Here's a start to learning the native Gagana Samoa (Samoan) Language
When you arrive you'll receive a manual which will include these and more but feel free to start practicing the language now as you prepare to come!
Samoan Pronunciation Guide
The consonants, f, h, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, and v are pronounced as in English except for "g" which is pronounced "ng"
a as in ah
e as in eh
i as in it
o as in ought
u as in put
Greetings & Phrases
Welcome - Afio mai, Susu mai, Maliu mai
Hello! - Talofa (informal) Malo
Good Morning - Manuia le taeao
Good Evening - Manuia le afiafi
Good night - Manuia le po
Goodbye! - Tofa soifua (informal) fa
See you later - Toe feiloa’i
Long time no see - Ua leva tele ona o’u le toe va’ai ia oe
What is your name? - (Formal:) O ai lou suafa? (Informal:) O ai lou igoa?
My name is... - O lo'u igoa o...
How are you? - O a mai oe?
Where are you from? - O fea e te sau ai?
I’m from.. - Ou te sau mai...
Fine, Thank you! - Manuia, fa’afetai
Yes - Ioe
No - Leai
They, them
Thank you - Fa’afatai
I don’t understand - Ou te le malamalama
Help! - Fia ola!
Please - Fa'amolemole
You’re welcome - Fa’afatai fo’i
Please speak more slowly - Fa'amolemole, ia fa'atelegese lau tautala
Say that again - toe fai mai lau tala
Excuse me - (attention) Fa’amolemole (pardoning) Tulou
I’m sorry - Fa’amalulu atu
Happy Birthday! - Ia manuia lou Aso Fanau
Hurry! - Faavave!
Fire! - Le afi!
Stop! - Hey!
Call the police - Vili le leoleo!
There is/are not any - E leai se/ni mea
Please give me... - faamolemole aumai
I’m hungry -Ua ou fia ai
I’m thirsty - Ua ou fia inu
I’m tired - Ua ou vaivai
I’m lost - Ua ou leiloa
We would like to eat
Questions
Why? - Aisea?
Where? - O fea ?
What? - O le a?
When? - O anafea?
Who? - O ai?
How? - E faapefea?
Where is the toilet/bathroom/washroom? - O fea le fale-malolo? O fea le fale ta'ele?
Where is the... ? - O fea o i ai...?
How much is this? - E fia le tau?
Is/Are there? - O i ai se/ni?
Can you help me, please? - E mafai ona e fesoasoani mai?
Do you speak English/Samoan? - E te iloa tautala fa'aIgilisi?/ fa'aSamoa?
What do they this? O le a le ta'u o le mea lea?
How do they say.. in Samoan? - E faafefea ona ta'u le.... i le faaSamoa?
Days
Sunday - Aso Sa
Monday - Aso Gafua
Tuesday - Aso Lua
Wednesday - Aso Lulu
Thursday - Aso Tofi
Friday - Aso Faraile
Saturday - Aso To'ana'i
Colors
color - lanu
black - uliuli
blue - lanumoana
brown - enaena
green - lanumeamata
orange - lanumoli
pink - piniki
purple - viole, mumu pa'auli
red - mumu, lanu ula
white - pa'epa'e, sina
yellow - samasama
Adjectives
beautiful - matagofie
big - lapoa
small - laititi
quick - tope
slow - gese
good - lelei
bad - leaga
cold - malulu
hot - vevela
new - fou
old - tuai
near - latalata
far - mamao
open - tatala
shut - tapuni
Numbers
1 tasi
2 lua
3 tolu
4 fa
5 lima
6 ono
7 fitu
8 valu
9 iva
10 sefulu
11 sefulu-tasi
12 sefulu-lua
13 sefulu-tolu
14 sefulu-fa
15 sefulu-lima
16 sefulu-ono
17 sefulu-fitu
18 sefulu-valu
19 sefulu-iva
20 lua-sefulu
21 lua-sefulu-tasi
22 lua-sefulu-lua
23 lua-sefulu-tolu, (etc.)
30 tolu-sefulu
40 fa-sefulu
50 lima-sefulu, (etc.)
100 selau, tasi-selau
200 lua-selau
300 tolu-selau, (etc.)
1000 afe, tasi-afe
2000 lua-afe
2300 lua-afe-tolu-selau
2310 lua-afe-tolu-selau-sefulu
2315 lua-afe-tolu-selau-sefulu-lima
million miliona, tasi-miliona.
Samoan grammar is dramatically different from that of English. For example, the word order for a typical Samoan sentence is Verb-Subject-Object, a pattern that occurs in a number of Polynesian languages but is relatively rare world-wide. Another difference is that Samoan nouns have cases, meaning that they change form to indicate their role in a sentence. Singular nouns are always preceded by an article, while plural nouns are not. Adjectives follow the nouns that they modify. Samoan also has a complex system of pronouns, including separate words for "we" depending on whether or not the person being addressed is part of the group being described.
No comments:
Post a Comment