A collection of useful phrases in Idaʼan, a North Bornean language spoken in the state of Sabah on the island of Borneo in Malaysia.
See these phrases in any combination of two languages in the Phrase Finder. If you can provide recordings, corrections or additional translations, please contact me.
Key to abbreviations: sg = singular (said to one person), pl = plural (said to more than one person).
| Phrase | Idaʼan |
|---|---|
| Welcome | Selamat messob |
| Hello (General greeting) | Assalamualaikum (used by Muslims) |
| Hello (on phone) | Helo |
| How are you? | Nu ako? (sg) Nu ako muyu? (pl) |
| Reply to 'How are you?' | Ako pio |
| Long time no see | Buai kito apon geterebbuk |
| What's your name? | Nai naran mu? |
| My name is ... | Naran ku ... |
| Where are you from? | Ikau sakko mbak? |
| I'm from ... | Aku sakko ... |
| Pleased to meet you | Sigak ku geterebbuk ikau |
| Good morning (Morning greeting) |
Selamat subuh |
| Good afternoon (Afternoon greeting) |
Selamat tangedtau |
| Good evening (Evening greeting) |
Selamat gobpi |
| Good night | Selamat gobpi |
| Goodbye (Parting phrases) |
Aku panou gulo (I go first) |
| Good luck! | Pio-pio nasib mu (sg) Pio-pio nasib muyu (pl) |
| Cheers! Good Health! (Toasts used when drinking) |
Pio-pio tinai kito (sg) Pio-pio betuan kito (pl) |
| Have a nice day | Pio-pio edtau mu(sg) Pio-pio edtau muyu (pl) |
| Bon appetit / Have a nice meal |
Pio-pio ikau mengan(sg) Pio-pio muyu mengan (pl) |
| Bon voyage / Have a good journey |
Soyu-soyu panou(sg) Mupin-mupin jak muyu (pl) |
| Yes | Aʼ |
| No | Apon |
| Maybe | Lebpom Ebpom ku |
| I don't know | Aku apon kerati |
| Do you understand? | Kepaham ikau? |
| I understand | Aku kepaham |
| I don't understand | Aku apon kepaham |
| Please speak more slowly | Ganaʼ-ganaʼ uni mu |
| Please say that again | Mulang bagku uni mu |
| Please write it down | Buli kou tilis |
| Do you speak English? | Ikau pandai uni Inggeris? |
| Do you speak Idaʼan? | Ikau pandai uni Idaʼan? |
| Yes, a little (reply to 'Do you speak ...?') |
Aʼ, lembat ja |
| I'm learning Idaʼan | Aku begiru uni Idaʼan Aku belajar uni Idaʼan |
| Do you speak a language other than Idaʼan? |
Ikau allop indon uni lain ka uni Ida’an? |
| Speak to me in Idaʼan | Muag nakon nong uni Ida’an? |
| How do you say ... in Idaʼan? | Ngod ne ino nong uni Ida’an? |
| Excuse me | Aku mekemuyot |
| I would like ... | Aku segin ... |
| How much is this? | Piro regko tu? |
| Sorry | Mekeampun |
| Please | Buli ka |
| Thank you | Megsukur |
| Reply to thank you | Sama-sama |
| Where's the toilet / bathroom? | Mbak bilik jamban? |
| This gentleman will pay for everything | Kusai tu mayo inggos no |
| This lady will pay for everything | liun tu mayo inggos no |
| Would you like to dance with me? | Ikau segin menarik abur aku? |
| Do you come here often? | Ikau tugur messob tuwi? |
| I miss you | Aku gundom nong mu |
| I love you | Aku serin nong mu |
| Get well soon | Jago a gerunai |
| Go away! | Panou adtuʼ! |
| Leave me alone! | Adtuʼ sakka aku! |
| Help! | Tobang! |
| Fire! | Akai apui! |
| Stop! | Bittog a! |
| Call the police! | Sungkou pulis! |
| New Year greetings | Selamat tahun bakgu |
| Birthday greetings | Selamat edtou nenak |
| Congratulations! | Tahniah! |
| One language is never enough | Senguni apon sukup |
| My hovercraft is full of eels | Kapal ku alagbiʼ endung |
Phrases provided by Lesley C. Kibat
If you would like to make any corrections or additions to this page, or if you can provide recordings, please contact me.
Information about Ida’an | Phrases | Numbers
Bonggi, Central Dusun, Coastal Kadazan, Idaʼan, Tombonuwo
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