Pronunciation guide
[edit]Vowels
[edit]- A
- ah
- E
- eh
- I
- aye
- O
- oh
- U
- oo
All vowels are pronounced individually. Thus "ai" is not pronounced "eye" but "ah-aye". The use of the apostrophe in spelling of words, e.g. in Samoa's second island of Savai'i, emphasises this point.
Consonants
[edit]14 consonant sounds written with a phonetic alphabet.
Note in particular that "g" is pronounced "ng" as in Singapore or ping-pong (not like in finger). Thus the capital of American Samoa, Pago Pago, is pronounced "Pahngo Pahngo."
Common diphthongs
[edit]Phrase list
[edit]Some phrases in this phrasebook still need to be translated. If you know anything about this language, you can help by plunging forward and translating a phrase.
Basics
[edit]- Hello.
- Talofa. ("Greetings" is a closer translation.)
- Hello. (Informal)
- Malo.
- How are you?
- 'O a mai oe?
- Fine, thank you.
- Manuia, fa'afetai.
- What is your name?
- (Formal:) O ai lou suafa? (Informal:) O ai lou igoa?
- My name is ______ .
- O lo'u igoa o ______ .
- Nice to meet you.
- . ( )
- Please.
- Fa'amolemole. ( )
- Thank you.
- Fa'afetai. ( )
- You're welcome.
- Fa'afetai fo'i.
- Yes.
- Ioe
- No.
- Leai.
- Excuse me. (getting attention)
- Fa'amolemole.
- Excuse me. (begging pardon)
- Tulou.
- I'm sorry.
- .
- Goodbye
- Tofa soifua.
- Goodbye (informal)
- Fa.
- See you later
- Toe feloa'i. ( )
- I can't speak Samoan [well].
- [ ]. ( [ ])
- Do you speak English?
- ? ( ?)
- Is there someone here who speaks English?
- ? ( ?)
- Help!
- Fesoasoani ! ( !)
- Look out!
- ! ( !)
- Good morning.
- Manuia le aso. ( )
- Good evening.
- Manuia le afiafi. ( )
- Good night.
- Manuia le po. ( )
- Good night (to sleep)
- . ( )
- I don't understand.
- Ou te le malamalama.
- Where is the toilet?
- ?
Problems
[edit]Numbers
[edit]- 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.
Time
[edit]Clock time
[edit]Duration
[edit]Days
[edit]- Sunday
- Aso Sa
- Monday
- Aso Gafua
- Tuesday
- Aso Lua
- Wednesday
- Aso Lulu
- Thursday
- Aso Tofi
- Friday
- Aso Faraile
- Saturday
- Aso To'ana'i
Months
[edit]- January
- Ianuari
- February
- Fepuari
- March
- Mati
- April
- Aperila
- May
- Me
- June
- Iuni
- July
- Iulai
- August
- Auguso
- September
- Setema
- October
- Oketopa
- November
- Novema
- December
- Tesema
Writing time and date
[edit]Colors
[edit]- 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
Transportation
[edit]- Stop here please
- Taofi i, fa'amolemole.