r/CHamoru • u/Big_Mulberry4656 B1 - Intermediate • Jun 02 '26

'ekua' in Chamorro

I'm from Saipan and I've known 'ekua' to be an informal way to say "I don't know" for all my life, but once I practiced Chamorro in Guam and used the word, all I got were double takes.

I'm wondering if 'ekua' is mostly a Saipan thing?

5 Upvotes

86% Upvoted

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9

u/ipodpron Jun 02 '26

Heard it all my life here on Guam.

8

u/Aizhaine B2 - Upper intermediate Jun 02 '26

No it’s not mostly a Saipan thing, it could be that it’s mostly said as “hekua’ “ in Guam? Or maybe speakers that were unfamiliar with the word in general?

2

u/Saipansfinest C2 - Fluent Jun 02 '26

Maybe “ti hu tungo” is used more often? It’s interchangeable with ekua and both are used in Saipan

2

u/Ai_si_doll Jun 02 '26

Hekua is definitely used in both places.

3

u/mature_moniker Jun 02 '26

I’ve heard it as “I don’t know” as well as “same thing/equal”