Café & Drinks

1. Mi ke un baso di awa fresku

   Mi ke un ba-so di a-wa fres-ku

   I want a glass of cold water

   Usage

   Order a basic glass of cold water

   Grammar Note

   "ke" is the modal verb "want"; "awa" from Portuguese "água" (water)

2. Mi ke proba e Balashi

   Mi ke pro-ba e Ba-la-shi

   I want to try a Balashi beer

   Usage

   Try Balashi, Aruba's local beer

   Grammar Note

   "proba" from Portuguese "probar" (to try/taste); Balashi is Aruba's signature local beer

3. Un baso di wiski, por fabor

   Un ba-so di wis-ki por fa-bor

   A glass of whisky, please

   Usage

   Order a whisky at a bar or restaurant

   Grammar Note

   A glass is "baso". "Kaha" means "box" and is not used for servings. Spirit names are used as-is from English/Spanish

4. E awa ta limpi pa bebe?

   E a-wa ta lim-pi pa be-be

   Is the water clean to drink?

   Usage

   Check water safety

   Grammar Note

   "limpi" from Spanish "limpio" (clean); Aruba's tap water is desalinated and generally safe

5. Mi ke awa di koko

   Mi ke a-wa di ko-ko

   I want coconut water

   Usage

   Order a refreshing coconut water

   Grammar Note

   Coconut is "koko"; "di" is the possessive/partitive preposition

6. Mi no ke alkohòl, danki

   Mi no ke al-ko-hòl dan-ki

   I don't want alcohol, thank you

   Usage

   Politely decline alcohol

   Grammar Note

   "danki" from Dutch "dank je" (thank you); "no" is the negation adverb before the verb

7. Un kòfi ku lechi, por fabor

   Un kò-fi ku le-chi por fa-bor

   A coffee with milk, please

   Usage

   Order coffee with milk

   Grammar Note

   "kòfi" comes from Dutch "koffie". Milk is "lechi". Dutch "melk" is not the Papiamentu spelling

8. Esei ta dushi

   E-sei ta du-shi

   That is delicious/sweet

   Usage

   Express that a drink is delicious

   Grammar Note

   "dushi" is one of Papiamento's most iconic words — it means "sweet/delicious/lovely/wonderful"

9. Un mas di esaki, por fabor

   Un mas di e-sa-ki por fa-bor

   One more of this, please

   Usage

   Ask for a refill or another round

   Grammar Note

   "esaki" is the proximal demonstrative "this"; "mas" from Spanish "más" (more)

10. Tin te di yerba pa tuma?

    Tin te di yer-ba pa tu-ma

    Is there herbal tea to drink?

    Usage

    Ask about herbal tea or traditional drinks

    Grammar Note

    "tin" is the existential verb "have/there is"; "tuma" from Portuguese "tomar" (take/drink). "Yerba" is the herb; "huana/yuana" means iguana and must not be used for a drink

11. Sin eis

    No ice

    Usage

    Ice is often tap water; say it when ordering a drink

12. Awa di bòter

    Bottled water

    Usage

    When you want water in a sealed bottle

13. Awa kayente

    Hot water

    Usage

    For baby formula, medicine, or tea

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