Important disclaimer: Please read this section before proceeding

These materials are not designed or intended as authoritative medical translations or as a replacement for a Q'anjob'al-language interpreter.

These materials represent the work of one native speaker and experienced interpreter of Q'anjob'al in consultation with undergraduate students at the University of Illinois and their linguistics professor in 2016. Our intention was to provide a possible, initial resource for those interested in the complex, challenging, and rewarding task of interpretation and translation to/from Q'anjob'al.

We encourage interested parties to build relationships with Q'anjob'al-speaking individuals, including local interpreters, in order to most effectively pursue their goals of communication with and support of the Q'anjob'al community.

These materials are intended to start conversations, build empathy and trust, and promote education in Q'anjob'al among non-Maya community members. If you choose to use these materials in working with a Q'anjob'al-speaking client, please keep in mind the following:

• These materials have not been reviewed by any medical professionals who are bilingual in Q'anjob'al and English; they may therefore be inaccurate.
• These materials were transcribed and later digitized in good faith by linguists who are not native or even fluent speakers of Q'anjob'al; they may therefore be inaccurate.
• These materials may not represent the language of all Q'anjob'al-speaking communities.

Please use these materials cautiously by ensuring through any alternative means possible (e.g., gesture, pictures, Spanish translation (if applicable)) that you are understood by your Q'anjob'al-speaking client.

Finally, please be sensitive to the possibility that for a variety of reasons (including our own choices for spelling, which are not shared by everyone and may be idiosyncratic in some cases) your client may not be able to read these materials easily.

• Ja' = Yes
• K'am(aq) = No

• Tzet chach oni? = What's wrong? Why have you come?
• Tzet yuj xan chach jayi? = Why are you here today?
• B'aytal ya cha b'e? = What are your symptoms? Where are your problems?
• Jantaq xa k'u ala aqon kaqti? = How long have you felt this way?
• Tzet junoq xacha leq ja kolomaloq? = What things have you tried to help you feel better?
• Tzet junoq xacha leq chi kaxchi aqkan? = What things have you done that make the pain worse?
• Ay xam operacion oq na jem? = Have you had surgery before?
• B'aytal chach b'et k'al eq oq? = Where have you travelled to recently?

• Watx' k'al(ta) mi ak'ul? = Are you generally healthy?
• Ay k'al(ta) junoq ilya chach on k'alta? = Do you have any chronic illnesses?
• Ay junoq il ya chach oni? = Have you been sick before?
• Ay k'al mi b'ay chach bet oq toq hospital? = Have you been to the hospital before?
• Ay jun ilya yin akaq pat? = Do you have a lung problem?

• Ay xam operacion oq naq en? = Have you had an operation before? ()Have you been operated on before by them (the doctors)?
• Ay mi b'ay operacion en? = Have you had operations?
• Ay mi b'ay kup b'il ach toq? = Have you had surgery before?

• Ay k'al vitamina cha lo jujun k'u? = Do you take daily vitamins?
• Ayach oqyin _____ ? = Do you take any ____ ?
• Ayach oqyin amb'al? = Are you on any medicine?
• Ay k'al amb'al cha lo jujun k'u? = Do you take daily medicine?

• Ma ay junoq amb'al chel tejen? = Do you have any drug allergies?
• Ma ay junoq loj chel tejen? = Do you have any food allergies?

• Ay k'al mi oq a vacuna ? = Have you had your shots? Have you been vaccinated?
• Tzet vacuna il? = What kind of vaccine?
• Ay mi oq a vacuna yet ojob'? = Have you had your flu shot?
• Vacuna do ach mi? = Have you been getting your shots?

• Chama tz'ub' sik? = Do you smoke?
• Ay maqtxel chi yetoq tz'ub' sik kajanach? = Do you live with someone who smokes?
• Jantaq? = How many?
• Jayel yul k'u? = How many times per day?
• Jantaq yul k'u? = How many per day
• Jantaq yul semana? = How many per week?
• Chama lo droga? = Do you do (eat) drugs?
• Chama tz'ub' marijuana ? = Do you smoke marijuana?
• Ay maq chi lo droga kajanach yetoq? = Do you live with someone who does drugs?
• Jantaq elal? = How much?
• Jayel? = How many times?
• Chamach uk'wi yan? = Do you drink alcohol? NOTE: yan is a specific, common type of alcoholic beverage but the word can also be used in a general sense for alcohol.
• Ay maq chi uk'wi yan kajanach yetoq? = Do you live with anyone who drinks alcohol?
• Ay mi a mulnajil? = Do you have a job?
• Chamach mulnaji? = Do you work?
• B'aytal? = Where?
• Chamach mulnaji jujun k'u? = Do you work everyday?
• Tzet mulnajil al chonej? = What do you do at your job?
• Chamach b'et kuyoj? = Do you go to school?
• Chamach kuyuwi? = Do you study?
• Chamach b'et escuela ? = Do you go to school?
• Chamach b'et universidad ? = Do you go to college?
• Maq yetoq kajanach? = Who do you live with?
• Ay k'al mi a lob'ej? = Do you have adequate access to food?
• Ay mi baj kajanach? = Do you have adequate housing?
• Ay mi asegurancia medica ? Do you have medical insurance?
• K'am mi maqtxel chi yo che chach et neni? = Do you experience regular threats to your safety?

• Ay mi junoq a familia ti ya ay yetoq ______ ti exol? = Does anyone in your family suffer from ______ ?
• Ay mi junoq a familia ti ya ay yetoq kaq pat ti exol? = Does anyone in your family have lung problems?
• Ay mi jun ilya ti exol? = Is there anyone (in your family) with this sickness?
  • Intxutx = My mother
  • Inmam = My father
  • Wanab' = My sister
  • Wuxhtaq = My brother (spoken by a male)
  • Naq wune' = My son (spoken by a mother)
  • Ix wune' = My daughter (spoken by a mother)
  • Naq ink'ajol = My son (spoken by a father)
  • Ix inkutz'in ix = My daughter (spoken by a father)

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