# Sranan phrasebook

Sranan (or Sranan Tongo) is a creole language spoken as a lingua franca by approximately 300,000 people in Suriname. Sranan is the most commonly used language in the country, even though Dutch is the official language used by the government. For many years, the Dutch suppressed the use of Sranan, but it has risen to become the most spoken language of Suriname after a former military leader took over the government of the country. As the population of Suriname consists of Dutch-, Javanese-, Hindustani-, and Chinese-speaking communities, and many inhabitants do not speak either Dutch or English, Sranan took its place as the common language of communication for peoples of different ethnic backgrounds. It is also used among immigrants of Surinamese origin in the Netherlands.
Sranan has relatively few written resources. If you know English, however, it is relatively easy to learn as the language basically is a fusion of English, Dutch, Portuguese and Central and West African languages. Don't plan on learning the language by watching television. While seemingly odd, you will hardly be able to learn either Sranan or Dutch from television in Suriname, as those languages together only make up about 7% of all television broadcasts. 40% of the broadcasts are in Hindi, 30% in English, and around 20% in various Chinese dialects. This makes it more difficult to learn Sranan or Dutch in-country.

## Phrase list
### Basics
#### How are you?

    Fa waka? ( ?)

#### What is your name?

    Fa yu kari?( ?)

#### My name is ______ .

    A nen fu mi de ______ . ( _____ .)

#### Please.

    Dankidanki. ( )

#### Thank you.

    Grantangi. ( )

#### Yes.

    Iya.

#### No.

    No. ( )

#### I don't know.

    Mi no sabi.

#### I'm sorry.

    Mi sari. ( )

#### Goodbye

    Adyosi. ( )

#### Do you speak English?

    Yu taki Ingristongo? ( ?)

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

    Suma taki ingristongo dya? ( ?)

#### Help!

    Yepi! ( !)

#### Good morning.

    Odi. ( )

#### Where is the toilet?

    Pe na da plei? ( ?)

### Problems
#### Police!

    Skowtu! ( !)

#### Stop! Thief!

    Tapu! Fufuruman! ( ! !)

#### I need your help.

    Mi e abi yu yepi fanowdu. ( .)

#### I'm lost.

    Mi losi. ( .)

#### I lost my bag.

    Mi losi mi bagasi. ( .)

#### I lost my wallet.

    Mi losi mi portmoni. ( .)

#### I'm sick.

    Mi siki. ( .)

#### I need a doctor.

    Mi abi datra fanowdu. ( .)

#### Can I use your phone?

    Mi e kan fasi yu telefun? ( ?)

### Numbers
#### 1

    wan ( )

#### 2

    tu ( )

#### 3

    dri ( )

#### 4

    fo ( )

#### 5

    feifi ( )

#### 6

    siksi ( )

#### 7

    seibi ( )

#### 8

    aiti ( )

#### 9

    neigi ( )

#### 10

    tin ( )

#### 11

    erfu ( )

#### 12

    twarfu ( )

#### 13

    tin-na-dri( )

#### 14

    tin-na-fo( )

#### 15

    tin-na-feifi( )

#### 16

    tin-na-siksi( )

#### 17

    tin-na-seibi( )

#### 18

    tin-na-aiti( )

#### 19

    tin-na-neigi( )

#### 20

    twenti( )

#### 21

    twenti-na-wan( )

#### 22

    twenti-na-tu( )

#### 23

    twenti-na-dri( )

#### 30

    dritenti( )

#### 40

    fotenti( )

#### 50

    feifitenti( )

#### 60

    siksitenti( )

#### 70

    seibitenti( )

#### 80

    aititenti( )

#### 90

    neigitenti( )

#### 100

    hondro( )

#### 200

    tuhondro( )

#### 300

    drihondro( )

#### 1,000

    dusun( )

#### 2,000

    tudusun( )

#### 1,000,000

    milyun( )

#### 1,000,000,000

    millard( )

#### 1,000,000,000,000

    bilyun( )

#### more
### Time
#### now

    now( )

#### later

    bakaten( )

#### before

    bifo( )

#### morning

    mamanten( )

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

    wan uru ( )

##### two o'clock AM

    tu uru ( )

##### one o'clock PM

    wan uru ( )

##### two o'clock PM

    tu uru ( )

##### midnight
#### Days
##### today

    tide ( )

##### yesterday

    esde (esde )

##### tomorrow

    tamara ( tamara)

##### this week

    disi wiki ( )

##### Sunday

    Zonde (SUN-DAY)

##### Monday

    Munde (MOON-DAY)

##### Tuesday

    Tudewroko (TWO-DAY-ROCKO)

##### Wednesday

    Dridewroko (DREE-DAY-ROCKO)

##### Thursday

    Fodewroko (FOE-DAY-ROCKO)

##### Friday

    Fride (FRAY-DAY)

##### Saturday

    Satra (SA-TRA)

#### Months
##### January

    Fosimun( )

##### February

    Tumun( )

##### March

    Drimun( )

##### April

    Fomun( )

##### May

    Feifimun( )

##### June

    Siksimun( )

##### July

    Seibimun( )

##### August

    Aitimun( )

##### September

    Neigimun( )

##### October

    Tinmun( )

##### November

    Erfumun( )

##### December

    Twarfumun( )

#### Writing time and date
### Colors
#### black

    Blaka( )

#### white

    Weti( )

#### red

    Redi( )

#### blue

    Blaw( )

#### yellow

    Geri( )

#### green

    Grun( )

#### orange

    Oranje( )

#### purple

    Lila( )

#### brown

    Broin( )

### Eating
#### A table for one person/two people, please.
#### chicken

    Fowru( )

#### beef

    Kawmeti( )

#### fish

    Fisi( )

#### ham

    Ameti( )

#### cheese

    Kasi( )

#### eggs

    Eksi( )

#### bread

    Brede( )

#### rice

    Aleisi( )

#### coffee

    Kofi( )

#### tea (drink)

    Te( )

#### beer

    Biri( )

#### salt

    Sowtu( )

#### butter

    Botro( )

#### The check, please.
### Bars
#### water

    ( watra)

#### Cheers!
### Shopping
#### I need...

    Mi nowtu....( )

#### ...soap.

    Sopo( )

#### ...English-language books.

    Den buku ini a Ingristongo( )

#### ...an English-English dictionary.
### Driving
#### petrol

    Oli( )

#### diesel
### Authority
#### I want to talk to a lawyer.

    Mi wani e taki nanga wan afkati( )