Samoan phrasebook
Sourced from Wikivoyage. Text is available under the CC-by-SA 3.0 license.
Pronunciation guide
Vowels
; A : ah ; E : eh ; I : aye ; O : oh ; U : ooAll 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
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
Phrase list
Basics
; 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 name of language . : . ( )
; 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
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.
Time
Clock time
Duration
Days
; Sunday : Aso Sa; Monday : Aso Gafua
; Tuesday : Aso Lua
; Wednesday : Aso Lulu
; Thursday : Aso Tofi
; Friday : Aso Faraile
; Saturday : Aso To'ana'i
Months
; 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
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