language of the Samoan Islands
Phrasebooks > Samoan phrasebook

Samoan (gagana Sāmoa) is a Polynesian language mainly spoken in Samoa and American Samoa. Samoan is a Polynesian language, and has many cognates with other Polynesian languages such as Māori, Tongan, and Hawaiian

Pronunciation guide

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Vowels

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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

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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

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Phrase list

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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

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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

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Numbers

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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

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Clock time

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Duration

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Days

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Sunday
Aso Sa
Monday
Aso Gafua
Tuesday
Aso Lua
Wednesday
Aso Lulu
Thursday
Aso Tofi
Friday
Aso Faraile
Saturday
Aso To'ana'i

Months

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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

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Colors

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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

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Stop here please
Taofi i, fa'amolemole.

Bus and train

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Directions

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Taxi

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Lodging

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Money

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Eating

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Bars

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Shopping

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Driving

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Authority

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Learning more

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This Samoan phrasebook is an outline and needs more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. Please plunge forward and help it grow!