Music & Entertainment

1. Mi ta stima musika di tumba

   Mi ta sti-ma mu-si-ka di tum-ba

   I love tumba music

   Usage

   Expressing love for tumba, Curaçao's traditional music genre

   Grammar Note

   "Stima" is the verb to love; do not confuse it with "lubidá", which means to forget. Tumba is Curaçao's national music genre

2. Bo por toka e gitara?

   Bo por to-ka e gi-ta-ra

   Can you play the guitar?

   Usage

   Asking if someone can play guitar

   Grammar Note

   "Toka" is the verb for playing an instrument. "Hunga" is to play a game or to gamble and is not used for instruments. "Gitara" is from Spanish "guitarra"

3. Ki banda ta toka e anochi?

   Ki ban-da ta to-ka e a-no-chi

   Which band is playing tonight?

   Usage

   Asking which band is performing at tonight's event

   Grammar Note

   A band "plays" with "toka" (not "hunga", which is to play a game). "Anochi" means night/tonight in Papiamentu, despite resembling Spanish "anoche" (last night)

4. E kanshon aki ta masha bunita

   E kan-shon a-ki ta ma-sha bu-ni-ta

   This song is very beautiful

   Usage

   Complimenting a beautiful song

   Grammar Note

   "kanshon" from Spanish "canción" (song); "beautiful" is bunita and "masha" means "very"

5. Unda mi por skucha musika di Carnival?

   Un-da mi por sku-cha mu-si-ka di Car-ni-val

   Where can I listen to Carnival music?

   Usage

   Finding places to experience Curaçao's vibrant Carnival music

   Grammar Note

   "unda" is the Papiamentu question word for "where"; "skucha" from Spanish "escuchar" (to listen)

6. Mi ta kanta den un koro

   Mi ta kan-ta den un ko-ro

   I sing in a choir

   Usage

   Talking about participating in a choir

   Grammar Note

   "kanta" identical to Spanish "cantar" (to sing); "koro" from Spanish/Latin "coro" (choir)

7. E ritmo di tumba ta hasimi baila

   E rit-mo di tum-ba ta ha-si-mi bai-la

   The tumba rhythm makes me dance

   Usage

   Expressing how the tumba rhythm compels you to dance

   Grammar Note

   "hasimi" = "hasi" (make/cause) + "mi" (me); causative construction. "baila" from Spanish "bailar"

8. Por fabor baha e musika un pokito

   Por fa-bor ba-ha e mu-si-ka un po-ki-to

   Please turn down the music a little

   Usage

   Politely asking someone to lower the music volume

   Grammar Note

   "baha" from Spanish "bajar" (to lower); "pokito" from Spanish "poquito" (a little)

9. Mi ta toka e piano for di mi yubentu

   Mi ta to-ka e pi-a-no for di mi yu-ben-tu

   I have been playing piano since childhood

   Usage

   Describing your musical background and when you started playing

   Grammar Note

   Playing the piano takes "toka" (not "hunga", which is for games). "Yubentu" is from Spanish "juventud" (youth); "for di" means "from/since"

10. Tin un konsierto e anochi aki na plasa?

    Tin un kon-sier-to e a-no-chi a-ki na pla-sa

    Is there a concert at the plaza tonight?

    Usage

    Asking about outdoor concerts at the town plaza

    Grammar Note

    Demonstratives follow the noun ("e anochi aki" = this evening); the Spanish pre-nominal "esta" is not used. "Konsierto" is from Spanish "concierto"

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