Category: Tok Pisin to English

to show surpise, or ask ‘isn’t that so?’

• A, lapun, yu stap a?
  Ah, old man, good day!
• Bihain mi bungim yu long taun a?
  I’ll meet you in town later huh?
• Tru, a?
  True? Really?
• Na bihain bai yu go bek long haus a?
  And you ‘ll be going back home later will you?
• Yu bai kam long Trinde, a?
  You’ll come on Wednesday, eh?
• Yu harim tok na yu kam a?
  You heard what was said and came, did you?
• Yu ting yu wan, a?
  You think you’re special, or what?

bubble gum

1. to the side, away from

• Em i sanap abrus long ol.
  He stands to the side.
• Em tokim ol, tasol tok i go abrus.
  He told them but they missed the point (the talk went to the side).

2. to miss

• Mi sut long pisin tasol mi abrus.
  I shot at the bird but I missed.
• Spia i abrus long mi.
  The arrow missed me.
• Mi makim em, tasol abrus.
  I aimed at him, but I missed.
• Katres i abrus long manki.
  The bullet missed the boy.

2. to avoid, evade, dodge, to keep away from

• Yumi mas abrusim sik.
  We must avoid getting sick.
• Yu abrusim mi, o?
  Are you trying to avoid me?
  Mi abrusim spia bilong ol.
  I dodged all their arrows.
• abrusim dispela trabol avoiding this trouble
• Mi no gat rot bilong abrusim dispela wari.
  I have no way of avoiding this worry.

3. to pass, to go past, overtake

• Mi abrusim em long rot.
  I passed him on the road.
• abrusim ka overtake a car
• Yumi abrusim dispela wara pinis.
  We’ve already passed that creek.
• Kar i laik abrusim bas, tasol dravia i no lukluk gut.
  The car wanted to overtake the bus, but the driver wasn’t looking properly.
• Maski rot i klia , tasol ol i no ken abrusim narapela ka.
  They should not overtake another car even if the road is clear.

4. abrus long apart from

1. to mix (also miksim)

• Abusim rais wantaim tinpis.
  Mix rice with tinned fish.

2. (food preparation) to garnish, to add meat or fish to a meal

• Mobeta yumi abusim long pis.
  It would be better to add fish.
• Abusim saksak long pik.
  Garnish sago with pork.
• abusim saksak long pis to garnish sago with fish
• abusim taro long kokonas to cook taro in coconut milk

1. meat, protein (see also: Meat Consumption in Papua New Guinea)

• Kakaruk na pik, em ol gutpela abus long kaikai.
  Chicken and pig are good meat to eat.

2. animal

• I gat planti kain kain abus long bikbus.
  There are many kinds of animals in the deep jungle.

3. easy mark

• Ol i abus bilong mipela.
  They were an easy mark for us.

4. (hunting) game

• Em i go painim abus long bus.
  He went to hunt game in the forest.

5. Something that is experienced often and is much liked, that one ‘has for breakfast’

• Singsing em i abus bilong mi.
  Dancing is my delight, it’s my thing.

6. (warfare, fighting) former cannibal victims (this cannot be said of enemies where cannibalism was not prevalent)

• ol hap lain – abus bilong mipela!
  The other tribe, we could raid and eat them whenever we felt like it!

7. game, garnish, side-dish, anything used to add to or supplement the main dish (Generally this is some kind of meat or game but may be greens or anything else)

administration, government.

See also: Government of Papua New Guinea

administrator.

to adore (religious).

address

• Mi no save adres bilong poroman bilong mi.
  I don’t know my friend’s address.
• Yu mas raitim stret adres long skin pas.
  You must write the address on the envelope properly.
• Givim mi nem na adres bilong ol!
  Give me their name and address!

to address a letter or parcel

• Em i adresim pas bilong pren bilong em.
  He addressed his friend’s letter.
• Adresim skin pas.
  Address your envelope.
• O sori, mi no adresim skin pas yet.
  Oh dear, I haven’t addressed the envelope yet.
• Yumitupela i mas adresim skin pas bilong en o nogat?
  Should you and I address the envelope for her or not?