Welcome to the Dusun learning module! This page is designed for anyone who wants to learn or reconnect with the Dusun language — especially beginners and younger generations who may not have grown up speaking it fluently.
This module covers the fundamentals of Dusun grammar and structure, with a focus on **basic daily conversation**. It includes essential topics like sentence structure, pronouns, negation, affixes, and more — all designed to help you communicate naturally in common situations.
The lessons are simplified and practical, aiming to equip you with a solid foundation. By the end of this module, we hope you’ll feel more confident using Dusun in everyday interactions — whether you're speaking with family, elders, or the community.
In Dusun, most natural sentences begin with a verb (kata kerja) or adjective (kata sifat) , followed by the subject (doer) and then the object (recipient). This is known as VSO (Verb/adj–Subject–Object) or VDR (Verb/Adj–Doer–Recipient).
Unlike Malay or English (which use SVO – Subject–Verb–Object), Dusun sounds more natural and correct when the sentence begins with the action or description.
English: I kick the ball (Saya tendang bola)
Dusun: Manandang oku buul
→ Verb: Manandang (kick)
→ Doer: oku (I)
→ Object: buul (ball)
English: That dog is fat (Anjing itu gemuk)
Dusun: Olombon ilo tasu
→ Adjective: Olombon (fat)
→ Subject: tasu (dog)
English: He is going to school (Dia pergi ke sekolah)
Dusun: Mongoi yau sikul
→ Verb: Mongoi (going)
→ Subject: yau (he)
→ Object/Place: sikul (school)
While the natural structure of Dusun often follows the Verb–Subject–Object (VSO) or Verb–Doer–Recipient (VDR) pattern, it is also acceptable — especially in formal, written, or official contexts — to use the Subject–Verb–Object (SVO) order.
This structure typically begins with the subject followed by the linking phrase “nopo nga” to indicate identity or classification. For example:
➤ Yoho nopo nga dokutur → I am a doctor
➤ ️ Yoho manandang buul
➤ ️ Yoho olombon
➤ ️ Iya mongoi?
For action-focused expression, always begin with the verb and adjective.
➤ ️ Manandang oku buul
➤ ️ Olombon oku
➤ ️ Mongoi ko?
Both structures are grammatically correct, but VSO is preferred in everyday conversation, while SVO is often used in official writing, introductions, or formal speech.
Translate the following:
Dusun uses different pronouns depending on whether the person is the subject, possessor, or object. Here's a quick overview:
| Role | 1st Person | 2nd Person | 3rd Person |
|---|---|---|---|
| I / You / He/She (Subject) |
yoho | iya | yau |
| My / Your / His (Possessive) |
ku | nu | dau |
| Me / You / Him (Object) |
doho | diya | dau |
| Verb/adj-helper form (Used after verbs or adj) |
oku | ko | yau |
While most Dusun sentences begin with a verb or a subject pronoun, it's also common to start with possessive or object pronouns like doho (mine/me) or diya (yours/you) to place emphasis on the owner or the source of the statement.
In these sentences, starting with doho or diya places special attention on the owner — like saying:
"As for me..." or "That one is yours!"
This is useful in conversation when:
So while it’s not the most common sentence starter, it is **natural and grammatically correct** in Dusun when used for emphasis.
Translate the following:
Mastering these pronouns is key to understanding Dusun. Practice often and pay attention to how they’re placed in real sentences!
⬆️ Back to ContentsVerbs are the most essential—and also the most challenging—part of sentence construction in Dusun. Mastering them requires special attention, especially when learning how affixes are applied to indicate different tenses, forms, or functions. Unlike adjectives or other word types, Dusun verbs can be heavily modified with prefixes, suffixes, infixes, and reduplication, sometimes producing more than 50 derived forms from a single root verb.
To gain confidence, learners are encouraged to explore as many verb examples as possible in the Dictionary, especially within complete sentences. Pay close attention to how root verbs are transformed and used in context. Practicing these patterns actively is key to fluency.
The Dictionary and Quizzes provided on this site are designed to expose learners to a wide range of verb forms—present, future, past, and more. For now, we will not include detailed examples in this section, as they are already well-covered in other lessons and exercises.
Below is a summary of common affixes and what they express:
| Type | Affix | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desire / Intention | si- | siboli, siodop | want to buy, sleepy (want to sleep) |
| Ability / Capability | ka-/ko- | kagampot, kokito | can reach, can see |
| Causation (to make...) | papa-/popo- | papaakan, popotungag | feed, wake someone |
| Adjectival Forms | a-/o- | atakad, oinum | climbable, drinkable |
| Scattered/Repeated Action | sang-/song- + reduplication | songihad-ihad, sangtangkus-tangkus | crying all over, running around |
| Past Tense (receiver-focus) | in (infix) | tinandang | was kicked |
| Past Tense (doer-focus) | minan- | minanandang | kicked |
| Future Tense | mongoi + verb | mongoi oku akan | I will eat / I’m going to eat |
| Future (emphatic) | -an / -on | akanon, igitan | will eat, will hold |
| Present Tense | ma- / mo- | manandang, monulis | kicking, writing |
Many verbs can take multiple combinations of these affixes depending on the context. That’s why a single root verb like tangkus (run) can produce dozens of forms with varied meanings.
⬆️ Back to ContentsIn Dusun, the present tense can be expressed in several ways depending on the formality, strength, or nature of the action. Below are four common ways to convey present actions:
This is often used in instructions or when encouraging someone. It’s direct but relatively soft.
Examples:
-o – Strong commandThis is used when issuing a strong or urgent command. It emphasizes the action and expects immediate response.
Examples:
This is the most common form to express ongoing actions or habits. Use ma- or mo- depending on the root word.
Examples:
This form expresses that the action is being done for the benefit of another person — often interpreted as offering a service or doing a favor.
Tip: Use papa- if the second letter of the root verb is a, otherwise use popo-.
| Verb | With Prefix | Sentence Example |
|---|---|---|
| akan (eat) | papaakan | Papaakan oku doh tungau ku – I am feeding my cat |
| tagkus (run) | papatangkus | Papatangkus oku di sapi ku – I am running my cow around (for exercise) |
| sunud (inform) | poposunud | Poposunud oku diya – I am informing you |
| tungag (wake up) | popotungag | Popotungag oku do tanak ku – I am waking my child up |
In Dusun, future actions can be expressed either by adding a specific word or by modifying the verb itself. One of the most common and natural ways is by using the word mongoi, which roughly translates to “going to.”
The structure usually follows:
mongoi + pronoun + verb
This indicates an intention or plan to do something, though it doesn’t necessarily guarantee the action will be completed — it simply shows direction or purpose.
Examples:
The focus here is on the intended action, not the outcome. It shows what the person is setting out to do, regardless of whether they succeed.
Another way to express a stronger form of future — similar to “will” in English — is by modifying the verb root with a suffix: -an or -on.
This form conveys a clear sense of commitment, promise, or obligation to carry out the action. It is often used when you're not just planning to do something, but you're definitely going to do it.
Examples:
In these examples, the verb has been transformed to emphasize that the speaker has firm intent — as if saying “It will happen” or “I promise to do it.”
Like many languages, Dusun has several ways to express actions that happened in the past.
In English, we change the verb form (e.g. go → went), while Malay often relies on time markers (e.g. sudah makan – already ate). Tagalog uses a variety of affixes such as nag-, na-, or -in- to indicate the past tense.
Dusun works similarly to Tagalog — it uses prefixes (like naka-, minan-, pina-) and infixes (like -in-) to show past actions. The choice of affix depends on what you want to highlight: the doer, the object, or the action.
Note: The examples in this lesson are just some of the most common patterns. Dusun has many more past-tense forms — some of which we’ll cover in other lessons (kalau diperlukan).
Tip: Just add naka- or noko- to the root verb.
Tip: Add na- or no- directly to the root.
Tip: Add pina- or pino- directly to the verb root.
Tip: Insert in after the first consonant of the root verb.
⬆️ Back to ContentsOne of the most fascinating — and also most challenging — aspects of learning Dusun is mastering its system of affixes (imbuhan). These include prefixes, suffixes, and infixes that attach to verbs and adjectives to express things like tense, mood, voice, direction, and even emphasis.
Dusun has over 50 unique affix forms used with verbs and adjectives. Some words can change completely in meaning depending on which affix is applied. Understanding these forms is essential for fluency — without them, your sentence can sound awkward, incomplete, or even completely wrong.
Let's take the root verb tandang (to kick) as an example. Below is a list of its various affixed forms. You might be surprised — but yes, Dusun speakers use these regularly in daily conversation:
📌 Present Tense Variants:
tandang, angatandang, atandang, guntandang, ingkatandang, katandang, manandang, mananandang, mintandang, mogitandang-tandang, mokitandang, obintandang, panandang, panandangan, papatandang, patandango, patandangon, pointandang, pokitandang, pokitandangan, popintandang, sangkatandangan, sangkatandang-tandang, sitandang, sipanandang
📌 Past Tense Variants:
kinatandangan, minintandang, mintandang, minokitandang, minanandang, minogitandang-tandang, nangatandang, natandang, nakatandang, nakatandangan, pinanandang, pinanandangan, pinapatandang, pinatandang, pinopitandang, pinitandang, pinintandangan, pinokitandangan, pinopintandang, sinangkatandangan, sinangkatandang-tandang, sinitandang, sinipanandang, tinandang
It may seem overwhelming, but yes — these forms are truly used by native speakers in real conversations. Each affix has its own nuance and function, and with time, you’ll begin to recognize their patterns and meanings naturally.
Dusun is an agglutinative language, meaning it builds meaning by “gluing” parts together — much like LEGO blocks. Instead of using extra words like English does (“I want to go” or “You can run ?”), Dusun encodes those ideas directly into the verb form using affixes. (siongoi oku, katangkus ko? )
Tagalog (Filipino) works in a similar way — both languages come from the Austronesian family. If you’ve learned Tagalog verbs like kumain, kinakain, kainin, kakain, you’ll feel right at home in Dusun. Just like in Tagalog, each affix combination has a specific role — whether showing tense, focus, voice, or direction. BTW, they claim that a Tagalog verb has 100+ possible affixes and combinations.
Interestingly tapi tidak semestinya betul ya, Dusun appears to have more verb forms for the past tense than for the present or future. From my observation, this may reflect a cultural tendency to tell stories, explain past actions, or even debate what has happened — though that's just a fun theory. What’s clear is: past tense is rich and detailed in this language.
In Dusun, using the wrong affix can totally flip the meaning of your sentence:
In this lesson, we will:
Dusun verbs are highly flexible and dynamic due to the wide use of affixes—prefixes, suffixes, and infixes—that modify the meaning, tense, or nuance of a verb. Understanding how these affixes work is crucial to mastering the language. Some affixes indicate **desire**, **ability**, **future or past tense**, **casual or scattered action**, or even **command tone**.
Dusun verbs are modified using various types of affixes:
Each of these affix types changes the meaning or function of the verb. The table below provides examples of how they’re used in actual Dusun sentences.
Below is a summary table of the most common affixes used in Dusun, along with examples and their English meanings.
| Affix | Use | Malay equiv | Dusun Example | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| si- | Desire / Want | ingin, mahu, hendak | Siboli oku kurita Sianu yau doh tanak |
I want to buy a car She wants a child |
| ka- / ko- | Ability | dapat, mampu | Kagampot ko? Kokito oku dau |
Can you reach? I can see him |
| ki- | ownership | mempunyai | Kikurita ko? Kisawo noh ih John? |
Do you have a car? Does John have a wife |
| ma-/mo- | Present action | me-, ber- | Momoli oku'd sada Manangkus oku sodopon |
I am buying fish I will run this afternoon |
| momo- | doer focused, causative | - |
- - |
|
| moki- | receiver asking for an action | minta ... | Mokikoruhang oku diya baino Mokitandang ko doho? |
I need you to accompany me today You want me to kick you? |
| papa-/popo- | causation, to make things happen | memberi ... | Papapanau oku ti kurita ku Mongoi oku popokirim ti surat |
I am driving my car I am going to post this letter |
| -an / -on | Future intention / Mission (receiver-focused) | Akanon ku ilo takano Igitan ku longon dau |
I will eat that rice I will hold her hand |
|
| o- / a- | Passive / Potential form | boleh di .... | Oinum ih ti waig boh Atakad di nuluhon? |
The water is drinkable Is the hill climable? |
| sang- / song- + reduplication | Scattered/random action by many | ber ... an | Sangtangkus-tangkus Songihad-ihad |
Running around Crying all over |
mi- | reciprocal by multiple doers | ber ..an | Mitumbuk yolo Midamot kito mamanau |
They are hiting each other We go together |
| poim- / poin- / poing- | non-completive action | sedang ber.... | Poingodop oku norikatan dih John Poimpasi poh ih manuk nu? |
I was sleeping when John came Is your chicken still alive? |
| mim- / min- / ming- | repetitive action | ber....2 | Mintangkus nopo karaja nu Mingihad ih Mary nokokito dih John |
All you ever do is running Mary keeps crying when she sees Johnr |
| minan- | Past action (doer-focused) | telah mem... | Minanandang ih John dih buul Minanakau ih Mary dih kambing ku |
John kicked the ball Mary stole my goat |
| in (infix) | Simple Past (receiver-focused), done with intention | telah di... | Tinandang dih John ih buul Binoli ku ih manuk |
The ball was kicked by John I bought the chicken |
| naka- / noko- | Past perfect (Doer focused) | telah me... | Nakatandang oku noh do buul Nokoinum oku do waig |
I have kicked a ball I had drunk water |
| na- / no- | Past Perfect (Receiver focused), sometimes NOT intentionally | telah di... | Naakan ku ih takano Noinum oku ih waig |
I have eaten the rice I had drunk the water |
| pina- / pino- | Past action (intentional) done to other | telah di... | Pinatahak ku dih John ih tusin Pinoinum ku ih tungau |
I gave the money to John I gave drink to the cat |
| tongo- / tanga- | to express plurality | menandakan banyak/ramai | - |
✅ Note: You’ll learn how to construct and apply these affixes more deeply in the next section. These patterns become easier with practice, especially when matched with real sentence examples in the Dictionary and Quizzes.
.. nanti saya updateIn Dusun, expressing negation (saying "don't", “no,” “not,” or “none”) is simple once you know a few key words. There are only a handful of negation words, but each one behaves differently depending on context and sentence structure.
The most common negation word is amu. It is always followed by a subject pronoun (e.g. oku, ko, yau) and then the verb or adjective.
Examples:Use okon when you want to negate something’s identity or label — for example, “He is not a doctor” or “That’s not your house.”
Examples:Use aiso when there is a complete absence of something — whether it’s people, objects, or ideas.
Examples:Kada is used to tell someone not to do something — just like an imperative “don’t” in English. It works like a command and does not need a subject pronoun.
Examples:You’ll often hear this used in everyday speech when giving instructions or warnings, especially to children.
Mada expresses a lack of desire or intention. It is usually followed by a subject and a verb.
Examples:This form is different from amu, which simply says something is not happening. Mada implies a personal choice or will.
Negation words like amu, mada, aiso usually appear near the beginning of the clause, especially before the subject pronoun and verb. However, in longer or compound sentences, they can appear later — but never as the last word.
Examples:Which negation do you use for the following?
Just remember to keep negation close to the subject or verb it’s affecting, and avoid placing it at the very end of a sentence.
⬆️ Back to ContentsIn Dusun, most of the adjectives (though not all) begin with vowels like O or A. Examples include: olombon (fat), alaju (fast), agahui (skinny), atarang (bright), oringang (fast).
To successfully convert adjectives into verbs or nouns in Dusun, it’s important to understand how affixes work. These affixes control how the meaning of a word changes depending on its role.
🛈 If you're not familiar with affixes yet, be sure to review Lesson 5: Affixes before continuing. Mastering that section will help you apply these patterns with confidence.
The most commonly used intensifier for adjectives in Dusun is tomod, which means very, really, so, or too (equivalent to sangat or sungguh in Malay).
Rule: tomod always comes after the adjective:
In Dusun, you can transform verbs into adjective-like forms to describe either:
To describe whether something is drinkable, climbable, pushable, etc., use the prefixes:
These forms describe what can be done to an object — often translated as “able to be ___.”
| Verb (root) | Adjective | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| takad | atakad | climbable |
| tulud | otulud | pushable |
| inum | oinum | drinkable |
| gampot | agampot | reachable |
Examples:
When you want to say that a person or subject is able to do something, use:
Examples:
Adjectives can form various nouns through different affixes, expressing people, reasons, or things related to that adjective:
In Dusun, adjectives can be turned into verbs using specific prefixes to express either:
The two most common prefixes are:
si- → expresses **desire or intention**papa- / popo- → expresses **causation or action towards change**| Adjective | Verb (Desire)si- + adj |
Verb (Cause)papa-/popo- + adj |
|---|---|---|
| olombon (fat) | silombon – want to be fat | popolombon – to fatten (someone/something) |
| alaju (fast) | silaju – want to be fast | papalaju – to speed up |
Examples:
🔎 Practice Time
Make 2 verbs and 2 nouns from the adjective osogit (cold):
Understanding how adjectives interact with verbs and nouns helps you express qualities, emotions, and intentions more naturally in Dusun. Try using what you’ve learned in your own daily sentences!
⬆️ Back to ContentsPrepositions in Dusun describe location, direction, and movement — just like in English or Malay. Many of them are formed using fixed phrases like id + [place word]. Others use verbs or particles such as mantad (from), miampai (with), or kumaa (toward).
| English | Dusun |
|---|---|
| Outside | id labus |
| Inside / In | id suang |
| Above | id sawat |
| On | id tampak |
| Under | id siriba |
| Beside | id toning |
| Near | id somok |
| Around | id posorili |
| From | mantad |
| Until | gisom |
| For / To | kumaa |
These examples show how prepositional phrases in Dusun follow a consistent structure — usually with id (similar to di in Malay) marking location, and optionally followed by doh to clarify the position or relation to the object. However, when expressing direction (e.g., “to the market”), id is not used before the verb, but the destination itself may still be marked with id.
In Dusun, the words ih, dih, and doh are short but powerful markers used to identify participants in a sentence. They clarify who is doing an action, who is receiving it, and who something belongs to. Mastering these markers is key to understanding and constructing clear Dusun sentences.
The word dii is often used to mark surprise, realization, or contrast—similar to saying “turns out,” “so it was,” or “actually” in English. It helps express something unexpected, newly discovered, or emphasized.
📝 Tip: dii is not a marker like dih or ih. It changes the tone of the sentence to reflect discovery, contrast, or mild surprise.
The particle ii is commonly used at the end of phrases to make speech sound more natural, expressive, or polite. It often doesn’t have a direct meaning but acts like “lah,” or “bah" in Malay, adding tone or clarity.
These markers may look similar, but their correct usage changes the meaning of a sentence entirely. Be mindful of whether you're referring to a proper name, a general noun, or a doer vs receiver. This structure helps keep Dusun grammar accurate and natural.
📝 Note 1: Many Dusun speakers, especially in informal writing or social media, spell dih as dii and ih as i. They carry the same function and meaning.
📝 Note 2: ii can be used with or without dii, and while it doesn’t translate literally, it gives your Dusun more native-like rhythm and emotion. It is optional but very natural in conversation.
⬆️ Back to ContentsIn Dusun, asking questions is straightforward and flexible. There are several common interrogative words (like what, where, who, why) — and they often appear at the beginning of the sentence, followed by a verb and the subject pronoun.
| English | Dusun | Example (Dusun) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| What | Nunu | Nunu akanon nu? | What are you eating? |
| Who | Isai | Isai ilo? | Who is that? |
| Where | Nombo / Hinombo / Honggo | Nombo ngoyon nu? | Where are you going? |
| When | Songira / Soira | Songira yau mamanau? | When is he leaving? |
| Why | Nokuro | Nokuro amu ko nokorikot? | Why didn’t you come? |
| How | Ingkuro | Ingkuro tokou momonsoi ti? | How do we do this? |
| Which | Nombo tiso | Nombo tiso no tingu? | Which one is yours? |
| For what | Pongkuro | Pongkuro ko momosik do tuh? | What are you doing that for? |
In Dusun, questions using modal verbs like can, will, may, must, shall/should are formed using specific prefixes or standalone modal words. These help express possibility, permission, obligation, or intent when asking questions.
The Dusun equivalents either use prefixes like ka-, ko-, or dedicated modal verbs like oporulu (should) or obuli (may).
Below is a table comparing the English modal with its corresponding Dusun form and usage in real questions.
| English Modal | Dusun | Example (Dusun) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Can | Prefix ka-/ko- |
Kagampot ko? Amu ko kokito? |
Can you reach? Can't you see? |
| Will | Prefix ka-/ko- | Kapanau ko hiti? | Will you go there? |
| Shall / Should | Oporulu |
Oporulu oku mongoi? Oporulu oku monimbar? |
Shall I go? Should I answer? |
| May | Obuli |
Obuli oku moningud diya? Obuli ko minum ti waig osogit? |
May I kiss you? May you drink this cold water? |
| Must | Mositi |
Mositi ko'd mamakai ino rasuk? Mositi mongoi yau? |
Must you wear that shirt? Must she go? |
All you need to do is memorize all of them
Once you're familiar with these question words, you’ll find it easy to form both short and complex questions in Dusun.
⬆️ Back to ContentsDemonstratives are words like this, that, here, and there. In Dusun, these help point to people, objects, and places. They are usually placed before the noun to clarify what or where something is.
| English | Malay | Dusun | Example (Dusun) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| This | ini | Iti / ti | Iti tungau minangahu doho | This cat scratched me |
| That | itu | ilo / lo | Poingodop ilo tanak | That child is sleeping |
| Here | sini | hiti | Poirikau oku hiti | I am sitting down here |
| There (can be seen) | situ | huudi | Huudi kurita ku | Tuu kereta saya |
| Over there (cannot be seen) | sana | hilo | Hilo sampaping kadai kurita ku | My car is right beside the shop over there |
📝 Note:
These forms are common in both casual and formal speech and will greatly help you describe, point, and refer to things naturally in Dusun.
⬆️ Back to ContentsDusun expresses comparisons in a way that's very similar to Malay. The word lobi (lebih) is used to mean "more" or "bigger", while paling is used for the superlative (e.g., "most", "the biggest").
These forms are clearly influenced by Malay and are commonly used in everyday Dusun speech. The adjectives stay in their root form, and the structure is easy to remember once you're familiar with it.
⬆️ Back to ContentsIn Dusun, commands or imperatives are expressed in two main ways:
-o suffix – to give a firmer command, often implying a specific object or urgencyThese forms are common in daily conversation, especially among family, friends, or in casual situations.
Using just the base/root verb gives a neutral or general instruction. It often encourages someone to perform an action freely — without focusing on any particular object or target. This form is common when prompting someone to act for their own benefit.
It simply suggests “Do the action,” not “Do this specific thing.”
-o – Specific or Emphatic Imperative
Adding the suffix -o makes the command more forceful or pointed. It often implies that there is a specific object — either visible, known, or mentioned earlier. It can also show urgency.
Even if the object isn’t spoken, -o usually signals that something is being pointed at, offered, or expected to be acted on.
👉 Many verbs in the Dusun Dictionary on this site also include their imperative forms, so learners can observe how commands are naturally structured in real sentences.
⬆️ Back to ContentsIn spoken Dusun, you’ll often hear small words like maa, ii, bah, or atuukoi. These are called conversational particles — words that do not change the grammar or meaning of a sentence directly, but add emotion, tone, or subtle intent.
These particles are very natural in speech. They can express surprise, emphasis, hesitation, or attitude. Most of them don’t have exact English translations — but learning how to use them will make your Dusun sound more native and expressive.
| Dusun Word | Function / Emotion | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| maa | Emphasizes contrast, surprise, emotional shift — like “actually,” “after all,” or “could it be?” |
Aiso maa dii tulun hiti (Turns out nobody's here) Isai maa ii? (Who could it be?) Ih John ii maa sanganu di kurita (It’s actually John’s car) |
| ii | Clarification, finality, light emphasis |
Aiso ii boh (Really none) Nokorikot oku ii (I still came, you know) |
| bah / ba | Agreement, confirmation, or transition — usually in Dusun, at the start of a sentence |
Bah, mongoi oku noh (Okay then, I’ll go) Ba, kada oku minayo (Fine, I won’t play) |
| boh | Gentle softener — often added at the end for politeness or humility |
Aiso ii boh (Truly none at all) Nokorikot oku boh (I did come after all) |
| atuukoi | Sudden reaction of surprise, disbelief, shock, or amazement — like “Whoa!”, “What?”, “Wow!” |
Atuukoii, agayo tomod! (Wow, that's huge!) Atuukoi, amahal tomod! (What?! So expensive!) |
| silaka | Frustration or mild expletive (used casually, not vulgar) |
Silaka tomod, naraag noh koimbagu ih kurita ku (Damn, my car broke down again Silaka! Napanakau ih tusin ku! (Damn it, somebody stole my money!) |
These words are not taught in formal grammar, but they’re vital for speaking naturally. You’ll hear them often in conversation, especially among elders or close friends.
📝 Tip: Pay attention to the tone when these particles are used. Most are spoken with a rising or falling pitch, depending on emotion. Different Dusun-speaking groups may express them with varying levels of intensity or rhythm.
⬆️ Back to ContentsDisclaimer:
The Dusun language lessons on this site are based on the author’s personal knowledge and usage, primarily from his own Dusun group and regional experience. Variations may exist across other Dusun dialects and communities.
While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, some explanations or examples may be incomplete or contain errors. This resource is being refined and expanded from time to time.
These lessons are intended for personal learning and general understanding. Please use them at your own discretion, especially if applying them in formal or academic contexts. They may not fully align with standardized school curricula or institutional references.
Contributions, corrections, and suggestions are welcome to improve this resource for the Dusun-speaking community.