Bonaire Bits - Language

Bon Bini! It's how we say "Welcome" on Bonaire!

There are four languages spoken on Bonaire today.  While Dutch is the official language used in government and legal transactions, English and Spanish are also common.  However, it is Papiamentu that is often used in daily exchanges.

Papiamentu is a Creole language indigenous to the Dutch Antilles, particularly Bonaire, Curacao, and Aruba. The term is a derivation of the old Spanish verb papear, which means to speak or converse. This language has its roots in the Portuguese colonization of West Africa, as early as the mid-1400's. Gathered from all over West Africa, slaves did not share a common language as their dialect was regional. This prompted the evolution of a new language, one containing elements of African language structures and Portuguese vocabulary that allowed the people to communicate with each other. With the growth of the slave trade, Papiamentu evolved from the African and Portuguese dialects into a new form of Creole on the ABC islands and served as a secret language shared among the slaves, incomprehensible even to those owners who spoke Portuguese.

Some common words and phrases:

Bon bini - welcome
Kon ta bai - hello
Bon dia - good morning
Bon tardi - good afternoon
Bon nochi - good evening
Si - yes

Danki - thank you
Dushi - sweetheart, sweet
Kome - eat
Bebe - drink
Drumi - sleep
Ayo - good-bye

Kon ta bai? - How are you?