Learn Tongan

Everyday words (80)

ako

learn, study, school · ʻOku ou ʻalu ki he ako. (I go to school.)

efiafi

evening · Mālō ʻa e efiafi. (Good evening.)

faʻē

mother · ʻOku fakapaku kai ʻa e faʻē. (Mother is cooking food.)

faiako

teacher · ʻOku angalelei ʻa e faiako. (The teacher is kind.)

fakafetaʻi

thanks be (to God), praise · Fakafetaʻi ki he ʻOtua. (Praise be to God.)

fakamolemole

please / sorry · Fakamolemole tokoni mai. (Please help me.)

fakatapu

respectful greeting acknowledging those present · Naʻá ne kamata hono lea ʻaki ha fakatapu. (He started his speech with a fakatapu.)

fale

house · ʻOku siʻi hoku fale. (My house is small.)

fāmili

family · ʻOku lahi hoku fāmili. (My family is big.)

fanongo

hear, listen · Fanongo ki he faiako. (Listen to the teacher.)

fēfē hake?

how are you? · Mālō e lelei Sione, fēfē hake? (Hello John, how are you?)

fefine

woman · ʻOku lalanga ʻa e fefine. (The woman is weaving.)

fetuʻu

star · ʻOku ʻi he langi ʻa e fetuʻu. (The stars are in the sky.)

fiefia

happy · ʻOku ou fiefia ʻaho ni. (I am happy today.)

fonua

land, country · Ko Tonga honau fonua. (Tonga is our country.)

haʻu

come · Haʻu ki heni. (Come here.)

hiva

song, sing · ʻOku nau hiva ʻaki ha hiva. (They are singing a song.)

ʻaho

day · Ko e ʻaho lelei ʻeni. (Today is a good day.)

ʻalu

go · ʻOku ou ʻalu ki ʻapi. (I am going home.)

ʻalu ā

goodbye (to the one leaving) · ʻAlu ā, ke mou mamalu ki ʻapi. (Goodbye, have a safe trip.)

ʻikai

no · ʻIkai, ʻikai ʻaho ni. (No, not today.)

ʻilo

know · ʻOku ou ʻilo. (I know.)

ʻio

yes · ʻIo, ʻoku ou mahinoʻi. (Yes, I understand.)

ʻofa

love · ʻOku mahuʻinga ʻa e ʻofa. (Love is important.)

ʻofa atu

love you (warm goodbye) · Nofo ā, ʻofa atu. (Goodbye, love you.)

ʻOtua

God · Ko e ʻOtua ko e ʻofa. (God is love.)

ʻufi

yam · Ko e ʻufi ko e ngoue fakatuʻi. (Yam is a chiefly crop.)

ʻuha

rain · ʻOku ʻuha ʻaho ni. (It is raining today.)

ika

fish · Naʻá ku puke ha ika. (I caught a fish.)

inu

drink · ʻOku ou fie inu vai. (I want to drink water.)

kai

eat, food · Tuku ke tau kai. (Let's eat food.)

kāinga

relatives, extended family · Naʻe fakatahataha ʻa e kāinga kotoa. (All our relatives gathered.)

kiekie

decorative waist girdle · Naʻá ne tui kiekie ki he lotu. (She wore a kiekie to church.)

kolo

village, town · ʻOku maʻa hoku kolo. (My village is clean.)

kovi

bad · ʻOku kovi ia. (That is bad.)

kui

grandparent · ʻOku motuʻa hoku kui. (My grandparent is old.)

lahi

big, many · ʻOku lahi ʻa e fale. (The house is big.)

laʻā

sun · ʻOku vela ʻa e laʻā. (The sun is hot.)

lakalaka

traditional group dance · Naʻe fai ʻe he kolo ʻa e lakalaka. (The village performed a lakalaka.)

lea

speak, language · Lea faka-Tonga. (Speak Tongan.)

lotu

church service, worship, prayer · ʻOku mau ʻalu ki he lotu ʻi he Sāpate. (We go to church on Sunday.)

māhina

moon, month · ʻOku ulo ʻa e māhina ʻi he pō ni. (The moon is bright tonight.)

mali

marriage, married · ʻOku na mali. (They are married.)

mālō e lelei

hello · Mālō e lelei, fēfē hake? (Hello, how are you?)

mālō ʻaupito

thank you very much · Mālō ʻaupito ki he kai. (Thank you very much for the food.)

mamahi

sad, painful · ʻOku mamahi ia. (She is sad.)

manioke

cassava · ʻOku tupu lelei ʻa e manioke ʻi heni. (Cassava grows well here.)

moa

chicken · ʻOku lele ʻa e moa. (The chicken is running.)

mohe

sleep · Ko e taimi ke mohe. (It is time to sleep.)

mokopuna

grandchild · ʻOku ʻofa ki heʻene mokopuna. (She loves her grandchild.)

motu

island · Ko Tongatapu ko e motu. (Tongatapu is an island.)

ngatu

tapa cloth · ʻOku tā ngatu ʻa e fefine. (She is making ngatu.)

ngāue

work · ʻOku ou maʻu ha ngāue. (I have to work.)

niu

coconut · ʻOku lōloa ʻa e fuʻu niu. (The coconut tree is tall.)

nofo

stay, sit, live · ʻOku ou nofo ʻi Nukuʻalofa. (I live in Nukuʻalofa.)

nofo ā

goodbye (to the one staying) · Nofo ā, ʻoku ou ʻalu ni. (Goodbye, I am leaving now.)

paʻanga

money; Tongan currency · ʻOku ʻikai haʻaku paʻanga. (I have no money.)

pō

night · Mālō ʻa e pō. (Good night.)

pongipongi

morning · Mālō ʻa e pongipongi. (Good morning.)

puaka

pig · ʻOku ʻi he loto ʻa e puaka. (The pig is in the pen.)

putu

funeral · ʻOku mau ʻalu ki ha putu. (We are attending a funeral.)

sai

good · ʻOku sai ʻa e kai. (The food is good.)

sai pē

I'm fine · Sai pē, mālō. (I'm fine, thank you.)

Sāpate

Sunday · Ko e Sāpate ko e ʻaho tapu. (Sunday is a holy day.)

siʻi

small, few · ʻOku siʻi ʻa e vai. (The water is little.)

sio

see, look · Sio ki ai. (Look at that.)

tahi

sea · ʻOku nonga ʻa e tahi. (The sea is calm.)

taʻahine

girl · ʻOku hiva ʻa e taʻahine. (The girl is singing.)

taʻovala

woven waist mat · ʻOku tui taʻovala ʻa e tangata. (He is wearing a taʻovala.)

taʻu

year · Ko e fiha hoʻo taʻu? (How old are you?)

talanoa

talk, chat, story · Tuku ke tau talanoa. (Let's chat.)

talo

taro · ʻOku mau tō talo. (We are planting taro.)

tamai

father · ʻOku ngāue ʻa e tamai. (My father is working.)

tamasiʻi

boy, child · ʻOku lele ʻa e tamasiʻi. (The boy is running.)

tangata

man · ʻOku lōloa ʻa e tangata ko ia. (That man is tall.)

tauʻolunga

traditional solo dance · Naʻá ne haka ʻa e tauʻolunga. (She performed a tauʻolunga.)

tuʻi

king · ʻOku nofo ʻa e tuʻi ʻi Nukuʻalofa. (The king lives in Nukuʻalofa.)

tulou

excuse me (polite, passing in front of someone) · Tulou atu. (Excuse me as I pass.)

uike

week · Te u foki mai ʻi he uike kahaʻu. (I will return next week.)

vai

water · Foaki mai ha vai keu inu. (Give me water to drink.)