With so many languages and dialects, there has to be a common spoken language in Port Moresby and around PNG this is referred to as Tok Pisin (Pidgin English) and is spoken nearly universally around Papua New Guinea.  English is also commonly spoken in major cities and Hiri Motu is spoken in the northern regions.

Tok Pisin is spoken nearly everywhere in Port Moresby.

Tok Pisin is the language which has many words from the early colonial days and therefore you will encounter many words which have been adopted from Dutch, German and English.

 

Useful vocabulary in Tok Pisin

・Thank you very much  →  Tenk yu tru!

・No thank you → Sori nogat

・How are you? → Yu orait?

・I’m fine →  Mi orait tasol 

・How much (many) is that? → Em hamas?

・What is that? → Em wanem?

・You → Yu

・Me → Mi

・Him, Her, It, That → Em 

・Yes → Em nau

・No →　Nogat

・Food/Eat → KaiKai

・Speak → You tok

・Little/Small → Liklik

・Plenty → Planti

・I’m leaving now → Mi go nau

・What is your name? → Wanem nem bilong yu?

 ・My name is [   ].　→ Nem bilong mi [   ].

・Where are you from? → Yu bilong wanem hap?

・I’m from Japan. →  Mi bilong Japan

・She is from New Zealand.→ Meri bilong Niu Zilan.

・What time is it now? → Wanem taim nau?

・Yummy! Pretty!→  Gut pela! Nice pela!

・Ok → Em now

・Do you know this? → Yu save em?

・I don’t know →  Mi no save

・I don’t like →Mi no laik / Mi les

・I don’t want to go → Mi les go

・Like  → Laik

・Guy →  Man

・Woman → Meri 

・Kids →  Pikinini 

・Hello! → Helo

・When → Wanem taim