Samoan is spoken by roughly 510,000 people worldwide: in Samoa, American Samoa, and across diaspora communities in New Zealand, Australia and the United States. This is a working list of the words and phrases you will actually hear, grouped by when you would use them.
Greetings and everyday courtesy
| Samoan | English |
|---|---|
| Talofa | hello |
| Mālo | hi (informal), also well done |
| Tofa soifua | goodbye |
| Fa'afetai | thank you |
| Fa'afetai tele lava | thank you very much |
| Fa'amolemole | please |
| Tulou | excuse me (said when passing in front of someone) |
| O a mai oe? | how are you? |
| Manuia | well / blessed; also a toast |
Family and relationships
| Samoan | English |
|---|---|
| Aiga | family, in the widest sense |
| Tinā | mother |
| Tamā | father |
| Uso | sibling of the same gender |
| Tuafafine | a man's sister |
| Tuagane | a woman's brother |
| Matai | chief, family title holder |
| Fanau | children |
Words you will see on clothing and jewellery
| Samoan | English |
|---|---|
| Ula fala | red pandanus-key necklace worn by orators |
| Elei | printed cloth pattern |
| Siapo | painted bark cloth |
| Tatau | tattoo (the origin of the English word) |
| Pe'a | the male tatau |
| Malu | the female tatau |
| Lavalava | wrapped cloth garment |
| Puletasi | women's formal two-piece |
Ula fala. The word and the print. The necklace worn by those with the right to speak for their family.
Shop it →Food words
| Samoan | English |
|---|---|
| Palusami | taro leaves baked in coconut cream |
| Oka | raw fish in coconut cream and lemon |
| Sapa sui | Samoan chop suey |
| Pani popo | coconut buns |
| Panikeke | Samoan pancakes |
| Fa'ausi | grated taro in coconut caramel |
| Koko | Samoan cocoa |
| Umu | above-ground stone oven |
Every food word above, with the recipe behind it. Written for cooks a long way from an umu.
See the book →Values you cannot translate in one word
Fa'a Samoa: literally “the Samoan way”. The whole system of custom, obligation and respect that organises Samoan life. Alofa: usually given as “love”, but closer to love expressed as action: generosity, care, showing up. Fa'aaloalo: respect, particularly toward elders and matai. Tautua: service to family, the path by which a matai title is earned.
How Samoan pronunciation works
Every vowel is pronounced: a as in father, e as in bet, i as in machine, o as in go, u as in flute. The macron (ā, ē) lengthens the vowel. The apostrophe is a glottal stop, a real consonant, not decoration. Fa'a is two beats, not one. And g is pronounced “ng”, which is why aiga is said “ah-ing-ah”.
Common questions
How do you say thank you in Samoan?
Fa'afetai. For thank you very much, fa'afetai tele lava.
How do you say hello in Samoan?
Talofa is the standard greeting. Mālo is a more casual hi.
What does aiga mean?
Family, but far broader than the English word. It includes extended family and everyone bound by shared obligation.
Is Samoan hard to learn?
Pronunciation is regular and predictable, which makes reading it easier than most languages. The harder part is the formal register. Samoan has a separate chiefly vocabulary used for matai and formal occasions.
What is fa'a Samoa?
The Samoan way: the whole system of custom, respect and family obligation that organises Samoan life.
