Pasefika Sāmoan and Polynesian Dictionary


Sāmoan to English Dictionary



English Sāmoan Hawaiʻian Tongan Tahitian Māori Scientific
Four Fa ʻEha Fa Maha Wha
Taro petiole, (individual) stalk
Respect Faʻaaloalo Mahalo Fakaʻapaʻapa Faʻatura Kauanuanu
Thank you Faʻafetai Mahalo
Thank you very much Faʻafetai tele lava Mahalo nui loa
Listen Faʻalogo Hoʻolohe, Hoʻolono Fakafanongo Faʻaroʻo Whakarongo
X-ray Fāʻata Nānā i loko o ke kino Fakaʻata Hohoʻa rātio Whakaahua roto
Wait Faʻatali Kali Tali Tīaʻiraʻa Taritari
Abolish Faʻaʻuma Hoʻopau Fakaʻauha Faʻaʻore Whakakāhore
Woman Fafine Wahine Fefine Vahine Wahine
Bay Faga Hana Kōmaki ʻŌʻoʻa Whanga
Banana Faʻi Maiʻa Siaine Maiʻa Maika Musa
Manta Ray Fai Malie Hāhālua Manta Birostris
Bluespotted stingray Fai Tala Neotrygon kuhlii
Fluted Giant Clam Faisua ʻOlepe Tridacna Squamosa
Screwpine Fala Hala Fa Fara Rauhara Pandanus tectorius
House Fale Hale Fale Fare Whare
Birth Fānau Hānau Fanauʻi Fānau Whānau Parturition
Land Fanua ʻĀina Fonua Fenua Whenua
Screwpine Fasa Hala Fa Fara Rauhara Pandanus tectorius
Hibiscus (Beach) Fau Hau Fau Pūrau Hibiscus tiliaceus
Octopus Feʻe Heʻe Feke Feʻe Wheke Octopus Cyanea
Febuary Fepuali Pepeluali Fepueli Fepuare Pēpuere
Question Fesili Nīnau Fehuʻi Uiraʻa Pātai
Alexandrian laurel Fetau Kamani Calophyllum inophyllum
Star Fetū Hōkū Fetuʻu Fetiʻa Whetū
Meteoroid (Shooting Star) Fetū Afi Meteoroid
Saturn Fetū tea Planet
Rukam Filimoto Flacourtia rukam
Soap bush Fisoa Colubrina asiatica
Seven Fitu ʻEhiku Fitu Hitu Whitu
Ginger Fiu Zingiber officinale
Return, come back Foʻi Hoʻi Foki Hoʻi Hoki
Guest tree Fuʻafuʻa Kleinhovia hospita
Epipremnum pinnatum Fue lau fao Epipremnum pinnatum
Piper graeffei Fue manogi Piper graeffei
Beach morning glory Fue moa Ipomoea pes-caprae
Mile-a-minute vine Fue saina Mikania micrantha
Wax flower Fue sele la Hoya australis
Beach pea Fue sina Vigna marina
Turn Fuli Huli
Pull Futi Huki
Fish poison tree Futu Barringtonia asiatica

English to Polynesian Dictionary



Hawaiʻian to English Dictionary



Tongan to English Dictionary



Tahitian to English Dictionary



Māori to English Dictionary




Welcome to the Pasefika Polynesian Dictionary. This dictionary is meant to be a comparative dictionary to quickly view similarities, differences and cognate relationships between words across Polynesian languages. The dictionary includes a format that will display english to polynesian translation into words from Sāmoan, Hawaiʻian, Tongan, Māori, and Tahitian languages.

Most knowledge in Polynesia was communicated and passed on through language, legends, and songs.

The Sāmoan alphabet constists of these letters

Sāmoan written Alphabet: A E F G I L M N O P S T U V (K H R are additonal)

Vowels in Sāmoan language

  • A (ʻA A ʻĀ Ā) - pronounced (ˈä) AAh, like "AAh"
  • E (ʻE E ʻĒ Ē) - pronounced (ˈe) Eh, like net
  • I (ʻI I ʻĪ Ī) - pronounced (ē) EE, like see
  • O (ʻO O ʻŌ Ō) - pronounced (ō) oh, like "Oh"
  • U (ʻU U ʻŪ Ū) - pronounced (u̇(ə)) oo, like oops
  • A glottal stop and/or macron indicate short, normal, long sound and/or a brief pause in the sound of each vowel).

A glottal stop and/or macron indicate short, normal, long sound and/or a brief pause in the sound of each vowel).

Consonants in Sāmoan language
F G L M N P S T V

Comparison of consonant letters of Sāmoan language to languages of other Polynesian cultures

  • Sāmoa s or f = Aotearoa (Māori) h = Hawaiʻi h = Marquesas h = Tahiti h = Tonga h
  • Sāmoa g = Aotearoa (Māori) ng = Hawaiʻi n = Marquesas k = Tahiti = Tonga g
  • Sāmoa l = Aotearoa (Māori) r = Hawaiʻi l = Marquesas = Tahiti r = Tonga l
  • Sāmoa t = Aotearoa (Māori) t = Hawaiʻi k = Marquesas = Tahiti t = Tonga t
  • Sāmoa v = Aotearoa (Māori) w = Hawaiʻi w = Marquesas v = Tahiti v = Tonga v
  • Sāmoa f = Aotearoa (Māori) wh = Hawaiʻi h = Marquesas f or h = Tahiti h or f = Tonga f

The letter K in Sāmoan language

K
The letter K is a consonant than notes the use of the "K" style of Samoan language and/or used for words introduced with translation from other languages.

Additional Consonants in Sāmoan language

H R
Additional consonants (introduced with translation)

Some English letters informally are translated to Sāmoan Language with the use of additional consonants and rarely with vowels.

  • English b = Sāmoan p
  • English c = Sāmoan t/k or s
  • English d = Sāmoan t/k or s
  • English d = Sāmoan t/k
  • English g = Sāmoan t/k or s
  • English j = Sāmoan s or i

In studies of linguistics, Sāmoan language has been catagoriezed within the Austronesian family of languages.

Linguistic classification

  • Austronesian
  • Malayo-Polynesian
  • Oceanic
  • Central Pacific
  • Polynesian
  • Samoic
  • Sāmoan