Common vocabulary

Active verbs

a — be

so — do, make; speak (a language)

ye — have

ne — lack, not have any

lu — become

ta — be somewhere, go somewhere

yu — be because of

lai — be like

wo — be for

po — can, may

wi — want to, need to
wi ye — want, need

de — should, must, have to
de ye — require

ca — know; know how to

san — talk, say

ha — eat, drink
ha kai — have something to eat

yon — go

yen — come

lang — stay

pin — arrive at

lau — go by, go past, go through

yak — go across

min — go away from, come away from

nun — enter

no — exit

kau — come/go back to

on — perceive, sense, see

ui — hear

kan — look at, listen to, pay attention to; read; watch

cin — feel

yam — appear, seem, look

lum — happen, occur

nal — talk about, discuss, debate

ling — report, tell of

ting — think about; would like to

kon — think, suppose, reckon, guess, suspect

kim — believe; think, have an opinion

man — intend, mean

xan — like, enjoy; like to do

xam — ask about
so xam — ask a question

iu — answer

wai — ask for

dong — learn

lik — show; teach

xol — write

din — give

tal — receive

un — use; spend

bil — buy, sell
bil pau — buy
bil din — sell

pau — pick up; get

won — put down, put

nou — send, give out, give off, express

hin — start, begin

jum — stop, pause, cease

dan — walk

tu — hold

dai — carry

pu — fall, drop, sink

til — rise, get up

co — live, reside

sai — stand, stand up

nit — sit, sit down

hi — lie, lie down; rest; go to bed

sem — to get together, to gather

kun — be with, accompany

lan — follow; happen after

pan — precede, happen before

mak — see, look at

cum — know (a person)

bain — love

mun — strive

jam — collect, gather

bak — hit

kong — damage, injure

pik — break, cause to crack

dam — press, push

ja — pull

song — throw

lem — glow, shine

cem — change, become different

con — wear, put on

jan — look for

yom — help, aid, assist

xin — remember

nixin — forget

ten — suit, fit, be appropriate for

pon — fill with, become full of

yul — give birth to
pa yul — be born

xei — live

mat — die

sal — choose, decide

nang — wrong, betray, deceive

lun — try, attempt

nung — fail, make a mistake

leng — play, have fun

kul — open (transitive)
pa kul — open (intransitive)

nikul — close (transitive)
pa nikul — close (intransitive)

mau — be afraid of

hong — get ready for

nak — get sick, fall ill

bang — to have a lot of, to be rich in

jin — to not have much, to be poor in

Stative verbs

bo — good, beneficial; pleasant; kind, benevolent

je — bad, evil

ben — right; alright, okay; well, healthy
niben — wrong; unwell, unhealthy

da — big, large, great, tall

nin — small, little

ol — whole, entire, complete, total; finished, done

xu — hot, warm

seng — cold, cool

som — peaceful, calm

ung — empty

sau — fast

cou — slow

mam — happy

cei — sad

nau — new; fresh; recent

bein — old, ancient; long ago

bei — high, tall

not — low, short

wen — white

sum — black

bau — red

yang — yellow

lom — green, blue

jui — purple, pink

kaun — dark, brown

mik — soft

tak — hard

nai — near

pain — far

mai — many, much
nimai — few, little

du — long
nidu — short

am — wide, broad
niam — narrow

kang — easy
nikang — difficult

tin — true
nitin — false

kal — dear, precious; prestigious, honored

lim — beautiful
nilim — ugly

pun — secure, steady; sure, certain

bo un — useful

pung — heavy
nipung — light

peng — skillful, adept; nimble; clever
nipeng — inept; clumsy

ne cil — boring

fe — busy, active; occupied, in use
nife — free, idle; vacant, not in use

yui — thick, fat
niyui — thin

wing — tight, taught, tense
niwing — loose, slack

ong — hungry

noum — thirsty

wam — random, chaotic, haphazard

tun — dark, unlit

pil — sharp
nipil — dull

cen — straight, direct; immediate
nicen — crooked, askew, bent

nuk — strange, weird, odd

mong — dangerous
nimong — harmless

main — free; safe, supported, looked after, in good hands
nimain — captive, coerced; unsafe, unsupported

ming — clear, transparent; clear, easy to see or understand; blue (of the sky)
niming — unclear, opaque, uncertain

len — smooth
nilen — rough

ciu — left over

mil — sweet

kot — bitter

xing — sour

xaun — spicy

nin xou — cheap
da xou — expensive

kal bain — cute, adorable

Nouns

xi — affair, matter, event

ko — thing

ka — place

yai — way, manner, mode, method

dil — part

sen — kind, sort, type

um — couple, pair

wan — time

au — above, top, up

su — under, down

pe — front

yum — back, behind

be — side

yaun — left side

ang — right side

bung — bottom, floor, base

an — day; sun

lui — night

nem — name

bing — spot; a little bit of …

yel — way, path, road

dom — town, city

siu — street, square, plaza

tel — building, house

cang — room

cam — field, garden, yard, park

People and kinship

in — person, man, woman
in nam — man
in yem — woman

wau — baby, infant

pen — child
pen nam — boy
pen yem — girl

yacan — young adult, young man, young woman

in da — adult

in aim — elderly person

yakun — friend, partner, acquaintance

yabain — close friend

kain — romantic partner; husband, wife; boyfriend, girlfriend
kain bain — boyfriend, girlfriend
kain tel — domestic partner, husband, wife, spouse

bam — parent

bin — son, daughter

bai — brother, sister

ama — mom
apa — dad

amu — grandma
apu — grandpa

ana — older sister, older female cousin
ata — older brother, older male cousin

ani — younger sister, younger female cousin
ati — younger brother, younger male cousin

anu — aunt
atu — uncle

Nature and animals

kam sil — north

kam yam — east

kam an — south

kam tul — west

sou seng — winter

sou pam — spring

sou xu — summer

sou xuk — autumn

di — land, country

hon — sky

fu — cloud

an — sun

mel — moon

sil — star

ul — water, sea, ocean

lin — river

sul — pond, lake

win — grass

tik — tree
di tik — forest

hau — wind

tap — stone

maun — hill, mountain

hol — valley

haun — island

kin — dog

miu — housecat

mut — mouse, rat

gai — chicken

bui — cow

bal — sheep or goat
bal maun — goat
bal fau — sheep

mal — horse

hal — pig

tit — snake

nim — songbird

nui — eagle, hawk

paun — lion, tiger, panther

xong — wolf

yeng — fox

gong — frog, toad

ik — fish

fin — bee

dut — fly, gnat

Body parts

mou — body

tim — head

he — face

mak — eye

wim — ear

bim — nose

mon — mouth, lips

it — tooth

nong — tongue

hok — throat

kil — neck

dol — shoulder, upper back

cu — arm

jan cu — elbow

al — hand

wei al — finger

jan al — wrist

ap — chest

tum — belly

jip — navel, belly button

yum — back

hom — hips, buttocks

yong — leg, thigh

jan yong — knee

ping — foot

wei ping — toe

jan ping — ankle

xo — hair
xo tim — hair on the head

nil — skin

up — bone

uk — nail

gan — sinew, muscle, tendon

xum — blood

cong — internal organs

Food and drink

kai — food, meal

kai mem — breakfast

kai ing — lunch

kai aun — dinner

sui — drink (alcohol, tea, coffee, juice, etc.)

tai — tea

kuwi — coffee

mil top — sugar (from sugar cane)
mil fin — honey

sip — juice; plant milk
sip bu — fruit juice
sip yup — soy milk

xul — alcoholic beverage
xul you — beer
xul taun — wine
xul ul — liquor

pal — bread, flour
dou pal — noodle, pasta
um pal — sandwich

lat — rice

ga — wheat, barley

cok — corn, maize

fom — millet, sorghum; teff; fonio

hap — flatbread

non — milk

kaum — cheese, yogurt
kaum wak — cheese

mol — oil

jei — fat, lard, butter

lam — meat
lam bui — beef
lam hal — pork
lam bal — lamb, mutton
lam gai — poultry
lam ik — fish

go gai — chicken egg

yup — beans, peas

lok — vegetables, greens

pap — potato

bat — sweet potato

gom — yam, taro

bu — fruit

gut — squash; melon
gut ul — watermelon
gut ak — pumpkin

cui — banana, plantain

paum — apple

jat — pear

fing — fig

jut — olive

taum — peach, nectarine
taum wen — plum
taum um — cherry

bu taun — grape

wol xim — strawberry

wol hik bau — raspberry
wol hik sum — blackberry

nalang — citrus fruit
nalang mil — orange
nalang yang — lemon
nalang lom — lime
nalang yok — grapefruit

tamat — tomato

amang — mango

awak — avocado

nanat — pineapple

bap — papaya

banai — dates

niu — coconut

fou — mushroom

Objects and architecture

ki — tool, device; item of furniture

ki nit — chair

ki hi — couch, sofa

lot — lamp, lantern

dang — board, table
dang ha — dinner table
dang sui — coffee table
dang xol — desk

dek — mat; cushion, pillow; mattress

tui — wall

mou — door

long mak — window

kem tiu — curtains

ce — vehicle
ce ban — automobile, car
ce ping — bicycle

kol — wheel

nei — string, thread, cord

kem con — clothing

pel — shirt, blouse, jacket

kup — trousers

pul hom — skirt

hou — shoe

kem xik — towel, napkin

pit — flat, hard object; plate, dish, tray

pok — cup, bowl

ut — scoop; spoon; shovel

cit — knife

tan nik — fork

tong ha — chopsticks

tung — pot, tub

gu — bucket, barrel, basket

bel — bottle, jar, vase

sok — box, trunk, crate

col — oven, stove; hearth, fireplace

ki sun — bed

ki kon — computer

pit deng — keyboard

ki al — smartphone

ki hem mak — television

ki cul — cabinet

ki cul kem — dresser