Chapter 3: Yaru ngani?
Yaru! Hello! Gudjal birraya ngali. Let's talk Gudjal together. In this lesson, we'll learn how to talk about other people.
Dialogue
Gudjal
(Or click on any line of dialogue to hear just that line.)
| William: | Yaru, Jane. Wandhamundu yandjana yinda? |
| Jane: | Yaru, William. Gunggarimundu yandjana ngaya. |
| William: | Ah, dharibara. Yaru ngani? |
| Jane: | Nhula ngaygu mugina. Nhungu riyala Max. |
| Max: | Yaru, William. |
| William: | Yaru, Max. Wandhamundu yandjana yinda? |
| Max: | Cairnsmundu! Gunggarrimundu yandjana ngaya. |
| William: | Ah, Jane! Ganimundu yandjana nhula. |
| Jane: | Yuway! Gani. |
English
| William: | Hello, Jane. Where are you coming from right now? |
| Jane: | Hi, William. I'm coming from the north. |
| William: | Ah, good. Who's this? |
| Jane: | He is my brother. His name is Max. |
| Max: | Hi, William. Nice to meet you. |
| William: | Hi, Max. Where do you come from? |
| Max: | From Cairns. I just came from the north. |
| William: | Ah, Jane! He's come far. |
| Jane: | Yes! It's far. |
Word List
Click on a vocabulary item to hear how it's pronounced.
| Mugina | Brother |
| Gudjina | Sister |
| Yanga | Mother |
| Gayala | Father |
| Bimu | Auntie |
| Bulu | Uncle |
| Nhula | He / she |
| Nhungu | His / her |
| Dharibara | Good |
| Gani | Far |
Grammar
Ngaya, yinda and nhula
These words are known as subject pronouns. Subject pronouns tell you who is doing the action, or who is doing the 'being'. In English, they almost always come at the beginning of a sentence. I am... You eat... He listens...
Here is a summary of the subject pronouns that we've learnt so far in Gudjal:
| I | Ngaya |
| You | Yinda |
| He / she | Nhula |
Vocabulary
Nhungu
In Gudjal, when we say "he" or "she", we don't have to say if someone is a man or a woman. We use the same word for both: nhula. The same goes for "his" and "her". We just use the word nhungu.
Bimu and bulu
In Gudjal, and lots of other languages, you don't need to be related to someone to call them auntie or uncle. You can call someone that is older than you your auntie or uncle and it is taken as a sign of respect.
Practice Activities
Classroom Activity
1. Write a short text about a family member, or someone you know. Remember, you can use the words bimu and bulu for someone older than you, even if you are not related to them. Write about their name and where they come from.
2. Get into groups of three. The first person talks about themself. They say their name, and where they come from: "My name is..." and "I come from..." The second person then tells this same information to the third person: "His name is..." and "He comes from...". Rotate between the roles so that everyone has a chance to speak.
