Food & Drinks

1. Mi wantem kakae

   Mi wan-tem ka-kae

   I want to eat

   Usage

   Basic phrase for expressing hunger

   Grammar Note

   "Wantem" precedes a verb to mean "want to." Reduplication in Bislama (kakae) can emphasize or nominalize the verb.

2. Wanem kakae i gat?

   Wa-nem ka-kae i gat?

   What food is available?

   Usage

   Asking what food is available

   Grammar Note

   "I" is the predicate marker placed between subject and predicate. "I gat" = "there is/are." "Wanem X i gat?" = "What X is available?"

3. Mi laekem laplap

   Mi lae-kem lap-lap

   I like laplap

   Usage

   Expressing liking for laplap, Vanuatu's traditional dish of grated taro or yam steamed in leaves

   Grammar Note

   Bislama transitive verbs take the suffix "-im/-em" (laekem, lukim, givim, etc.). English "him/it" has been grammaticalized as a transitive marker

4. Givim mi wota, plis

   Gi-vim mi wo-ta, plis

   Please give me water

   Usage

   Ordering a drink

   Grammar Note

   In imperatives, the subject "yu" is often omitted. "Givim mi X" = "Give me X" as a polite request.

5. Hamas long dish ya?

   Ha-mas long dish ya?

   How much is this dish?

   Usage

   Asking the price of a dish

   Grammar Note

   "Ya" is a near demonstrative ("this"). "Hamas long X?" is the standard price question: "How much for X?"

6. Kakae i swit tumas

   Ka-kae i swit tu-mas

   The food is very delicious

   Usage

   Complimenting the food

   Grammar Note

   "Swit" extends beyond food to mean any pleasant experience or kind person. It is a broadly positive word in Bislama.

7. Mi no kakae mit

   Mi no ka-kae mit

   I don't eat meat

   Usage

   Communicating dietary restrictions

   Grammar Note

   Dietary restrictions take the form "Mi no kakae X" (I don't eat X). Do not use katem here: it means "to cut", not "to eat". For allergies, "Mi nogud long X" (X does not agree with me)

8. Bil blong mi, plis

   My bill, please

   Usage

   Asking for the check at a restaurant

   Grammar Note

   "Blong" shows possession. "Bil blong mi" = "my bill." The structure is always "noun + blong + owner."

9. Yu gat kokonas?

   Yu gat ko-ko-nas?

   Do you have coconut?

   Usage

   Ordering fresh coconut, a popular drink throughout Vanuatu

   Grammar Note

   "Yu gat X?" checks availability or possession. "Gat" functions as an existential verb, from English "got."

10. Mi wantem wan narafala

    Mi wan-tem wan na-ra-fa-la

    I want another one

    Usage

    Ordering more of something

    Grammar Note

    "Narafala" (another fellow) means "another / other." This type of compound vocabulary is characteristic of pidgin/creole languages.

11. Kavaba i stap wea?

    Ka-va-ba i stap we-a?

    Where is the kava bar?

    Usage

    Finding a nakamal (kava bar) where the traditional Vanuatu drink kava is served

    Grammar Note

    "X i stap wea?" is the standard way to ask "Where is X?" in Bislama. "Stap" serves as the existential/locative verb

12. Raes

    Cooked rice

    Usage

    Ordering cooked rice; a different word from raw rice

13. Bred

    Bread

    Usage

    Use when buying at a shop

14. Nudel

    Noodles

    Usage

    Use when ordering

15. Frut

    Fruit

    Usage

    Point at it in a market or eatery

16. Kabis

    Vegetables / greens

    Usage

    In Vanuatu "kabis" covers island cabbage and leafy greens generally

17. I no kuk

    Raw / not cooked

    Usage

    Point at it to check whether food is uncooked

18. Taro

    Usage

    Order or check this staple

19. Yam

    Usage

    Order or check this staple

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