Tok Pisin (or Pidgin) is spoken in Papua New Guinea, and is closely related to Pijin blong Solomon (Solomon Islands), Bislama (Vanuatu), and Ailan Tok (Torres Strait); these Bislamic languages are descended from a pidgin which formed in the early 1800s. The vocabulary is 5/6 Indo-European (mostly English, some German, Portuguese, and Latin), 1/7 Malayo-Polynesian, and the rest Trans-New-Guinea and other languages. The grammar is creolized and unlike those of the source languages.
Notable features of Tok Pisin include the frequent suffix -pela, which is used to pluralize personal pronouns and mark that an adjective or number is modifying a noun, and the suffix -im, which usually indicates a transitive verb. Many words are reduplicated, which may make a completely different word (sip ship, sipsip sheep), form a derivative (tok word, talk, language, toktok conversation, phrase), or just be part of the word (pukpuk means crocodile, but there is no word puk).
Pronunciation Guide
Vowels
; a : like f__a__ther ; e : like s__e__t or n__a__me ; i : like h__i__t or mach__i__ne ; o : like squ__aw__k, f__o__rk, or h__o__me ; u : like s__ou__p
Consonants
; b : like __b__ed ; d : like __d__og ; f : like __f__un or a bilabial fricative; often interchangeable with "p" ; g : like __g__o ; h : like __h__elp ; j : like __j__udge; only word-initial ; k : like __k__eep ; l : like __l__ove ; m : like __m__other ; n : like __n__ice ; p : like __p__ig; often interchangeable with "f" ; r : trill or flap ; s : like __s__ue or __z__oo ; t : like __t__op ; v : like fi__v__e ; w : like __w__eigh ; y : like __y__es
Common diphthongs
; ai : like t__i__me (taim), tr__yi__ng (traim), or off__eri__ng (without the "r") (ofaim), depending on the word ; au : like c__ow__
Phrase list
Basics
; Hello. : Gude. (goo-DAY) ; Hello. (informal) : Hi. Hai. (HIGH) ; How are you? : Yu stap gut? (yoo stahp goot?) ; Fine, thank you. : Mi stap gut. (mee stahp goot) ; What is your name? : Husat nem bilong yu? (HOO-zaht naym bee-LONG yoo?) ; My name is ______ . : Nem bilong mi emi ______ . (naym bee-LONG mee em ee _____ .) ; Nice to meet you. : Gutpela long bungim yu. (GOOT-peh-lah long BOONG-im YOO) ; Please. : Plis. (plees) ; Thank you. : Tenkyu. (TENK-yoo) ; You're welcome. : Nogat samting. (NO-gaht sahm-ting) ; Yes. : Yes. (YESS) ; No. : Nogat. (noh-GAHT) ; Excuse me. (getting attention) : Skius. (skyooz) ; Excuse me. (begging pardon) : Skius. (skyooz) ; I'm [very] sorry. : Mi sori [tumas]. (mee SOH-ree [too-MAHS]) ; Goodbye : Gutbai. (GOOT-bigh.) ; Goodbye (informal) : Lukim yu bihain. (LOO-keem yoo bee-HIGHN) ; I can't speak tok Pisin [well]. : Mi no save [gut] long Tok Pisin. (mee noh SAH-vay [goot] long tohk PIH-zin) ; Do you speak English? : Yu save long tok Inglis, a? (yoo SAH-veh long tohk ING-glis ah?) ; Is there someone here who speaks English? : Husat i save long tok Inglis? (hoo-ZAHT ee SAH-veh long tohk ING-glis?) ; Help! : Help! (HEHLP!) ; Good morning. : Moning/Moning tru/Moning nau (MOHN-ing/MOHN-ing troo/MOHN-ing now) ; Good night. : Gut nait. (guhd NIGHT) ; Good night (to sleep) : Gut nait. (good NIGHT) ; I don't understand. : Mi no harim tok bilong yu. (mee noh HAH-reem tawk bee-LONG yoo) ; Enough of all this talking! : Maski long planti toktok! (MAHS-kee long PLAHN-tee TOHK-tohk!) ; Where is the toilet? : Smolhaus i stap we? (SMOLL-hows ee stahp WEH?)
Problems
; Leave me alone. : Larim mi. (lah-rim mee) ; Don't touch me! : Noken holim mi! (no-kehn hole-im mee) ; I'll call the police. : Mi bai singautim polis. (mee buy sing-out-im pole-ees) ; Police! : Polis! (Pole-ees!) ; Stop! Thief! : Holim! Raskol! (hole-im! rahs-kohl) ; I need your help. : Mi nidim halivim bilong yu. (mee nee-dim hah-lee-vim bee-long yoo) ; It's an emergency. : Dispela em wanpela imegensi. (dis-pela em one-pela ee-meh-jen-see) ; I'm lost. : Mi no inap painim rot bilong mi. (mee no ee-nahp phai-nim rote bee-long mee) ; I lost my bag. : Mi lusim bek/bilum bilong mi. (mee loo-sim bek/bee-loom bee-long mee) ; I lost my wallet. : Mi lusim hanpaus bilong mi. (mee loo-sim hahn-pows bee-long mee) ; I'm sick. : Mi pilim sik. (mee pheel-im seek) ; I've been injured. : Mi kisim birua/asua. (me kiss-im bee-roo-ah/ah-soo-ah) ; I need a doctor. : Mi nidim dokta. (me need-eem dohk-tah) ; Can I use your phone? : Inap mi yusim telefon bilong yu? (ee-nahp mee you-sim tele-fohn bee-long you?)
Numbers
The forms ending in -pela are used when the number is followed by a noun other than a unit of measurement and is counting that noun, unless the number already has -pela in it. So tu kilok is a time of day, but tupela kilok is a pair of timepieces.
; 1 : wan(pela) (WAN(-peh-lah)) ; 2 : tu(pela) (TOO(-peh-lah)) ; 3 : tri(pela) (TREE(-peh-lah)) ; 4 : foa, fopela (FOH-ah, FOH-peh-lah) ; 5 : faiv, faipela (FIGHV, FIGH-peh-lah) ; 6 : sikis(pela) (SIH-kiss(-peh-lah)) ; 7 : seven(pela) (SEH-ven(-peh-lah)) ; 8 : et(pela) (AYT(-peh-lah)) ; 9 : nain(pela) (NIGHN(-peh-lah)) ; 10 : ten(pela) (TEN(-peh-lah)) ; 11 : wanpela ten wan (...), eleven ; 12 : wanpela ten tu (...), twelv ; 13 : wanpela ten tri (...), tetin ; 14 : wanpela ten foa (...), fotin ; 15 : wanpela ten faiv (...), fiftin ; 16 : wanpela ten sikis (...), sikistin ; 17 : wanpela ten seven (...), seventin ; 18 : wanpela ten et (...), etin ; 19 : wanpela ten nain (...), naintin ; 20 : tupela ten (...), twenti ; 21 : tupela ten wan (...), twentiwan ; 22 : tupela ten tu (...), twentitu ; 23 : tupela ten tri (...), twentitri ; 30 : tripela ten (...), teti ; 40 : fopela ten (...), foti ; 50 : faipela ten (...), fifti ; 60 : sikispela ten (...), sikisti ; 70 : sevenpela ten (...), seventi ; 80 : etpela ten (...), eti ; 90 : nainpela ten (...), nainti ; 100 : wan handet (...) ; 200 : tu handet (...) ; 300 : tri handet (...) ; 1000 : tausen (...) ; 2000 : tu tausen (...) ; 1,000,000 : wan milien (...) ; number _____ (train, bus, etc.) : namba _____ (...) ; half : hap (...) ; less : ananit (...) ; more : antap (...)
Time
; now : nau (now) ; later : bihain (bee-HIGHN) ; before : bipo (BEE-poh) ; morning : moning (MOH-neeng) ; afternoon : apinun (ah-pee-NOON) ; night : nait (night)
Clock time
; one o'clock PM : wan kilok (long san) AM (...) ; two o'clock PM : tu kilok (long apinun) (...) ; noon : belo (...) ; one o'clock AM : wan kilok (long) biknait (...) ; two o'clock AM : tu kilok (long) biknait (...) ; midnight : biknait (BIK-night)
Duration
; _____ minute(s) : _____ minit (MIH-nit) ; _____ hour(s) : _____ aua (OW-ah) ; _____ day(s) : _____ de (day) ; _____ week(s) : _____ wik (week) ; _____ month(s) : _____ mun (moon) ; _____ year(s) : _____ yia (YEE-ah)
Days
; today : tude (tu-deh) ; yesterday : asde (as-deh) ; tomorrow : tumora (tu-mora) ; this week : dispela wik (...) ; last week : wik igo pinis () ; next week : wik bihain ()
; Sunday : Sande (...) ; Monday : Mande (...) ; Tuesday : Tunde (...) ; Wednesday : Trinde (...) ; Thursday : Fonde (...) ; Friday : Fraide (...) ; Saturday : Sarere (sah-reh-reh)
Months
; January : Jenueri / Wan mun (JEN-oo-eh-ree) ; February : Februeri / Tu mun (FEB-roo-eh-ree) ; March : Mars / Tri mun (mahrs) ; April : Epril / Foa mun (EPP-reel) ; May : Mei / Faif mun (may) ; June : Jun / Sikis mun (joon) ; July : Julai / Sewen mun (joo-LIGH) ; August : Ogas / Eit mun (AW-goose) ; September : Septemba / Nain mun (sep-TEM-bah) ; October : Oktoba / Ten mun (ock-TOH-bah) ; November : Novemba / Ilewen mun (noh-VEM-bah) ; December : Disemba / Twelf mun (dee-SEM-bah)
Writing Time and Date
Give some examples how to write clock times and dates if it differs from English.
Colors
; black : blak(pela) (...) ; white : wait(pela) (...) ; gray : gre(pela) (...) ; red : ret(pela) (...) ; blue : blu(pela) (...) ; yellow : yelo(pela) (...) ; green : grin(pela) (...) ; orange : orange (...) ; purple : hap ret (...) ; brown : braun(pela) (...)
Transportation
Bus
; How much is a ticket to _____? : Hamas long baim tiket igo long _____? (...) ; One ticket to _____, please. : Wanpela tiket long _____, plis. (...) ; Where does this plane/bus go? : Displa balus/bas em i go long we? (...) ; Where is the plane/bus to _____? : Balus/bas i go long _____ em we? (...) ; Does this plane/bus stop in _____? : Dispela balus/bas bai go tu long _____? (...) ; When does the plane/bus for _____ leave? : Wanem taim bas balus/bas i go? (...) ; When will this plane/bus arrive in _____? : Wanem taim bai dispela balus/bas kamap long _____? (...)
Directions
; How do I get to _____ ? : Bai mi go long _____ olsem wanem? (mee GO long _____ OLL-saym WAH-naym?) ; ...the bus station? : ples bilong wetim bas? (PLAYS bee-long WAY-teem BUS) ; ...the airport? : ples balus? (pleys BAH-loos)<br>Note: balus also means "pigeon". ; ...downtown? : namel long taun? (NAH-mel long TOWN?) ; ...the _____ hotel? : ... _____ hotel? (...) ; ...the American/Canadian/Australian/British consulate? : ...American/Canadian/Australian/British consulate? (...) ; Where are there a lot of... : I gat planti ... we? (WEH ee gaht PLAHN-tee ...) ; ...hotels? : ...hotel (...) ; ...restaurants? : haus kaikai (hows KIGH-kigh?) ; ...bars? : ...bars (...) ; ...sites to see? : ...ol samting long lukim (...) ; Can you show me on the map? : Yu inap soim me rot long pepa map? (...) ; street : rot (...) ; Turn left. : Tanim long lephan. (TAHN-ihm lehp) ; Turn right. : Tanim long raithan. (TAHN-ihm right) ; left : lephan (lehp-hahn) ; right : raithan (right-hahn) ; straight ahead : stret (strayt) ; towards the _____ : go long _____ (...) ; past the _____ : lusim _____ (...) ; before the _____ : bipo long _____ (...) ; Watch for the _____. : Lukaut long _____. (...) ; intersection : intersection (...) ; north : not (noht) ; south : saut (sowt) ; east : is (ees) ; west : wes (wehs) ; uphill : i go antap (...) ; downhill : i go daun (...)
Taxi
; Taxi! : Taxi! (...) ; Take me to _____, please. : Mi laik go long _____, plis. (...) ; How much does it cost to get to _____? : Bai kostim hamas long go long _____? (...) ; Take me there, please. : Karim mi i go, plis. (...)
Lodging
; Do you have any rooms available? : I gat sampela rum? (...) ; How much is a room for one person/two people? : Rum long wanpela man/tupela man bai kostim hamas? (...) ; Does the room come with... : Rum igat... (...) ; ...bedsheets? : ...bedsit? (...) ; ...a bathroom? : ...smolhaus? (...) ; ...a telephone? : ...telefon? (...) ; ...a TV? : ...TV? (...) ; May I see the room first? : Inap mi lukim rum pastaim? (...) ; Do you have anything quieter? : Igat wanpela rum i no gat planti nois? (...) ; ...bigger? : Igat wanpela rum i moa bikpela? (...) ; ...cleaner? : Igat wanpela rum i moa klin? (...) ; ...cheaper? : Igat wanpela rum we prais i go daun liklik? (...) ; OK, I'll take it. : Gutpela, mi laikim. (...) ; I will stay for _____ night(s). : Bai mi stap long _____ nait. (...) ; Can you suggest another hotel? : Inap yu tokim mi long narapela gutpela hotel? (...) ; Do you have a safe? : Sampla kain safe stap oh? (...) ; ...lockers? : ...lockers? (...) ; Is breakfast/supper included? : Is breakfast/supper included? (...)
; What time is breakfast/supper? : Wanem taim bai yumi kaikai nau morning? (...)
; supper : kaikai long nait (KIGH-kigh lohng night)
;breakfast: kaikai long moningtaim (KIGH-kigh lohng MOH-ning-tighm)
; Please clean my room. : Inap yu klinim rum bilong mi? (...) ; Can you wake me at _____? : Bai yu kirapim mi long _____, a? (...) ; I want to check out. : I want to check out. (...)
Money
; Do you accept American/Australian/Canadian dollars? : yupla save kisim moni bilong America/Ostrelia/Keneda ? (...) ; Do you accept British pounds? : Yupla save kisim moni bilong Inglan? (...) ; Do you accept credit cards? : Yupla save kisim kredit kad? (...) ; Can you change money for me? : Inap yu senisim moni bilong mi? (...) ; Where can I get money changed? : Bai mi inap senisim moni bilong mi long we? (...) ; Can you change a traveler's check for me? : Inap yu senisim dispela trevelas sek bilong mi? (...) ; Where can I get a traveler's check changed? : Bai mi senisim trevelas sek we? (...) ; What is the exchange rate? : What is the exchange rate? (...) ; Where is an automatic teller machine (ATM)? : ATM i stap we? (...)
Eating
; A table for one person/two people, please. : Wanpela tebol bilong wanpela/tupela, plis. (...) ; Can I look at the menu, please? : Inap mi lukim menyu plis? (ee-NAHP mee LOOK-im MEHN-yoo plees) ; Can I look in the kitchen? : Inap mi lukluk insait long kitsen (...) ; Is there a house specialty? : Is there a house specialty? (...) NEEDS TO BE TRANSLATED ; Is there a local specialty? : Is there a local specialty? (...) NEEDS TO BE TRANSLATED ; I'm a vegetarian. : Mi no kaikai mit. (mee noh KIGH-kigh meet) ; I don't eat pork. : Mi tambu long kaikai pik. (mee TAHM-boo long pik) ; I don't eat beef. : Mi tambu long kaikai bulmakau. (mee TAHM-boo long BOOL-mah-kow) ; I only eat kosher food. : I only eat kosher food. (...) NEEDS TO BE TRANSLATED ; Can you make it "lite", please? (less oil/butter/lard) : Can you make it "lite", please? (...)NEEDS TO BE TRANSLATED ; fixed-price meal : fixed-price meal (...) NEEDS TO BE TRANSLATED ; à la carte : à la carte (...) NEEDS TO BE TRANSLATED, asking for a menu might help. ; breakfast : kaikai long moningtaim (KIGH-kigh lohng MOH-ning-tighm) ; lunch : kaikai bilong belo (KIGH-kigh bee-lohng beh-LOH) ; tea (meal) : ti (...) ; supper : kaikai long nait (KIGH-kigh lohng night) ; I want _____. : Mi laikim _____. (...) ; I want a dish containing _____. : Mi laikim kaikai igat _____. (...) ; chicken : kakaruk (KAH-kah-rook) ; beef : bulmakau (BOOL-mah-kow) ; fish : pis (pis) ; lamb/mutton : sipsip (SEEP-seep) ; ham : lek bilong pik (lek bee-long PIK) ; sausage : sosis (...) ; milk : susu (SOO-soo) ; cheese : sis (seess) ; eggs : kiau (kyow) ; salad : salad (...) ; (fresh) vegetables : kumu ; (fresh) fruit : (nupela) prut ((NOO-peh-lah) proot) ; lemon : moli (MOLL-ee) ; orange : switmoli (SWEET-moll-ee) ; pineapple : painap (PIGH-nahp), ananas (ah-nah-NAHS) ; bread : bret (bret) ; biscuit : drai bisket (DRIGH-bis-ket) ; noodles : nudal (NOO-dahl) ; rice : rais (righs) ; beans : bin (been) ; May I have a glass of _____? : Mi laikim wanpela glas _____? (...) ; May I have a cup of _____? : Mi laikim wanpela kap _____? (...) ; May I have a bottle of _____? : Mi laikim wanpela botol _____? (...) ; coffee : kofi (...) ; tea (drink) : ti (...) ; juice : jus (...) ; (bubbly) water : mineral wara (...) ; water : wara (WAH-rah) ; beer : bia (BEE-ah) ; red/white wine : retpela/waitpela wain (REHT-peh-lah/WIGHT-peh-lah wighn) ; May I have some _____? : Mi laikim sampela _____ (...) ; salt : sol (...) ; black pepper : Bilakpla pepa (...)<br>This also means betel ; butter : bata (BAH-tah) ; Excuse me, waiter? (getting attention of server): Sori, weta? (SOH-ree, WEH-tah) ; I'm finished. : Mi kaikai pinis. (mee KIGH-kigh PIH-nis) ; It was delicious. : Kaikai em swit nogut tru (...) ; Please clear the plates. : Plis inap yu rausim ol pelet. (...) ; The check, please. : Mi laik baim bil blong kaikai bilong mi. (')
Bars
; Do you serve alcohol? : Yu save salim alkahol? (...) ; Is there table service? : Igat tabel sevis? (...) ; A beer/two beers, please. : Wanpla bia/tupla bia, plis. (...) ; A glass of red/white wine, please. : Wanpla galas-ret wain plis. (...) ; A pint, please. : Wanpela pint bia, plis. (...) ; A bottle, please. : Wanpela botol, plis. (...) ; _____ (hard liquor) and _____ (mixer), please. : _____ na _____, plis. (...) ; whiskey : wiski (WIH-skee) ; vodka : vodka (...) ; rum : rum (...) ; water : wara (WAH-rah) ; club soda : club soda (...) ; tonic water : tonic wara (...) ; orange juice : orange juice (...) ; Coke (soda) : Coke, lolli wara (...) ; Do you have any bar snacks? : Do you have any bar snacks? (...) ; One more, please. : wanpela moa, plis. (...) ; Another round, please. : Wanpla raun ken/gen, plis. (...) ; When is closing time? : Wanem taim bai yupela pas? (...)
Shopping
; Do you have this in my size? : Yu gat dispela long sais blong mi tu? (...) ; How much is this? : Hamas long dispela? (hah-MAHS lohng DIS-pe-lah) ; That's too expensive. : Prais i antap tumas. (prighs ee ahn-TAHP too-MAHS) ; Would you take _____? : Inap mi baim long _____? (...) ; expensive : dia tumas (DEE-yah too-MAHS) ; cheap : daun (down) ; I can't afford it. : moni bilong mi no nap. (...) ; I don't want it. : Mi les long dispela. (...) ; You're cheating me. : Yu wok long giamanim mi!. (...) ; I'm not interested. : Mi no laikim tumas. (..) ; OK, I'll take it. : Koan, bai mi kisim. (koh-ahn, bigh mee KEE-sim) ; Can I have a bag? : Can I have a bag? (...) ; Do you ship (overseas)? : Yu save salim (ovasis)? (...) ; I need... : Mi laikim... (mee LIGH-keem) ; ...toothpaste. : ...sop bilong tit. (sohp bi-LOHNG teet) ; ...a toothbrush. : ...bras bilong tit. (brahs bi-LOHNG teet) ; ...tampons. : ...ol tampon. (...) ; ...soap. : ...sop. (sohp) ; ...shampoo. : ...sop blong garas. (sohp blhong gah-rahs) ; ...pain reliever. (e.g., aspirin or ibuprofen) : ...marasin long rausim pen. (...) ; ...cold medicine. : ...marasin bilong kus. (...) ; ...stomach medicine. : ...marasin bilong bel i pen. (...) ; ...a razor. : ...resa. (RAY-sah) ; ...an umbrella. : ...umbarela. (...) ; ...sunblock lotion. : ...sunblock lotion. (...) ; ...a postcard. : ...poskat. (POHS-kaht) ; ...postage stamps. : ...stem. (stehm) ; ...batteries. : ...betri. (...) ; ...writing paper. : ...pepa. (peh-pah) ; ...a pen. : ...pen. (pehn) ; ...English-language books. : ...buk long tok Inglis. (...) ; ...English-language magazines. : ...magasin long tok Inglis. (...) ; ...an English-language newspaper. : ...niuspepa long tok Inglis. (...) ; ...an English-English dictionary. : ...dikseneri long tok Inglis. (...)
Driving
; I want to rent a car. : Mi laik rentim kar. (...) ; Can I get insurance? : Inap mi kisim insurens? (...) ; stop (on a street sign) : stop (...) ; one way : one way (...) ; yield : give way (...) ; no parking : no parking (SORI TUMAS NOKIN PARKIM KA HIA...) ; speed limit : speed limit (...) ; service (petrol, gas) station : sevis steisen (...) ; petrol : bensin (BEHN-seen) ; diesel : diesel (...)
Authority
; I haven't done anything wrong. : Mi no wokim wanpela samting i rong. (...) ; It was a misunderstanding. : mipela faul olgeta (...) ; Where are you taking me? : Yu kisim mi go long we? (...) ; Am I under arrest? : Am I under arrest? (...) ; I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian citizen. : Mi manmeri bilong Amerika/Ostrelia/Briten/Kanada. (...) ; I want to talk to the American/Australian/British/Canadian embassy/consulate. : Mi mas toktok wantaim American/Australian/British/Canadian embassy/consulate. (...) ; I want to talk to a lawyer. : Mi laik toktok long wanpela loia. (...) ; Can I just pay a fine now? : Inap mi baim fain nau tasol? (...)