Wanbel em stap

One of my all time favourite Tok Pisin expressions is “wanbel em stap” – the literal translation into english would be something like: “One stomach is present”.

The ancient Romans thought the seat of emotions was in the liver. Later, the heart was thought to be the organ of feeling. In modern times, emotions were associated with emotional centers in the brain, such as the amygdala, the hippocampus, and the hypothalamus. But the story doesn’t end here. Emotions travel through our bodies and bind to neuropeptide receptors on the outside of cells. Our emotions are constantly being processed by our bodies.

Around these parts and specifically in reference to the local vernacular – Tok Pisin - the seat of the emotions is the stomach or bel (from the word: belly).  When describing emotional states in the local language reference is always made to bel (or stomach) – here’s a list of feelings in Tok Pisin alongside the english translation:

askim bel: to consult one’s conscience
belgut, bel i gut: to be happy, in good humour, well disposed
bel i hat: to be angry
bel i hevi: to be upset, troubled
bel i kirap: to start getting angry
bel i malomalo: to be meek, weak willed, gentle, mild
bel i pas, bel i sori: to be sad
bel klin: sincere
bel tru: faithful
bel i nogut: to be sad, uneasy, disappointed, penitent, filled with remorse
mekim kol bel: to pacify someone
sutim bel: to tease someone; to provoke someone
tingting long bel: to think, to decide, to make up one’s mind, to reflect, to meditate
bel bilong mi i tok: my conscience says; an interior voice tells me
oli tok long bel bilong ol:wanbel em stapthemselves

So what about wanbel em stap?

Well – “wanbel” translates to “one stomach” and “em stap” means “is present”. So therefore we end up with something along the lines of: content with, happy with, in agreement with. Here are some examples of how you would use this expression in a sentence:

bos i stretim pe, na ol i wanbel: the boss fixed up the pay, and they are all content
ol i brukim spia, na wanbel i stap: they have ‘broken their arrows’ and are at peace with one another
yu mekim, na mi no wanbel: you did this and I’m not happy with it

Want to learn some more Tok Pisin? Check out the Revising the Mihalic Project website for an excellent resource and online dictionary for the very colourful and incredibly fluid language of Tok Pisin.

Wanbel em stap!!