Belter dialogue

This page lists Belter Creole dialogue and text from The Expanse. Uncertain transcriptions are indicated with a question mark.

Dialogue below may contain spoilers!

Season 1

"Dulcinea"

06:00, during the gaunt Belter's speech:

Gaunt Belter: Every time we demand to be heard, they hold back our water, owkwa beltalowda, ration our air, ereluf beltalowda, until we crawl back into our holes, imbobo beltalowda, and do as we are told!

06:22, shortly thereafter:

Gaunt Belter: Hey you. Badge. Day's coming soon, keyá? And when the belówt is on the wall, sasa ke which side you're on?

Miller: Yeah, I'll know.

Gaunt Belter: See you then, welwala.

06:56, interviewing Gia:

Miller: Just tell me what happened, take your time.

Gia: Den ta desh lik bodzha. Ere imbobo ta desh ubicha. Imalowda... ta ando wameku, unte ta ando shetexe.

Miller: So da Bomie, uh, na ta vedi imalowda ta ando kom? Forgotten arm, keyá?

Gia: Forgotten arm, ya.

Miller: If any of these guys come 'round again, then showxa, to pochuye ke?

Gia: Mi pochuye.

08:50, discussing Belter physiology in the bar:

Havelock: [to Miller] What's your tell?

Longbone Belter: Let me help you with that, inyalowda. This one, he has spurs at the top of his spine where the bones didn't fuse right.

09:40, shaking down Vargas:

Miller: Hey, voyu.

Vargas: Detective, mi ta ando… I've been looking all over for you.

Miller: I trust you changed those air filters, right?

Vargas: Full compliance, mi sasa.

12:10, loading ice into the Canterbury:

Riker: Bet I can load twice the ice that you do in half the time.

Paj: Am I smelling a wager, ke?

14:10, looking for the executive officer:

Holden: Hey, you seen the XO?

Naomi: Nope, sasa.

26:15, Miller watches a protest video on his hand terminal:

Julie: ...Animals! Milowda— [video rewinds] Animals!

"The Big Empty"

06:34, Miller at the card table:

Card dealer: The water shipment's not late, kopeng. They're holding it back.

12:09, in the interrogation tank:

Avasarala: There are places far worse than this, and I imagine there is a mother somewhere who'd love to see her boy again.

Heikki Sabong: Mi sasa, madam. I understand. We all have our duty.

29:13, stealing water:

Diogo: Even water like this today, beltalowda gonya want it. [offers water to gangmates] Hm? Hm? Sabaka. [drinks] It's gut, gut. We can sell im.

30:52, arresting Diogo:

Miller: You see, the Greigas were smart. They'd siphon a little water, sell it off, nobody's the wiser. But you, you gutter punks. You screwed the golden goose.

Diogo: Okay, mang. Schooling me on gangsters, ke?

31:32, freeing Diogo:

Miller: Stay away from da owkwa! Tell all your friends!

"Remember the Cant"

02:24, Havelock's language lesson:

Havelock: Stay calm, and everything will be okay.

Gia: No, no, like this. [gestures as she speaks] "Stay calm, unte kowlting gonya gut, to pochuye ke?"

Havelock: [mimics gestures] Stay calm—

Gia: Tsk. Hands bik. [adjusts Havelock's hands] And when you talk, in and before is weak.

Havelock: Okay, um... [hesitantly] "Stay calm, unte kowlting gut—"

Gia: No. "Stay calm, [enunciates carefully] unte kowlting gonya gut, to pochuye ke?"

Havelock: Okay, ah... "Stay calm, unte kowlting gonya gut, to pochuye ke?"

Gia: Better. Every time better!

10:05, in the medina:

Gaunt Belter: ...gonya ^?segi ^?nik towchu fo sémpere! The inners hate us down to our brittle bones...

Star Helix cop: All right, all right, that's enough. Get out of here!

Gaunt Belter: Our air, our water! Ereluf beltalowda! Owkwa beltalowda! You can't silence us! Belters won't stand for this forever!

11:00, a protester nearly hits Octavia with a thrown bottle:

Protester: Ceres [inaudible] to beltalowda!

Octavia: Hey, hey!

Protester: Paxopigi!

11:18, the protest heats up:

Gaunt Belter: Earthers and Dusters would unite to destroy the Belte. Now is the time to lock arms, beratnas! Im ^?detim fo ^?sera ^?xante, beratnas! They blew up the Canterbury!

17:00, down at the docks:

Thierry: Da bird, him die to give you feather for your shapu?

Miller: Pretty sure the bird was already dead, pal.

Thierry: Now him live trapped in Earther hat?

Miller: I'm not looking for a fashion debate, kopeng.

Thierry: You got no kopeng here, cop.

Miller: I'm looking for Anderson Dawes. Think he might be my friend? Kinda runs things around, right? You might know about that.

Thierry: I don't sasa nating.

Miller: No? Wouldn't sasa that OPA tat on your forearm there, either.

22:34, after dockworkers attack a Martian:

Angry Dockworker: You taking their side, ke?

Miller: You stay right there.

Angry Dockworker: Beratna. Kowmang... kowmang gotta die sometime.

Miller: [cocks his gun] How about now?

Dawes: Give the Martians their water! Milowda na animals! You have every right to be angry. You should be angry. But if we act like animals, we only justify their belief that we are. Gif im fo imalowda xitim. Treat them the way they should treat us.

35:40, protestors wave signs reading:

• "Xalte ere gova da Cant"
• "Ereluf beltalowda / Owkwa beltalowda"
• "Da setara imalowda fo beltalowda"
• "Da Canterbury ta decho fo ^?xownat"

41:52, Havelock runs into some Belters:

Kothari: Xiya na pelésh to, paxoníseki.

Havelock: Stay calm, okay? Unte kowlting gonya gut, to pochuye ke?

Kothari: [laughs]

Havelock: Come on, guys, it's over. Just... just go home.

Kothari: Milowda bi xom. To na. It's not over, Earther. It's just beginning.