Looking for practical Mam to Papiamento phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Mam phrase first, then the Papiamento translation (Papiamento) — so you can scan quickly before a trip, class, or video call.
The phrases are grouped into eight topics: greetings and pleasantries, useful phrases for travellers, everyday conversation, directions and getting around, shopping and dining, emergencies and health, work and business, and time, days and numbers. Use the table of contents to jump straight to greetings, directions, dining, emergencies, or numbers. You do not need perfect grammar to start — short, clear sentences often work better than silence when you are learning Papiamento.
Tip: when a Papiamento phrase looks unfamiliar, compare it with the Mam wording — noticing word order differences helps you understand grammar naturally.
Bookmark this page for offline review, share it with a travel buddy, or open the Mam to Papiamento translator to paste your own messages and get an instant translation.
Greetings and pleasantries
Hello, goodbye, please, thank you, and polite introductions for meeting new people.
Xo'j
Halo(sho'j)
Tz'ik
Dank'i(tz'ik)
Xo'j nax
Bon dia(sho'j nax)
Xo'j q'ij
Bon tardi(sho'j q'ij)
Xo'j k'ux
Bon nochi(sho'j k'ux)
Xo'j k'ux nax
Bon nochi(sho'j k'ux nax)
K'ux q'ij
Hasta luego(k'ux q'ij)
Xo'j k'ux
Ayo(sho'j k'ux)
Ja' k'ux nax?
Kiko ta bo nòmber?(ha' k'ux nax?)
Ja' k'ux nax John
Mi nòmber ta John(ha' k'ux nax John)
Jach' k'ux?
Kon ta bai?(hach' k'ux?)
Nab' k'ux
Dushi pa konosé bo(nab' k'ux)
Useful phrases for travellers
Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.
¿K'ax k'utun English?
Bo ta papia Ingles?(Bo ta papia Ingles?)
Nek'ux k'utun Hindi k'ax k'utun.
Mi no ta papia Hindi bon(Mi no ta papia Hindi bon)
Nek'ux k'ax k'utun.
Mi no ta komprondé(Mi no ta komprondé)
Por favor, k'utun k'ux.
Por fabor, papia lentamente(Por fabor, papia lentamente)
¿K'ax k'utun k'ux?
Podé bo duna e palabra otro vez?(Podé bo duna e palabra otro vez?)
¿Jach'och k'ux?
Unda ta e baño?(Unda ta e baño?)
¿Jach'och k'ux ch'ich'?
Kiko mi mester hasi pa yega na centro di ciudad?(Kiko mi mester hasi pa yega na centro di ciudad?)
K'utun k'ux.
Duna ku left(Duna ku left)
K'utun k'ux.
Duna ku right(Duna ku right)
K'utun k'ux.
Bai straight(Bai straight)
¿K'ax k'ux ch'ich'?
Kantu ta e tarifa?(Kantu ta e tarifa?)
K'utun ch'ich', por favor.
Un tiket, por fabor(Un tiket, por fabor)
¿K'ax k'ux jach'och?
Ta leu for di aki?(Ta leu for di aki?)
Nek'ux k'ax k'ux.
Mi ta perdo(Mi ta perdo)
¿Jach'och k'ux k'utun SIM?
Unda mi por komprá un SIM card?(Unda mi por komprá un SIM card?)
Everyday conversation
Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.
Juj
Si(hoo)
Man
No(mah)
K'ux
Quizás(k'ush)
Juj k'ux
Mi ta akordá(hoo k'ush)
Man k'ux
Mi no ta akordá(mah k'ush)
K'ux juj
Esaki ta suena bon(k'ush hoo)
¿Juj k'ux k'ut?
Kiko bo ta pensa?(¿hoo k'ush k'ut?)
¿Juj k'ux juj k'ux?
Bo por yuda mi?(¿hoo k'ush hoo k'ush?)
Juj k'ux juj k'ux k'ut
Mi mester yuda(hoo k'ush hoo k'ut)
K'ux k'ut
Spera un momentu(k'ush k'ut)
Juj k'ux k'ut
Mi ta diskulpa(hoo k'ush k'ut)
Man k'ux k'ut
No tin problema(mah k'ush k'ut)
K'ux juj k'ut
Felicidades(k'ush hoo k'ut)
K'ux juj k'ut k'ux
Feliz cumpleaños(k'ush hoo k'ut k'ush)
K'ux juj k'ut k'ux
Ten un viahe seguro(k'ush hoo k'ut k'ush)
Directions and getting around
Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.
¿Jujuk pa ri tren?
Unda ta e stasyon di tren?
¿Jujuk pa ri bus?
Unda ta e parada di bus?
¿K'ux ri plataforma?
Kual plataforma ta?
¿K'ux ri tiempo pa k'ux?
Kico ora e ta bai?
¿¿K'ux ri camino?
Esaki ta e manera correctu?
Ri k'ut pa ri.
E ta cerca aki
Ri k'ut pa ri k'ul.
E ta leu for di aki
¿¿K'ux k'ut ri mapa?
Poei mostra mi na e mapa?
¿¿K'ut pa ri, por favor?
Para aki, por fabor
¿¿K'ux ri tiempo?
Kantu tempu e ta tuma?
Shopping and dining
Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.
K'ux k'ulub' ri'?
Kiko ta e precio di esaki?(K'ux k'ulub' ri'?)
K'ux ri' k'ulub'?
Esaki ta demasiado caro.(K'ux ri' k'ulub'?)
¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax?
Bo tin algo mas barato?(¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax?)
¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax k'oj?
Porke mi por paga ku tarjeta?(¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax k'oj?)
In k'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax k'oj?
Mi ke un mesa pa dos.(In k'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax k'oj?)
Ri' k'ulub', por favor
E cuenta, por fabor.(Ri' k'ulub', por favor)
¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax?
E servicio ta inkludí?(¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax?)
In k'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax
Mi ta vegetariano.(In k'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax)
¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax?
No komida picante, por fabor.(¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax?)
K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax
Esaki ta sabroso.(K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax)
¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax?
Porke mi por tin e menu?(¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax?)
¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax?
Un bashi di awa, por fabor.(¿K'ux ri' k'ulub' k'ax?)
Emergencies and health
Help, police, doctor, pharmacy, and urgent situations when you need assistance fast.
K'uxik la policía
Llama polis
K'uxik un ambulancia
Llama un ambulansia
Nek' a doctor
Mi mester un doktor
K'utun k'ax
Mi ta sinti mal
Nek' a k'uxi' ch'ich'
Mi ta alergiko pa maní
Jach' k'uxik la hospital?
Unda ta e hospital mas cercano?
K'utun k'uxi' aquí
Ta doli aki
Nek' a k'uxik mi pasaporte
Mi a perde mi pasaporte
¿K'uxik a k'uxik mi hotel?
Bo por llama mi hotel?
¡Ayuda!
Yuda!
Work and business
Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.
Chik'oj ch'ab'ej
Bon dii pa conoce bo(chee-k'oh chahb'eh)
K'axik ch'awik ri k'ulb'al
Deja nos programa un reuníon(kah-hee k'ah-wik ree kool-bahl)
K'ut ri k'utal k'axik?
Kiko ora ta bon pa bo?(k'oot ree k'oo-tahl kah-hee)
In k'axik ri k'ik'oj ch'ich'
Mi ta manda e report di awor(een kah-hee ree kee-k'oh ch'eech')
K'axik ch'awik ri k'ik'oj k'ay?
Por ta papia mañan?(kah-hee ch'ah-wik ree kee-k'oh kahy)
Ch'awik ri k'ulb'al k'axik
Por fabor, haya e file anexa(ch'ah-wik ree kool-bahl kah-hee)
Tz'ib'ej ri k'utal
Danki pa bo tempo(tzee-beh-eh ree k'oo-tahl)
In k'axik ri k'ulb'al k'axik
Mi ta spera pa traha ku bo(een kah-hee ree kool-bahl kah-hee)
K'axik ch'awik ri k'utal?
Bo por klarifica esaki?(kah-hee ch'ah-wik ree k'oo-tahl)
K'axik in k'axik ch'awik
Deja mi a volve na bo(kah-hee een kah-hee ch'ah-wik)
Ri k'utal k'axik k'ay
E deadline ta dia dushi(ree k'oo-tahl kah-hee kahy)
Time, days and numbers
Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.