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"

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 Kayan [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 (...)

Money

Sin

Eating

eat=kuman