| labial | coronal | dorsal | glottal | |||
| stop | implosive | ɓ <b> | ɗ <d> | |||
| plain | p | t | ʔ <’> | |||
| nasal | m | n | ŋ <ng> | |||
| fricative | -lateral | s | ʁ <gh> | |||
| +lateral | ɬ <hl> | |||||
| tap | ɾ <r> | |||||
| alternatives: | ||||||
| ŋ <g> | ||||||
| ɬ <l> or <lh> | ||||||
| ʔ can be unwritten as its placement is predictable, and it may be elided word internally | ||||||
| monophthongs | diphthongs | |||
| i | u | ei | eu | |
| e | o | oi | ou | |
| a | ai | au | ||
| stress patterns: | ||||||||
| ˈbai | ˈbaba | Syllables are considered heavy if they contain a diphthong, otherwise they are light syllables. | ||||||
| baˈbai | baˈbaba | Words must end with two light syllables or a heavy syllable, | ||||||
| ˌbaiˈbai | ˌbaiˈbaba | except for some function words which are made of one light syllable only. | ||||||
| The primary stress falls on the ultimate syllable if heavy, and penultimate if light. | ||||||||
| Secondary stress is applied one heavy or two light syllables left of the primary syllable. | ||||||||
| 'amau | n | mom |
| 'aumei | n | flower |
| 'obou | n | dad |
| mei’ou | n | child |
| meu | n | eyes |
| ngei | n | water |
| nou | n | head |
| pe’oi | n | fish |
| doi | pn | 2s |
| nai | pn | 3sf |
| nane | pn | 3sm |
| ni | pn | 3sn |
| se | pn | 1s |
| 'e | ptcl | beneficiary, goal |
| ba | ptcl | cause; source; gen1 |
| na | ptcl | PF |
| ngo | ptcl | locative; instrumental; comitative; possessive |
| pa | ptcl | BF |
| teu | ptcl | CF |
| hloi | v | give |
| mai | v | eat |
| tei | v | see |
| focus: | voice ptcl | V | S | pp | n | |
| agent | tei | amau | si | peoi | mom sees a fish | |
| patient | na | tei | peoi | rau | amau | fish is seen by mom |
| inst/loc | teu | tei | meu | rau | amau | using eyes, mom sees |
| goal/bene | pa | tei | se | rau | amau | for me, mom sees |
| Possessed nouns are inflected with a pronoun that corresponds with the possessor. | |||||
| 1 | 2 | 3n | 3m | 3f | |
| (-)sV- | (-)do- | (-)nV- | nan(V)- | (-)na- | |
| nou – head | soˈnou | doˈnou | noˈnou | ˌnanoˈnou | naˈnou |
| obou – dad | ˌosoˈbou | ˌodoˈbou | ˌonoˈbou | ˌnanoˈbou | ˌanoˈbou |
| pe’oi – fish | ˌsepeˈoi | ˌdopeˈoi | ˌnepeˈoi | naˌnepeˈoi | ˌnapeˈoi |
| au’mei – flower | aˌsauˈmei | oˌdauˈmei | aˌnauˈmei | naˌnauˈmei | aˌnauˈmei |
| mei’ou – child | seˌmeiˈou | doˌmeiˈou | neˌmeiˈou | ˌnaneˌmeiˈou | naˌmeiˈou |
| Possessor nouns are marked with a preposition. | |||||
| Ba is for inalienable possession (mainly relations and products), eg family members, the fruit of a tree, the creation of an artisan, inherent qualities | |||||
| Ngo is used for alienable possession (mainly items and property), eg a knife in ones possession, a fruit one is holding, a temporary quality | |||||
| Pronouns are usually unnecessary as they are marked on possessees, but can be used for emphasis, clarification, or on their own. They have special forms instead of using the prepositions. | |||||
| 1 | 2 | 3n | 3m | 3f | |
| inalienable | seba | badoi | niba | banane | banai |
| alienable | sengo | ngodoi | ningo | ngonane | ngonai |
| erg | acc | from/because | at/with | to/for |
| rau | si | ba | ngo | e |
| agent | patient | source | location | goal |
| cause | instrument | beneficiant | ||
| reason |