, sikmeri pawpaw, papaya - popo peace - gutpela taim peas - hebsen, pi pedestrian crossing - ples wokabaut pen - pen pencil - pensil people - manmeri, pipel pepper - pepa, daka perhaps - ating, nating pharmacy - haus marasin photo - foto, poto, piksa photograph (n) - poto picture - piksa piece - hap piece of bread - hap bret pig - pik pillow - pilo pilot - pailat pineapple - ananas, painap plate - plet play - pilai, pilaim pleasant - switpela please - plis plenty - Planti PMV - piemvi Police - polis police station - polis stesin poor (needy) - nogat moni post-box - letabokis postcard - poskat post office - pos opis, posopis, haus pos potato - kumu pregnant - i gat bel Prime Minister - Prai Minista prison - kalabus province - provins	Qantas (airline) - Kwantas quantity - hamas queen - misis kwin question - kwesten queue - lain quick - hariap quickly - kwik, kwiktaim quiet, quietly - kwait, i no gat nois, no ken mekim nois quite (long) - (longpela) liklik quotation, statement - hap tok	radio - wailis rain - ren rainy season - taim bilong ren raskol, rascal - raskol read - ridim, ritim really - tru receipt - risit receive - kisim refrigerator - bokis ais religion, worship - lotu remember - holim long tingting or no lusim tingting rest - malolo to have a rest - kisim win, wiken, malolo rice - rais rich - i gat planti samting river - wara road - rot roll a smoke - tanim smok room - rum rubbish - pipia, rabis rubbish tin - tin pipia
S	T	U
sad - sore, sori safe - i stap gut sago, sago palm - saksak salt & pepper - sol na pepa sandwich - sanwis sauce - sos saucepan - sospen sausage - sosis saw - so, katim long so say - tok say (your) name - kolim nem (bilong yu) school - skul sea - solwara second - namba tu secret - tok hait secretary - sekreteri see - lukim seldom - sampela taim sell - salim, selim send - salim Sepik River - wara Sepik, riva Sepik September - Septemba service station - sevis stesin seven - seven, sevenpela several - sampela shallow - i no daun shame - sem shampoo - sop, sop i het gras shark - sak shave - sepim she - em sheep - sipsip sheet - laplap bilong bet, bet sit, bet laplap shell - kina ship - sip shoe(s) - su shop (n) - stua, stoa shower (n) - waswas sick - sik sing - singsing skirt, European type - sket, siket sky - ples bilong klaut, heven sleep, be asleep - slip soap - sop softdrink - loliwara some - sampela somebody - wanpela man no meri somewhere - long sampela hap son - pikinini man (bilong em) soon - no longtaim, klosap, klostu, kwiktaim sorry - sori, sore sort, kind - kain soup - sup speak - spik, tok, toktok spear (Something) - spirim spectacles - aiglas spend - lusim spoil - bagarapim spoon - spun sport - pilai stamp (postage) - stem steps - lata, step stop - dai (indai)i stop, stopim store - stua, stoa street - rot string netbag - bilum strong - strong, strongpela - lainim stupid - longlong, het i pas sugar - suga suitcase - paus sun - san Sunday - Sande	table - tebol take - kisim, bringim take away - tekewe take off (plane) - kirap talk - tok, toktok talk about - toktok long tall - long taste (vb) - traiim taxi - taksi tea (in liquid form) - ti cup of tea - kapti teach - skulim teacher - tisa teeth - tit telephone - telepon, telipon television - bokis wailis wantem piksa ten - ten, tenpela terrible, tenth rate - nambaten thank you - tenkyu that's all - em tasol theft - stil there - long hap there is - i gat they - ol thing - samting think - ting, tingting thirsty - hangre long dring three - tri, tripela thunder - klaut i pairap Thursday - Fonde ticket - tiket time - taim tired - les, skin i les/slek, bun i slek to - long toast - tos; tostim (bret) tobacco - brus, tabak, stik tabak, tobako today - tede, tude toea (monetary unit 1/100 Kina) - toea toilet - smol haus, liklik haus, haus pekpek, toilet toilet (men) - haus pekpek man toilet (women) - haus pekpek meri toilet paper - pepa pekpek tomorrow - tumora tonight - tunait tooth - tit toothbrush - bros bilong tit toothpaste - sop bilong tit tourist - turis, kam man towel - taul town - taun track - liklik rot, hanrot translate - tanim tok ples travel - wokabaut tree - diwai tree kangaroo - sikau bilong antap true - tru T-shirt - tisiot, T-siot Tuesday - Tunde turn - tanim twenty - twenti twice - tupela taim two - tu, tupela type - taipim tyre - taia, taia stret	ugly - i no naispela umbrella - ambrela unable to - no inap uncle, maternal - kandere paternal - smolpapa under, underneath - ananit understand - save unemployed - stap nating unfortunate(ly) - tarangu unite - bung wantaim university - yunivesiti, univesiti unlock door - lusim dua unmarried - no marit until - inap long up - antap up to, until - inap long upstairs - antap urgently - kwiktaim urinate - pispis use - yusim useless, no good - nogut usually - save
V	W	X Y Z
vagrant - dripman, welman vague, be - karamapim tok valley - ples i go daun, ples daun valuable - i kastim planti mani valve stem on inner tube - maus bilong gumi various kinds of - kainkain veal - mit bilong pikinini bulmakau vegetables - kumu, sayor, grins, saior vein - mambu bilong blut veranda, patio - veranda very - tumas, mo, tru very good- namba wan very much - tru, tumas, mo mo y videorecorder - vidiorikoda view (outlook) - ples lukluk village - ples, viles vine - rop, rop bilong diwai visit - go lukim voice - nek vomit - traut vote - vot voyage (n) - wokabaut long sip	waiter - weta walk (vb) - wokabaut wall - banis want - laik warrior - man bilong pait wash - wasim watch (n) - hanwas, klok water - wara weather (n) - taim Wednesday - Trinde week - wik weekend - wiken well (health) - i stap gut wet - i gat wara, wet wet season - taim bilong ren what - wanem what for? - bilong wanem? when - wataim or wanem taim where - we, westap which - wanem white - wait, waitpela white man, European - waitman who - husat why - bilong wanem, wasmara, watpo wife - meri win - winim window - windo wine - wain with - wantaim Woman, wife (European) - misis word - tok world - graun worn out - bagarap write - raitim wrong - kranki	yam - mami, yam year - yia year (of age) - krismas yeast - yis yellow - yelo, yelopela yes - ya, yes yesterday - asde yet - yet you - yu, yupela you (two) - yutupela you (three) - yumitupela you and I - yumitupela young - yangpela your - bilong yu zero - siro, nating, not

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