So sánh với tiếng Anh:no: not

hem i no kakae yam = he doesn't eat (a, the) yam

nomo: no/any more (placed before the predicate)

hem i nomo kakae yam = he doesn't eat (a, the) yam any more

nomo: only / doesn't but

hem i kakae yam nomo = he only eats yam

neva: never

hem i neva kakae yam = he never eats yam

jes: shows an action that has just occurred

mifala i jes wekap = we just woke up

stat: start, commencement of a process

hem i stat kukum kumala = he/she has started to cook sweet potatoes

stap: ongoing or habitual action

hem i stap kukum kumala = he/she is now cooking sweet potatoes / he/she usually makes sweet potatoes

gogo: continual action

hem i kukum kumala gogo = he/she keeps on cooking sweet potatoes / he/she continually cooks sweet potatoes

bin: (been) - completed action

hem i bin go long Kanal = he has gone to Luganville (principal city in Santo)

finis: finished, past tense (when before object)

hem i finis kakae = he is finished eating

finis: already (when after object)

hem i kakae finis = he has already eaten

mas: must

hem i mas kakae = he must eat

traem: try

hem i traem singsing = he tries to sing

wantem: want

hem i wantem go long Kanal = he wants to go to Luganville

save: can, know; from French savoir

mi save toktok langwis bislama = I can speak Bislama

sapos: (suppose) if

sapos yumitufala i faenem pig, yumitufala i kilim hem i ded = if we find a pig, we'll kill it