Category: T

taim

1. time

  • Wanem taim nau?
    What is the time?
  • ritim taim to tell the time
    • Mi mas skulim pikinini long ritim taim.
      I must teach the child how to tell the time.
  • sampela taim sometimes
  • taim bihain the future
    • Mi wari long laip bilong pikinini bilong yumi long taim bihain.
      I am concerned about our children’s future.
  • taim bipo the past
    • Em i bilong taim bipo.
      It/He/She belongs to the past.
  • taim nogut 1. bad weather; 2. troubled times
    • Bikpela win i kamapim taim nogut.
      The strong wind brought in bad weather.
    • Em i taim nogut na mipela i no ken raun long nait.
      These are troubled times, so we cannot go out at night.

2. season

  • taim bilong ren the wet season
  • taim bilong san the dry season

3. when

  • Taim brata bilong mi i kam long haus, yumi ken i go.
    When my brother comes home, we can leave.

4. while

  • Taim mi wokabaut i go long maket, mi lukim yu.
    When I was going to the market, I saw you.

5. then, at that time

  • Siapan i pait wantaim ol waitman long dispela taim.
    The Japanese were at war with the Westerners at that time.
  • taim bilong karim expected date of delivering a baby

6. repetition

  • Hamas taim bai mi tokim yu long baim dinau bilong yu?
    How many times do I have to tell you to pay your debts?
  • tupela taim twice
    • Kisim marasin tupela taim long wan wan de.
      Take the medicine twice daily.

FYI

The time throughout PNG is 10 hours ahead of UTC (GMT). When it’s noon in PNG it will be noon in Sydney, 9am in Jakarta, 2am in London, 9pm the previous day in New York and 6pm the previous day in Los Angeles. There is no daylight saving (summer time) in PNG.

You will inevitably encounter ‘Melanesian time’ at some point, the habit throughout Melanesia (and all the South Pacific) of putting a low premium on punctuality.

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