# Kayan phrasebook

The Kayan language is one of the major languages of Borneo. It is spoken not only in Sarawak, Malaysia, but over a much larger area in Indonesian Kalimantan. Unlike some other Bornean languages, Kayan retains a large measure of uniformity over all this area.

## Pronunciation guide

Kayan is an easy language to learn. Kayan language contains a lot of loanword from Malay, English, Chinese, Iban and many other local languages. There are tones or gender to be observed in daily conversation with the Kayans. In Malaysia, the Kayan Baram and Kayan Rejang dialect are nearly unintelligible with one other. Generally, Kayan would be referred to as Kayan Baram. This phrasebook is dedicated solely to Kayan Baram dialect.

### Vowels
#### a

    like 'a' in "father"

#### ê

    like 'e' in "vowel" (schwa)

#### e, é

    like 'e' in "bed"

#### i

    like 'ee' in "beet"

#### o

    like 'ow' in "low",without the "w" sound

#### u

    like 'oo' in "hoop", in open positions,such as in final "uh" and "uk" combinations.

### Consonants
#### b

    like 'b' in "bed"

#### c

    like 'ch' in "China"

#### ch

    old spelling of c

#### d

    like 'd' in "dog"

#### f

    like 'ph' in "phone"

#### g

    like 'g' in "go"

#### h

    like 'h' in "help"

#### j

    like 'j' in "jug"

#### k

    like 'c' in "cat"; at ends of words, a glottal stop like the stop some people use to pronounce "something" as "sump'n."

#### kh

    like 'ch' in "loch" or 'c' in "cat."

#### l

    like 'l' in "love"

#### m

    like 'm' in "mother"

#### n

    like 'n' in "nice"

#### p

    like 'p' in "pig"

#### q

    like 'q' in "quest" (most commonly with "u", and only in Arabic borrowings)

#### r

    like 'rh' in "rheumatism"

#### s

    like 'ss' in "hiss"

#### sy

    like 'sh' in "sheep"

#### t

    like 't' in "top"

#### v

    like 'ph' in "phone" (rarely used)

#### w

    like 'w' in "weight"

#### x

    like 'cks' in "kicks"

#### y

    like 'y' in "yes"

#### z

    like 's' in "hiss", like 'z' in "haze", like 'dg' in "edge"

### Common diphthongs
## Phrase list
### Basics
#### Hello.

    Kenun dengah. (ka-NOON-dunk-AH )

#### Hello. (informal)

    Nun dengah. (NOON-dunk-AH )

#### How are you?

    Sayu ka ika' ya? ( ?)

#### Fine, thank you.

    Sayu ka akui,. ( )

#### What is your name?

    Kenun aran ka du? ( ?)

#### My name is ______ .

    ______ aran kui. ( _____ .)

#### Nice to meet you.

    Sayu kenep deng pepsuk dahim. ( )

#### Please.

    Tulung. ( )

#### Thank you.

    Trimak kasih/Sayu kenep men ikak/ikam lim/kelo. ( )

#### You're welcome.

    Sayu kenep ka mn ika lahuh. ( )

#### Yes.

    Ie. ( )

#### No.

    Nusik/Usik. ( )

#### Excuse me. (begging pardon)

    Akei asi. ( )

#### I'm sorry.

    Akei asi kui. ( )

#### Goodbye

    Pepsuk la'an. ( )

#### Goodbye (informal)

    Bai. ( )

#### I can't speak Kayan [well].

    Nusi kui jam/haman duan dahun Kayan[lan-lan ]. ( [ ])

#### Do you speak English?

    Jam ika' duan dahun urang puti du? ( ?)

#### Is there someone here who speaks English?

    Tek hi hi hak inih jam duan dahun urang puti du? ( ?)

#### Help!

    Tulung! ( !)

#### Look out!

    Jaga! ( !)

#### Good morning.

    Selamet jehima. ( )

#### Good evening.

    Selamet ngedau. ( )

#### Good night.

    Selamet malem. ( )

#### Good night (to sleep)

    Selamet malem. ( )

#### I don't understand.

    Nusi kui jam. ( )

#### Where is the toilet?

    Ha' hino' jaben du? ( ?)

### Problems
#### Leave me alone.

    Meng kasau akui. (...)

#### Get lost!

    Lap im! ("...")

#### Don't touch me!

    Meng gem akui! (...)

#### I'll call the police.

    Akui seng bara pulis anih. (...)

#### Police!

    Pulis! (...)

#### Help!

    Tulung! ("...")

#### Stop! Rapist!

    Meng lap! Kelunan buling ketamak! ("...")

#### Stop! Thief!

    Meng lap! Kelunan nakau! (...)

#### I need your help.

    Akui pelu lan ikak tulung akui. (...)

#### It's an emergency.

    Hen dekaya anih..mesti salet. (...)

#### I'm lost.

    Lingok kui. (...)

#### I lost my bag.

    Padek beg kui. (...)

#### I lost my wallet.

    Padek beg sin kui. (...)

#### I'm sick.

    Perah kui. (...)

#### I feel dizzy.

    Perah kahung kui. ("...")

#### I've been injured.

    Ga' kui. (...)

#### I'm bleeding.

    Daha kui. ("...")

#### I need to see a doctor.

    Akui pelu jupak duktun. (...)

#### Can I use your phone?

    Deng akui pakei/pijam telifon ika' ya? (...)

### Numbers
#### 0

    Kusung

#### 1

    Ji

#### 2

    Duak

#### 3

    Telok

#### 4

    Pat

#### 5

    Limak

#### 6

    Nem

#### 7

    Tusu

#### 8

    Sayak

#### 9

    Pitan

#### 10

    Pulu

#### 11

    Puli ji

#### 12

    Pulu duak

#### 13

    Pulu telok

#### 100

    Ji atuh

#### 110

    Ji atuh pulu

#### 111

    Ji atuh pulu ji

#### 1,000

    Ji libuk

#### 10,000

    Pulu libuk

#### 11,000

    Pulu ji libuk

#### 100,000

    Ji atuh libuk

#### 1,000,000

    Ji juta

#### 10,000,000

    Pulu juta

#### 100,000,000

    Ji atuh juta

#### 1,000,000,000

    Ji biliun / Ji libuk juta

#### number _____ (car, bus, house etc.)

    (kelita', bes,uma ) lubun _____ (...)

#### half

    ji hunang (...)

#### less

    kurang (...)

#### more

    lebih (...)

#### roughly (more or less)

    lebih kurang

### Time
#### now

    kerei nih (...)

#### later

    na'a (...)

#### before

    em pian (...)

#### after

    uh / uh anih (...)

#### morning

    jehima

#### afternoon

    belua dau

#### evening

    levi

#### night

    malem

#### Clock time
##### one o'clock AM

    pukun ji jehima (...)

##### two o'clock AM

    pukun dua' jehima (...)

##### noon

    belua dau (...)

##### one o'clock PM

    pukun ji levi (...)

##### two o'clock PM

    pukun dua' levi (...)

##### midnight

    belua malem (...)

#### Duration
##### _____ second(s)

    _____ siken (SEE-khen)

##### _____ minute(s)

    _____ minit (MI-nit)

##### _____ hour(s)

    _____ jam (jahm)

##### _____ day(s)

    _____ dau (DHAW)

##### _____ week(s)

    _____ migu (MEE-goo)

##### _____ month(s)

    _____ bulan (BOO-lahn)

##### _____ year(s)

    _____ duman (dhu-MAHN)

##### _____ hour(s) and _____ minute(s)

    If the minute is in numbers, _____jam _____ minit. If the minute is expressed as a fraction of the hour e.g two and a half hour: dua jam ji unang.

#### Days
##### today

    dau anih (...)

##### yesterday

    dahlem

##### the day before yesterday

    dahlem dahlem dih / dau em pian men dahlem dih

##### tomorrow

    jima

##### the day after tomorrow

    jima jima / jima atih / dua' dau la'an

##### three days after today

    telo dau la'an

##### this week

    migu anih

##### last week

    migu areh

##### next week

    migu atih

##### Sunday

    Dau Migu / Dau Tusu

##### Monday

    Dau Ji

##### Tuesday

    Dau Dua'

##### Wednesday

    Dau Telo'

##### Thursday

    Dau Pat

##### Friday

    Dau Lima'

##### Saturday

    Dau Nem

#### Months
##### January

    Bulan Ji

##### February

    Bulan Dua'

##### March

    Bulan Telo'

##### April

    Bulan Pat

##### May

    Bulan Lima'

##### June

    Bulan Nem

##### July

    Bulan Tusu

##### August

    Bulan Saya'

##### September

    Bulan Pitan

##### October

    Bulan Pulu

##### November

    Bulan Pulu Ji

##### December

    Bulan Pulu Dua'

#### Writing time and date
##### Writing time
###### 1.00

    pukun ji

###### 1.01

    pukun ji ,ji minit

###### 1.15

    pukun ji ,pulu lima minit

###### 1.20

    pukun ji ,dua' pulu minit

###### 1.30

    pukun ji ji unang / pukun ji telo' pulu minit

###### 1.40

    pukun ji pat pulu minit

###### 1.45

    pukun ji pat pulu lima' minit / Pulu lima' minit jeleng pukun dua'

###### As in Malay, the hours are written from zero to 12. So 06.00 PM is written as 6.00PM.
##### Date

First one should write the day, after that the month and then the year, as in Malay

###### September 3rd 1986

    3hb September 1986 : 03/09/1986 ; 3/9/1986

### Colors

Kayan have limited names for color. For example the word "Nyemit" can mean either blue, yellow or green.

#### black

    pitem ( )

#### white

    puti (POO-te)

#### red

    bela ( )

#### blue

    nyemit lagit ( )

#### yellow

    nyemit ( )

#### green

    nyemit uro' ( )

#### orange

    urin ( )

#### purple

    nyemit uvek lan / papel ( )

#### brown

    lah tana ( )

### Transportation
#### Bus and train
##### How much is a ticket to _____?

    Kuri legah tiket tei ha' _____? ( )

##### I want to buy one ticket to _____.

    Akui ngenep bele' ji tiket tei ha' _____. ( )

##### Where does this car/bus go?

    Kelita' / Bes anih tei ha' ino' du? ( )

##### Where is the car/bus to _____?

    Ha' ino' kui deng ala kelita'/bes tei ha' _____ du? (...)

##### Does this car/bus stop in _____?

    Tren/bes anih ngeta' ha'_____ du? (...)

##### What time does the car/bus leave for _____?

    Pukun kuri kelita'/bes anih leka' tei ha' _____ du? (...)

##### When will this car/bus arrive in _____?

    Pukun kuri kelita' / bes anih ateng ha' _____ du? (...)

#### Directions
##### How do I get to _____ ?

    Nuno seng tei ha'_____ ? (...)

##### ...the bus station?

    ...padang bes?

##### ...the airport?

    ...padang bilun? (...)

##### ...downtown?

    ...pasen? (...)

##### ...______ house

    ... uma ________ ? (...)

##### Where are there a lot of...

    Ha' ino' te' kahum... (...)

##### ...hotels?

    ...hutil / ngavan melo'? (...)

##### ...restaurants?

    ...kedei kuman? (...)

##### ...sites to see?

    ...ngavan aleng sayu en lawat / nyineng / tei? (...)

##### Please show me on the map.

    Nujo' men akui ha' kelatet anih. ( )

##### street

    alan (...)

##### Turn left.

    Tei pedah ta'o. (...)

##### Turn right.

    Tei pedah hulei. (...)

##### left

    ta'o (...)

##### right

    hulei (...)

##### straight ahead

    tutau (...)

##### towards the _____

    jeleng _____ (...)

##### past the _____

    lipes _____ (...)

##### before the _____

    em pian _____ (...)

##### Watch for the _____.

    Nyineng _____. (...)

##### intersection

    sipang (...)

#### Taxi
### Money

Sin

### Eating

eat=kuman