The Kuna Phrasebook Project

Dictionary

 

Kuna     

  Spanish

English
Abeigei querer    to want  
Abya Yala las Americas the Americas, literally “saved land”
Acualele (acuanusa)  piedra suave del río smooth river rock, sometimes attributed with healing powers
Achuagua   embrazar  hug
Akwei    cuidar care for
Alei    sonrisa  smile
Ama  tia aunt
Amagutza  cayer  to fall
Ampokamala dormir   to sleep
An- mio   prefix generally meaning “mine”

Andup 

 mi isla  my island

Anmimmi   

 mi hijo  my child
Anai  amigo friend
Ani   yo I/me
Angi  langostino  crawfish
Anmar   nosotros we
Anugaden Paige Me llamo Paige   My name is Paige
Arkar    representante del gobierno spokesperson for the chief
Asu  nariz   nose
(top)    
Baba (papa)  padre (dios)   father (often God)
Bab Tummat   dios masculino male god
Bei  tu/usted  you
Bei igi birga nika?  ¿Cuantos años tiene usted? How old are you?
Beiyabenega? ¿De donde eres?  Where are you from?
Beikeniginika? ¿Como se llama? What’s your name?
Bia natei?  Dondé esta?   Where is it?
Bipi  pequeño small

Dupbipi

 isleta  small island

Negabipi 

 casita    small house
-bo  ambos both
(This suffix is added to the second of two subjects, for instance, “Be nika anai guarbo, Paige Colinbo,” which means, “You have two friends, both Paige and Colin.” This seemed to be the most common way to form “and.”)
Boei   ceño    frown
Birya   tormenta, lugar de espiritos malos storm, tornado, home of evil spirits
Builatokei    pobrecito oh, you poor thing you
Buñulogwa    niño   medium-sized child
Burba    alma, sentido     soul, feeling
     
Cagan   césped   grass
Carta Organica   Carta Organica   Kuna Yala constitution
Chicha  bebida alcoholica de maiz An alcoholic drink made of fermented corn
Chicha also refers to monthly four-day celebrations when work is not done, and instead everyone drinks heavily starting at breakfast. This ceremony, which takes place every couple of months, effective replaces birthdays and annual holidays.
Chili    negro  black
Chuchu  mariposa   butterfly
Coroguat  amarillo yellow
     
Dada/Baba  padre, abuelo father, grandfather
Daisa   vi     I saw
Datoibei    sol  sun
Deimar  mar sea
Dien  lagarto crocodile, alligator
Digei   sembrar     to plant
Diguargit    verde    green
Diguarr  río   river
Dinit  rojo red
Domumakei  nadar   to swim
Dulei (Tulei) la gente  the people
Dulemola  ropa de la gente the “people’s clothes,” or traditional clothing of the Kuna people.
Duleigaiya   idioma   language
Dulup    langosta lobster
Dumat   grande   big

Dupdumat 

 isla grande big island

Negadumat 

 casa grande big house
Dupu   isla    island
(top)    
Eduei   cerrado closed
Eiki  abierto   open
Eimi    hoy   today
Eiomei  esposa  wife
Eiyei    si   yes
Escubiyei     loco crazy
Esui   esposo   husband
     
Galu hogar de los espiritus home of the spirits
Ganil   pollo chicken
Gerdaileigei     hermosa  beautiful
Gono   dedo   finger, toe
Goukim  hombros shoulders
Guadigip  morada, azul   blue, purple
Guage   corazón heart
Gundeileibi     ahogar  to drown
Guneimasi  comer   to eat
     
Ibeler (Tat Ipe)  Dios del Sol  A central figure of Kuna creation mythology, associated with the sun, balance and protection.
Ibelelekana  heroes culturales  The family of deities, perhaps analogous to the Greek Titans, who ruled the Earth early on.
Ibia  ojo   eye
Ibia guarbo  ojos   both eyes
Igala   Sendero, camino road, path; Bab Igala is the “Road of God,” the path of creation itself.
Imasubalei   tatuaje     tattoo
Ina medicina natural  medicinal plants, traditional medicine in general
Inaduled   doctor  botánico Kuna doctor, the word is also a used for any type of botanist
Ipa   nube   cloud
Iyagua  Señora ma’am
     
Kaa  chile picante  hot pepper
Katchi  hamaca  hammock
Kaka  boca  mouth
Kalu  tierra sagrada  sacred ground
Kami   remo   oar
Kanaletei   remar  to row
Kilu    tio  uncle
Kilu Ulusui Dios de Cocodrilios Literally “Uncle Long Canoe,” this is the crocodile god and often evil god of the underworld, more analogous with the Egyptian Set(h) than the Christian devil.
Kiplu   aguila  hawk
Koirgua  papaya   papaya
Korokwa  maduro ripe
Koskun Kalu   Congreso Kuna Yala Congress of Kuna Yala
Koyei    muñeca  doll
Kukwei    volar to fly
Kukunai    volar en avion    to fly in a plane
Kuna   persona/pueblo    person/people
Kunei comer  eat
Kunu  plastica   plastic
Kurgen  sombrero, gorro  hat
Kwalu    papa dulce  sweet potato
Kwallu  grasa   grease
Kwento  cuento  story
(top)    
Macharet  hombre man
Machi  niño   boy
Madu  pan bread
Mama   madre, pechos, yucca mother, breasts (male or female); and rather tellingly, yucca/manioc
Magei  maquilarse  to put on makeup
Mani   plata  silver
Marganai  rayas  lightening
Mergi  turista/gringo tourist, from “American”
Merginega Estados Unidos USA, literally, “House of the Americans”
Mimmi  niño, hijo  child
Misi  gato  cat
Mo calabasas  squash
Moguir  cielo  sky
Mola   ropa, camisa Literally just “clothing,” this now usually refers specifically to the famous reverse-embroidered cloth squares prized by collectors worldwide.
Mora  tela  cloth
Morlgo    herida  wound
Morrbep  caracol snail, conch
Mulatupo Archipelago San Blas San Blas Islands
Mulmakei  persona que hace molas mola maker
Muu    oceano, abuela, anciana ocean, grandmother, elder female
     
Nadamakei      escribir  to write
Nadapi   se fue  to have left

Omei nadapi

 ella se fue  the woman left
Naga  pie  foot
Namakei  cantar  sing
Nana (Mama)  madre  mother
Nali    tiburon   shark
Napa    tierra firma  the mainland
Napguana Madre Tierra  Mother Earth
Narascam  naranjo  orange
Natei    fue   he/she went
Neg Kunas   Terra Earth
Nega  casa, lugar  house, place
Nele  mago, shaman wise man/woman, spiritual healers; this word can also refer to psychologists, philosophers, some politicians, artists and others involved with spiritual or community leadership.
Ni  luna  moon
Nia    malo, el diablo, marijuana  evil, Satan, also marijuana
Nika  tener    to have
Nisqua  estrella  star
Nono     cara face
Nuba    estomago stomach
Nuchu  fetish  fetish, usually a small, carved wooden animal
Nuga   nombre  name
Nuwedi  Buenos dias, gracias, pura vida thank you, good morning, catch-all phrase meaning “good”
Nuweigambi     mucho gusto nice to meet you
(top)    
Obei  playa  beach
Ogup  coco   coconut
Olo, or  oro, collar gold, necklace
Olowaili  Diosa de Paz  Goddess of Peace
Olu  gallo  rooster
Olua arretes   earrings 
Omei    mujer  woman
Opi  bañar to swim
Osi   piña   pineapple
Ornasi   uñas fingernails
Orr     barco sail-less boat
Orrgo    madera wood
Oua  pescado, pez fish
     
Panaba muy lejos very far
Panei     mañana  tomorrow
Paneimalo  hasta la mañana see you tomorrow, good night
Pap kalimpapa  cielo    Literally “father’s place,” this is roughly analogous to the Christian heaven
Po   llorar  to cry
     
Saila cacique, jefe  spiritual or political leader
Sapi arbol   tree
Sapudei     falda skirt
Sanda    sandales  sandals
Saqua  mano, brazo   hand, arm
Satei    no no

Nali satei  

 No hay tiburones! There are no sharks!
Sia    sobrino/a niece/nephew
Sirro   ombligo belly button
Siagua    cocoa  chocolate
Siglei ayer  yesterday
Sigue  sientate   have a seat
Sika     barba, bigota   facial hair
Siligwia  pelo  hair
So     fuego  fire
Soi  pescar to fish
Suga  cangrejo  crab
Suli     no  no
Suna     verdad   truth
(top)    
Tabu   barracuda barracuda
Takei  ver  to see
Takei malo  adios goodbye
Tat Ipe ulu  sol   sun, Ibeler’s chariot
Tadarguanet  donde puesto del sol  Where the sun sets
Tii   agua   water
Tumbi comer  to eat
Tupbak    ballena whale
Tutu       flower  floor
     
Unolugwa niña/o   child
Ulu  canoa  dugout canoe
Unmorr      barco a vela   sailboat
Urrba  nieto, hermana/o menor  grandchild, younger sibling
Urrbali   bajo  Ander
     
Vini  conejo   rabbit
     
Wa    humo smoke
Waga   extranjero   foreigner (non-Kuna, incluyes most Panamanians)
Wagalumala  beso  a kiss
Wagaluei   besar  to kiss
Warkwen   solo  only, alone
Weechup fruta morada  a small, purple fruit with delicate, foamy white flesh, very little flavor and a large pit, that grows as a large bush in salty sand
Wini shakira  beads, or anything made of beads
Winibaizna    beaded armbands
Wisi    saber  to know
Wei  el/ella   he/she
Weimar  ellos they
     
Yala   montaña   mountain
Yeiolo   hermano/a mayor  older sibling
Yo codo   elbow
Yokorr     rodilla  knee
(top)    

Numbers
Strangely, many younger Kuna don’t use the traditional language to count higher than five, and either switch to Spanish or, if applicable, special numbers used only for US dollars.

1 – guargwin
2 – guarrbo
3 – guarba
4 – guarbake
5 – gualatar
6 – gualergua
7 – guagile
10 – guarbe

Counting in US Dollars
This interesting (and telling) system was in use long before Panama switched to US dollars as their national currency, and evidently did not apply to the former monetary unit, the Balboa.

$1 – suitombo
$2 – suipake
$3 – mataba
$4 – matabake
$5 – suidambe
$10 – durwin
$20 – durbo
$30 – durba
$40 – durbake
$50 – durlatal

(top)