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 name of language [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

Lodging

Money

Sin

Eating

eat=kuman

Bars

Shopping

Driving

Authority

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