Question Phrases Built on 'wanem' — Tok Pisin Grammar

English has a separate word for each kind of question - why, how, when, where. Tok Pisin has almost none of them. It takes , "what", and puts a preposition or a noun with it. Once you see the pattern, the whole set follows.

'bilong wanem' - Why

Literally "for what". English used to build "why" the same way, in the old word "wherefore".

Bilong wanem?
Why?
Bilong wanem na dispela kamap olsem?
Why did this happen?
Bilong wanem na yu wokim olsem?
Why did you do that?
Bilong wanem na yu nogat wok mani?
Why don't you have a salary?
Bilong wanem na yumi ken i go long wanpela ples kaikai?
Why can we go to a restaurant?

Notice the after the question phrase. It is the ordinary word for "and", and it links the question to the clause that follows - something like "why, and this happened?" It is optional but very common.

The Same Phrase Means 'Because'

does not only ask the question; placed between two clauses it answers it.

Em opim dua bilong wanem mi bai kam insait.
He opened the door because I was coming in.
Mi stadi nau bilong wanem mi mas pas long eksem bilong mi.
I'm studying now because I have to pass my exam.
Mi laikim wanpela kar bilong wanem mi mas ron long kar i go long wok ples.
I want a car because I have to drive to work.

So one phrase covers both "why" and "because", the question and its answer. Which one you are looking at depends only on whether it opens the sentence or joins two halves of it.

is also used for "because". The two are interchangeable.

Long wanem, em i gutpela haus.
Because it's a good house.

'olsem wanem' - How

means "like" or "thus", so this is "like what".

Yu pilim olsem wanem?
How do you feel?
Na yu ting olsem wanem?
And what do you think?
Mi ken helpim yu olsem wanem?
How can I help you?

'wanem taim' - When

"What time" does duty for "when", whether or not a clock is involved.

Em kamap long wanem taim?
When does it arrive?
Wanem taim bai yu stat wok?
When will you start work?
Long wanem taim yu save pinis wok?
When do you usually finish work?
Em wanem taim nau?
What time is it now?

'wanem hap' - Whereabouts

Alongside plain for "where", ("what part") and ("what place") ask more specifically which area is meant.

Em pen long wanem hap?
Where does it hurt?
Yu stap long wanem hap nau?
Whereabouts are you now?
Yu bilong wanem hap tru?
Which part are you really from?
Yupela bilong wanem ples?
Where are you all from?

The Pattern

- for what → why, because
- like what → how
- what time → when
- what part → whereabouts
- what thing → what

The pattern lets you build a question you have never been taught, by asking what the English question word is really asking for.

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Tok Pisin course

35 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 52. A few of them, with the words “Question Phrases Built on 'wanem'” is about in bold:

Yu pilim olsem wanem? Yu pilim orait o nogut?
How are you feeling? Good or bad?
Lesson 61
Ples i olsem wanem long tude?
What's the weather like today?
Lesson 291

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