Useful phrases in Central Dusun

A collection of useful phrases in Central Dusun, a variety of Kadazan Dusun, a Malayo-Polynesian language spoken in Sabah in Borneo in Malaysia.

Jump to phrases

See these phrases in any combination of two languages in the Phrase Finder. If you can provide recordings, corrections or additional translations, please contact me.

Key to abbreviations: frm = formal, inf = informal, sg = singular (said to one person), pl = plural (said to more than one person).

Phrase	Boros Dusun (Central Dusun)
Welcome	Kopisanangan do kinorikatan
Hello (General greeting)	Kopisanangan
How are you?	Nunu habar nu? Okuro-kuro ko no?
Reply to 'How are you?'	Osonong oku ih, Om iya? Osonong, om iya? (inf)
Long time no see	Alaid kito no au nokopiruba
What's your name?	Isai ngaran nu?
My name is ...	Ngaran ku nopo nga i ...
Where are you from?	Hinonggo tadon nu? Honggo tadon nu? Hombo tadon nu?
I'm from ...	Mantad oku hilo id ...
Pleased to meet you	Tabi pintutunan kumaa diya
Good morning (Morning greeting)	Kopisanangan dongkosuabon Osonong kosuabon
Good afternoon (Afternoon greeting)	Kopisanangan dangadau Osonong dangadau
Good evening (Evening greeting)	Kopisanangan doungosodop Osonong sosodopon
Good night	Kopisanangan do totuong Osonong totuong Osonong totuong, sonong-sonongon modop (Good night, sleep tight)
Goodbye (Parting phrases)	Hino ko po (sg - you are leaving) Hino kou po (pl - you are leaving) Hino ko no (sg you are staying) Hino kou no (pl - you are staying)
Good luck!	Alansan do kalantoi!
Cheers! Good Health! (Toasts used when drinking)	Gugu! (Cheers!) Lunduso! (Bottoms up!) Tius! (Bottoms up!)
Have a nice day	Sonong-sonongon tadau
	Sonong-sonongon hujung minggu
Bon appetit / Have a nice meal
Bon voyage / Have a good journey	Sonong-sonongon mamanau
Yes	Ohoo
No	Amu Au
Maybe	Kanto Matu
I don't know
Do you understand?	Karati ko po nangku dii? (sg) Karati ko? (inf/sg) Karati kou po nangku dii? (pl)
I understand	Karati oku ih
I don't understand	Au oku karati Au karati (inf)
Please speak more slowly	Logot-logoton do momoros Obuli ko daa momilogot-logot do momoros?
Please say that again	Roito po kaagu Obuli ko daa mamarait po kawagu?
Please write it down	Posurato po ilo Tuliso po ilo Mai gia posurato Obuli ko daa monurat dilo? Obuli ko daa monulis dilo?
Do you speak English?	Koilo ko mimboros do Inggilis? Koilo ko po nangku mimboros do Inggilis? Mimboros ko do Inggilis? (inf)
Do you speak Central Dusun?
Yes, a little (reply to 'Do you speak ...?')	Oh, tokuri Oh, koilo oku po tokuri
Do you speak a language other than Central Dusun?	Koilo ko mimboros do boros mantad do Dusun? Mimboros ko do boros mantad do Dusun?
Speak to me in Central Dusun	Obuli ko daa momboros do Boros Dusun?
How do you say ... in Central Dusun?	Kuro ka'd noggilis ....? Nunu ka'd Inggilis ...?
Excuse me	Tumalib oku po (I pass by) Muhot oku daa (I ask)
How much is this?	Piro gatang dilo hodi? Songkuro o gatang dilo hodi?
Sorry	Siou Siou no Ompunai oku Mokiampun oku
Please
Thank you	Pounsikou Kotoluadan
Reply to thank you	Miagal Miagal nopo
Where's the toilet / bathroom?	Hinonggo jamban? Hinonggo bilik jamban? Honggo jamban? Hombo jamban? Hombo jamban kokusaian? (Where's the gents?) Hombo jamban koonduan? (Where's the ladies?)
This gentleman will pay for everything	Mambayar ilo kusai do ngawi
This lady will pay for everything	Mambayar ilo tondu do ngawi
Would you like to dance with me?	Manu ko daa sumayau miampai doho?
Do you come here often?	Asaru ko moi hiti? Moi ko hiti kasasari? Korikot ko hiti kasasari?
I miss you	Langadon oku diya (sg) Langadon oku dokoyu (pl)
I love you	Oupus oku diya Muhang oku diya Guminawo oku diya
Get well soon	Sonong-sonong ko po kaagu kio
Go away!	Insodu! (inf) Insodu mantad doho! Insodu oku! Kada oku insamakai! (Don't come close to me!)
Leave me alone!	Insodu oku! (Get far away from me!) Pologoso oku po songulun!
Help!
Fire!	Tapui!
Stop!	Kono! Tingkod no!
Call the police!	Lohowo pulis! Polohowo pulis!
Christmas greetings	Kotobian tadau Krismas
New Year greetings	Kotobian do toun wagu
Easter greetings	Kotobian Tadau Paskah
Birthday greetings	Kotobian tadau kinosusuon
Congratulations!	Bayahan! Kounsikahan!
One language is never enough	Iso o boros piya nga au nosukup
My hovercraft is full of eels

Download all the audio files (Zip format, 2.2MB)

Central Dusun phrases and recordings provided by Lesley Housten C Kibat

If you would like to make any corrections or additions to this page, or if you can provide recordings, please contact me.

Phrases in Malayo-Polynesian languages

Balinese, Banjar, Central Dusun, Chamorro (Guam dialect), Chamorro (North Marianas dialect), Coastal Kadazan, Fijian, Iban, Indonesian, Javanese, Malagasy, Malay, Māori, Palauan, Tetum, Yapese

Phrases in other languages

[top]

You can support this site by Buying Me A Coffee, and if you like what you see on this page, you can use the buttons below to share it with people you know.

If you like this site and find it useful, you can support it by making a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or by contributing in other ways. Omniglot is how I make my living.

Note: all links on this site to Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.fr are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission if you click on any of them and buy something. So by clicking on these links you can help to support this site.

[top]