Kayan Language Legacy Project
Some common everyday words
Uli
Uli - Go back or return
Seng jeleng nah dau/do aya' krismas, kahum lan nah kelunan kahi suti uli uma.
It's near to Christmas, many people have applied for leave to go back home.
Kuman
Kuman - eat
Uh nah kelo kuman du?
Have you eaten?
Du'i
Du'i - drink
Meng hadau/hado du'i ata' uh kuman.
Do not forget to drink water after you have eaten.
Uma
Uma - Home or house
Dara lan kui em uli uma.
I haven't been home for a while.
Te' uma ka ha' Miri du?
Do you have a house in Miri?
Kanen
Kanen - (cooked) rice
Kuman kahum kanen, ja ka' salet dekaya'.
Eat more rice, so that you grow faster.
Tei im na kanen, uh la'o nah sepui doh.
Please (go) cook rice, grandmother is hungry.
Ata'
Ata' - water
Im peng ata' alem taring anan.
Store water in the pot.
Masep lan ata' alem gutun anan.
The water in the bottle is very dirty.
Tudu
Tudu - sleep
Sayu lan noh kui tudu malem dih.
I slept well last night.
Usi kui deng tudu ngedo/ngedau.
I cannot sleep during the day.
Tepurung
Tepurung - run
Nyi'an lan ha' tepurung.
He runs very fast.
Tepurung ha' avin duyah ha' melak haruk.
He runs as he does not want to be left by the boat.
Ma'un
Ma'un - 1. going up 2. awake from sleep
Mingi kui ma'un san uma aru anih.
I feel a bit nervous/scared going up the stairs of the longhouse.
Salet pa'en sepun doh nan ma'un jehima ja na kanen.
Grandmother always wakes up early to cook rice.
Melo
Melo - sit down/stay
Meng melo hujung taring anan.
Do not sit on the pot.
Melo uma tua ha' usi ha' tei nyadui.
He just stays at home, he does not go to work.
Pano / Panau
Pano/panau- walk / visit
Salet lan ba'ung anan haman pano/panau.
The baby girl learns to walk quite fast.
Te' kelo tei pano/panau ha' sepui doh diyah?
Did you visit grandmother?
Basa
Basa - wet
Basa ha' gak usan.
He is wet because of the rain.
Duh
Duh - bath
Ngenep ka' tey/tei duh hunge/hungei yah?
Do you like to take bath in the river?
Im duh ba'ong nan.
Give ba'ong (baby girl) a bath.
Sengit
Sengit'an - pee
Sengit'ae - pass motion
Akui seng sengit'an anih.
I want to pee.
Akui seng sengit'ae anih.
I want to pass motion.
Kesing
Kesing - laugh
Kesing lan kui kelenghi lung na.
I laughed listening to his stories.
Legak
Legak - fall
Perah la'ong na' legak men san.
He hurts his back falling from the ladder.
Hituk
Hituk - remember
Hituk lan ha' lung menuna'.
He can remember well the stories of the past.
Pade'
Pade' - lost
Pade' selegem kui, usi kui jam hino' kui melo na'.
I lost my ring, I do not know where I put it.
Hado
Hado - forget
Hado kui na kanen.
I forgot to cook rice.
Hado ka' na kanen yah?
Did you forget to cook rice?
Jam
Jam - know
Usi kui jam nyanyi.
I do not know how to sing.
Ineng
Ineng - see / look / watch
Im ineng gaben anih, im nelana kelunan anih yah?
Look at this picture, do you remember this person?
Deng ka' ineng dipah atih yah?
Can you see across/over there?
Akui tey/tei ineng wayang anih.
I am going to watch some movies.