Language

Overview

Welcome to the Pacific Language Learning section, a vital resource designed to enhance your understanding of Pacific health and foster effective communication with some of our diverse Pacific Island communities. Pacific languages and their similarities and differences within the different Pacific areas of Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia, highlights the existing diversity of our Pacific peoples. Here, you'll find a comprehensive collection of common phrases in our main eight Pacific languages here in Aotearoa, as well as an interactive phrase tool to empower you with practical language skills.

Learning the basics of Pacific languages goes beyond language acquisition; it's a step towards cultural competence and cultural safety. Understanding and respecting the languages spoken by Pacific communities is key to providing culturally sensitive healthcare.

By exploring the Pacific Language Learning section, we hope you'll not only develop practical language skills but also deepen your appreciation for the diverse cultures within the Pacific region.

Knowing how to greet someone from the main eight Pacific languages is examinable.

Other Resources

Language Phrases Printable

Download and print out a handy language sheet that includes helpful phrases from across the Pacific.

Download Now

Tala Moana App

Tala-Moana app allows users to connect with 7 Pacific languages and cultures (Cook Islands, Fiji, Niue, Tonga, Tokelau, Sāmoan and Tuvalu) to improve their understanding of Pacific communities and their health and social needs.

The app has a variety of features to help users improve their cultural confidence in Pacific health communities in New Zealand including a section on “helpful phrases in the GP setting” covering topics related to Phrases, Body parts and anatomy, Diseases and Conditions, words for the different Health professionals and helpful phrases and terms for in the GP setting.

Language Tool

Tau kupu Niue kua lata tonu ke fakaaoga

Useful/Everyday/Simple Words

Vagahau Niue

English

Greetings/Hello

My name is Vai

(Replace Vai with your name)

I am from Niue

(Replace Niue with your nationality)

How are you?

I am a teacher

(Replace faiaoga with your occupation)

Please

Thank you

Yes

No

Where is the pain?

What are your medications?

Open your mouth

Breathe in

Breathe out

Lift

Push

Pull

Sit

Stand

Vagahau Niue

Niue Language

Vaoeli – Vowels

Aa, Ee, Ii, Oo, Uu

Konosonane – Consonants

Ff, Gg, Hh, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Pp, Rr, Ss, Tt, Vv

Hatakiaga Fakaleo Kupu – Pronunciation Guide

This chart contains the sounds of the short vowels of vagahau Niue.

Pronunciation Key

A, a – pronounced ‘a’ as in car, far
E, e – pronounced ‘e’ as in egg, enter
I, i – pronounced ‘ee’ as in beet, sheet
O, o – pronounced ‘o’ as in sore, sort
U, u – pronounced ‘oo’ as in cool, pool

Gagana o aso uma

Everyday phrases

Gagana Samoa

English

Greetings/Hello

My name is _____

I am from _____

How are you?

I am a _____

Please

Thank you

Yes

No

Where is the pain?

What are your medications?

Open your mouth

Breathe in

Breathe out

Lift

Push

Pull

Sit

Stand

Gagana Samoa

Samoan Language

Vaueli – Vowels:

Aa, Ee, Ii, Oo, Uu

As in the English language: are, there, three, or, too.

These vowels have the same pronunciation as other Pacific languages, including te reo Māori (Māori language).

Vowels can be long or short. Long vowels are marked with a macron (e.g. ā).

ā, ē, ī, ō, ū

As in the English language: father, egg, feet, thought, loot.

It is important that the short and long vowel sounds are used, as they distinguish between different words e.g. ava (respect) verses āvā (wife).

Konesene – Consonants:

Ff, Gg, Ll, Mm, Nn, Pp, Ss, Tt, Vv

The letters K, H and R are also used, but usually for foreign loanwords and/or for colloquial language.

The glottal stop ( ' ) is also used in Samoan and is treated as a consonant. It creates a pause between two vowels or creates a sharper sound when used at the start of a word, as the sound made in the English word uh-oh. Using the glottal stop, distinguishes different words such as fa’i (banana) and fai (to do), or ‘ulu (breadfruit) and ulu (head).

Aogā/Aho uma/Kupu faigofie

Useful/Everyday/Simple Words

Vosa Vakaviti

English

Greetings/Hello

My name is _____

I am from _____

How are you?

I am a _____

Please

Thank you

Yes

No

Where is the pain?

What are your medications?

Open your mouth

Breathe in

Breathe out

Lift

Push

Pull

Sit

Stand

Te Gagana Tokelau

Tokelau Language

Vaueli – Vowels:

Aa, Ee, Ii, Oo, Uu

As in the English language: are, there, three, or, too.

These vowels have the same pronunciation as other Pacific languages, including te reo Māori (Māori language).

Vowels can be long or short. Long vowels are marked with a macron (e.g. ā).

ā, ē, ī, ō, ū

As in the English language: father, egg, feet, thought, loot.

It is important that the short and long vowel sounds are used, as they distinguish between different words – e.g. mātua (mother) matua (to be a grown up).

Konehane – Consonants:

Ff, Gg, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Pp, Hh, Tt, Vv

The Gagana Tokelau: is much like in English, except that:

‘f’ is pronounced like ‘hw’ you make the ‘h’ sound at the back of your throat and then constrict the sound so that it becomes a ‘w’. As an example, fakalogo (to listen) sounds like ‘h-wa-ka-longo’
‘g’ is pronounced with a ‘n’ sound in front of ‘g’ – making it a ‘nga’ sound, as in te reo Māori, or the ‘ng’ sound from the English word ‘song’. As an example tagi (to cry) is pronounced ‘tangi’
‘h’ is pronounced like ‘hy’ in words such as hau (to come) which sounds like ‘hy-au’

Ngaahi Lea Faka-Tonga ‘e ‘aonga kiate koe

Useful / Everyday words

Vosa Vakaviti

English

Greetings/Hello

My name is Finau

(Replace Finau with your name)

I am from Tonga

(Replace Tonga with your nationality)

How are you?

I am a Mother

(Replace Fa'ea with your occupation)

Please

Thank you

Yes

No

Where is the pain?

What are your medications?

Open your mouth

Breathe in

Breathe out

Lift

Push

Pull

Sit

Stand

Lea Faka-Tonga

Tonga Language

The Tongan language is phonetic in nature. It is important that when you see diacritics attached to vowels (i.e., ‘a, ā, á), you are aware that the pronunciation and the meanings of the words can change. For example – kaka (to climb) or kākā (to cheat).

The fakau ‘a (‘) or glottal stop, always comes before a vowel. This changes the pronunciation of the vowel to a shorter, sharper sound. This also changes the meanings of the words. For example – anga (behaviour) and ‘anga (shark).

Vaueli - Vowels

‘a, ‘e, ‘i, ‘o, ‘u

As in the English language: ah ha, elephant, inn, orange, ooh la la.

‘ā, ‘ē, ‘ī, ‘ō, ‘ū

As in the English language: Amen, egg, easy, oh no, soup.

Konisonānite - consonants:

Ff, Hh, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, NGng, Pp, Ss, Tt, Vv and the [‘] fakau‘a (glottal stop).

Pronunciation Guide

The pronunciation of the consonants is similar to English. However, the ‘ng’ is pronounced like the ‘nga’ sound in Te Reo Māori, or the ‘ng’ sound from the English word ‘song’. The Tongan language also uses fakamamafa pau (stress marks). The stress mark (á, é,í, ó, ú) seen at the end of a word tells us to make the vowel sound more exaggerated. For example, when we say the word Tongá it tells us to emphasise the ‘a’ sound at the end.

Malanivosa kei na Vosa

Phrases and Words

Vosa Vakaviti

English

Greetings/Hello

My name is _____

I am from _____

How are you?

I am a _____

Please

Thank you

Yes

No

Where is the pain?

What are your medications?

Open your mouth

Breathe in

Breathe out

Lift

Push

Pull

Sit

Stand

Vosa Vakaviti

Fijian Language

Vowels:

Aa, Ee, Ii, Oo, Uu

Vowels are mostly pronounced as if they were spoken in Spanish, Italian and German (as in ah or father, error, sit, toll, food or too).

Consonants:

Bb, Cc, Dd, Ff, Gg, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww, Yy

Pronouncing Consonants:

Most of the consonants are pronounced the same as they are in English, except for the letters b, c, d, g and q.

B – “mb” as in lumbar. Bula is pronounced “Mbu-la”
C – “th” as in father. Yacata is pronounced “Ya-tha-ta”
D – “nd” as in Sunday. Nadi is pronounce “Na-ndi”
G – “ng” as in finger. Gauna (time) is pronounced “Nga-una”
Q –“nq” as in finger. Qaravi (to serve) is pronounced “Nqa-ra-vi”

Note letters like k, p and t, are generally pronounced the same as they are in English, except there is not the sound of a slight breath that usually follows, so “t” would sound like “ch” when it is behind the letter “i.” Also, “j” is pronounced like the “ch” as in touch and “v” is pronounced with a short “ve” sound, like in vein.

Stress:

In most cases, unless with long vowels, the stress tends to be on the NEXT to last syllable. Examples: Ka u ta – bring, vi naka – thank you, good. For long vowels, stress is applied wherever it appears. Examples: Ki-la, know, macawa – sky, week.

Au Tuatua Rā `Ua Nei

Everyday Phrases

Te Reo Māori Kūki ‘Airani

Papa’ā - English

Greetings/Hello

My name is Tokerau
(Replace Tokerau with your name)

I am from the Cook Islands
(Replace Kuki Airani with your nationality)

How are you?

I am a Reverend

(Replace Orometua with your occupation)

Please

Meitaki ma'ata

Thank you

Yes

Kare

No

Tei 'ea te mamae?

Where is the pain?

What are your medications?

Open your mouth

Breathe in

Breathe out

'Akaea to va'o

Lift

E tāki ki runga

Push

E 'ōpara

Pull

Sit

Stand

Te Reo Maori Kuki 'Airani

Cook Islands Language

Te au reo `enua tātakita'i – Dialects

There are several distinct dialects in the Cook Islands: Mangaia, Rarotonga, Ngāpūtoru (made up of Atiu, Ma’uke and Miti’āro, Aitutaki, Manihiki, Rakahanga, Tongareva, Pukapuka and Palmerston), however the main dialect being taught is the Rarotongan dialect - Rarotonga being the capital of the Cook Islands.

Vōvera – Vowels

These have the same pronunciation as other Pacific languages, including te reo Māori Nū Tīreni (NZ Māori language). Using the 2 distinctive signs, the Mākarōna (macron) and ‘Āmata (glottal stop), changes the sound and meaning of each word, mākarōna (ā) giving it a long sound and ‘Āmata (Glottal Stop) (`a), a quick sound - eg. marama (moon) and mārama (daylight/understand).

`a, `e,` i, `o, `u
As in the English: about, express, ink, opt, or put.

ā, ē, ī, ō, ū
As in the English: father, bed, feet, thought, loot.

Kōnitinena – Consonants

ng, k, m, n, p, r, t, v Consonants must always be followed by a vowel and are pronounced like in English. ‘Ng’ sound is as in the English word ‘sing.’ ‘T’ with the vowels a, e, and o added has a slight ‘D’ sound. The Tongareva alphabet has two additional consonants: s and h; the Manihiki and Rakahanga dialects also have a f and h. Pukapuka with a more distinctive language, have the letters l, w, and y in its alphabet.

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