Gagana Sāmoa
Samoan
Austronesian (Polynesian)
Samoan (Gagana Sāmoa; ISO 639-1: sm) is a Polynesian language of the Austronesian family, spoken chiefly in the Independent State of Samoa, American Samoa, and diaspora communities. It is written in a Latin alphabet in which the macron marks vowel length and the koma liliu (ʻ) marks the phonemic glottal stop; both distinctions can change meaning. Samoan has a socially conditioned T/K speech-register alternation: careful and formal speech generally retains /t/ and /n/, while familiar colloquial speech commonly realizes the corresponding sounds as /k/ and /ŋ/; this is a speech-style contrast, not a difference in recording. Basic clauses are often verb–subject–object, and pronouns distinguish inclusive from exclusive first person as well as singular, dual, and plural number. Possession uses contrasting a- and o-classes, and reduplication is productive in word formation.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Samoan
Sources
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Austronesian (Polynesian)
| Meaning | Samoan | Tokelauan | Tuvaluan | Niuean | Pukapukan | Tongan | East Futunan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | wai /wai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ |
| Fire | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ | awi /awi/ | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ |
| Sun | lā /laː/ | lā /laː/ | laa /laː/ | lā /laː/ | la /la/ | laʻā /laʔaː/ | laʻā /laʔaː/ |
| Moon | māsina /maːsina/ | māhina /maːhina/ | masina /masina/ | mahina /mahina/ | malama /malama/ | māhina /maːhina/ | māsina /maːsina/ |
| Star | fetū /fetuː/ | fetu /fetu/ | fetū /fetuː/ | fetū /fetuː/ | wetū /wetuː/ | fetuʻu /fetuʔu/ | fetuʻu /fetuʔu/ |
| Night | pō /poː/ | pō /poː/ | pō /poː/ | pō /poː/ | pō /poː/ | pō /poː/ | pō /poː/ |
| Rain | ua /ua/ | ua /ua/ | ua /ua/ | ua /ua/ | ua /ua/ | ʻuha /ʔuha/ | ʻua /ʔua/ |
| Snow | kiona /kiona/ | kiona /kiona/ | kiona /kiona/ | kiona /kiona/ | kīona /kiːona/ | sinou /sinou/ | nive /nive/ |
| Wind | matagi /mataŋi/ | matagi /mataŋi/ | matagi /mataŋi/ | matagi /mataŋi/ | matangi /mataŋi/ | matangi /mataŋi/ | matagi /mataŋi/ |
| Earth | ʻeleʻele /ʔeleʔele/ | kelekele /kelekele/ | kelekele /kelekele/ | kelekele /kelekele/ | kelekele /kelekele/ | kelekele /kelekele/ | kele /kele/ |
| Stone | maʻa /maʔa/ | fatu /fatu/ | fatu /fatu/ | maka /maka/ | watu /watu/ | maka /maka/ | maka /maka/ |
| Mountain | mauga /mauŋa/ | mauga /mauŋa/ | mauga /mauŋa/ | mouga /mouŋa/ | maunga /mauŋa/ | moʻunga /moʔuŋa/ | maʻuga /maʔuŋa/ |
| Sea | sami /sami/ | moana /moana/ | tai /tai/ | tahi /tahi/ | tai /tai/ | tahi /tahi/ | moana /moana/ |
| Mother | tinā /tinaː/ | mātua /maːtua/ | maatua /maːtua/ | matua fifine /matua fifine/ | matua wawine /matua wawine/ | faʻē /faʔeː/ | tinana /tinana/ |
| Father | tamā /tamaː/ | tamana /tamana/ | tamana /tamana/ | matua taane /matua taːne/ | matua tāne /matua taːne/ | tamai /tamai/ | tamana /tamana/ |
| Daughter | afafine /afafine/ | afafine /afafine/ | tama fafine /tama fafine/ | tama fifine /tama fifine/ | tamāwine /tamaːwine/ | ʻofefine /ʔofefine/ | taʻine /taʔine/ |
| I | aʻu /aʔu/ | au /au/ | au /au/ | au /au/ | au /au/ | au /au/ | au /au/ |
| You | ʻoe /ʔoe/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ |
| We | tātou / mātou /taːtou / maːtou/ | tātou / mātou /taːtou / maːtou/ | tātou / mātou /taːtou / maːtou/ | tautolu / mautolu /tautolu / mautolu/ | tātou / mātou /taːtou / maːtou/ | kitautolu / kimautolu /kitautolu / kimautolu/ | tātou / mātou /taːtou / maːtou/ |
| Name | igoa /iŋoa/ | igoa /iŋoa/ | igoa /iŋoa/ | higoa /hiŋoa/ | ingoa /iŋoa/ | hingoa /hiŋoa/ | igoa /iŋoa/ |
| Person | tagata /taŋata/ | tagata /taŋata/ | tino /tino/ | tagata /taŋata/ | tangata /taŋata/ | tangata /taŋata/ | tagata /taŋata/ |
| Head | ulu /ulu/ | ulu /ulu/ | ulu /ulu/ | ulu /ulu/ | ulu /ulu/ | ʻulu /ʔulu/ | ʻulu /ʔulu/ |
| Eye | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ |
| Ear | taliga /taliŋa/ | taliga /taliŋa/ | taliga /taliŋa/ | taliga /taliŋa/ | talinga /taliŋa/ | telinga /teliŋa/ | taliga /taliŋa/ |
| Nose | isu /isu/ | ihu /ihu/ | isu /isu/ | ihu /ihu/ | iyu /iðu/ | ihu /ihu/ | isu /isu/ |
| Mouth | gutu /ŋutu/ | gutu /ŋutu/ | gutu /ŋutu/ | gutu /ŋutu/ | ngutu /ŋutu/ | ngutu /ŋutu/ | gutu /ŋutu/ |
| Tooth | nifo /nifo/ | nifo /nifo/ | nifo /nifo/ | nifo /nifo/ | nio /nio/ | nifo /nifo/ | nifo /nifo/ |
| Tongue | laulaufaiva /laulaufaiva/ | alelo /alelo/ | alelo /alelo/ | alelo /alelo/ | alelo /alelo/ | ʻelelo /ʔelelo/ | ʻalelo /ʔalelo/ |
| Hand | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | nima /nima/ | lima /lima/ |
| Foot | vae /vae/ | vae /vae/ | vae /vae/ | hui /hui/ | vae /vae/ | vaʻe /vaʔe/ | vaʻe /vaʔe/ |
| Heart | loto /loto/ | fatu /fatu/ | fatu /fatu/ | atevili /atevili/ | loto /loto/ | loto /loto/ | mafu /mafu/ |
| Bone | ivi /ivi/ | ivi /ivi/ | ivi /ivi/ | hui /hui/ | ivi /ivi/ | hui /hui/ | ivi /ivi/ |
| Blood | toto /toto/ | toto /toto/ | toto /toto/ | toto /toto/ | toto /toto/ | toto /toto/ | toto /toto/ |
| Poop | tae /tae/ | tae /tae/ | tae /tae/ | tē /teː/ | tūtae /tuːtae/ | taʻe /taʔe/ | taʻe /taʔe/ |
| Love | alofa /alofa/ | alofa /alofa/ | alofa /alofa/ | fakaalofa /fakaalofa/ | aloa /aloa/ | ʻofa /ʔofa/ | alofa /alofa/ |
| Tree | laʻau /laʔau/ | lākau /laːkau/ | laakau /laːkau/ | akau /akau/ | lākau /laːkau/ | ʻakau /ʔakau/ | lāʻakau /laːʔakau/ |
| Dog | maile /maile/ | kuli /kuli/ | kuli /kuli/ | kuli /kuli/ | kulī /kuliː/ | kulī /kuliː/ | kulī /kuliː/ |
| Cat | pusi /pusi/ | puhi /puhi/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | pūsi /puːsi/ |
| Fish | iʻa /iʔa/ | ika /ika/ | ika /ika/ | ika /ika/ | ika /ika/ | ika /ika/ | ika /ika/ |
| Bird | manu /manu/ | manu /manu/ | manu /manu/ | manu /manu/ | manu /manu/ | manupuna /manupuna/ | manu /manu/ |
| Butterfly | pepe /pepe/ | pepe /pepe/ | pepe /pepe/ | pepe /pepe/ | — | pepe /pepe/ | pepe /pepe/ |
| Egg | fuamoa /fuamoa/ | fuāmoa /fuaːmoa/ | fuamoa /fuamoa/ | fua moa /fua moa/ | wuamoa /wuamoa/ | foʻi moa /foʔi moa/ | fua /fua/ |
| Bear | pea /pea/ | pea /pea/ | pea /pea/ | urosa /urosa/ | pea /pea/ | pea /pea/ | uluso /uluso/ |
| Horse | solofanua /solofanua/ | holofanua /holofanua/ | solofanua /solofanua/ | solofanua /solofanua/ | oloenua /oloenua/ | hoosi /hoːsi/ | ōsi /oːsi/ |
| House | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | wale /wale/ | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ |
| Milk | susu /susu/ | huāhuhu /huaːhuhu/ | susu /susu/ | huhu /huhu/ | wū /wuː/ | huʻakau /huʔakau/ | — |
| Honey | meli /meli/ | meli /meli/ | hani /hani/ | meli /meli/ | meli /meli/ | hone /hone/ | — |
| Salt | masima /masima/ | māhima /maːhima/ | masima /masima/ | masima /masima/ | miti /miti/ | māsima /maːsima/ | paʻatai /paʔatai/ |
| Wine | uaina /uaina/ | uaina /uaina/ | uaina /uaina/ | uaina /uaina/ | uwaina /uwaina/ | uaine /uaine/ | vino /vino/ |
| Rice | alaisa /alaisa/ | — | laisi /laisi/ | laisi /laisi/ | — | laise /laise/ | — |
| Chocolate | sukalati /sukalati/ | — | — | — | — | sokoleti /sokoleti/ | — |
| Iron | uʻamea /uʔamea/ | ukamea /ukamea/ | fiti /fiti/ | lapatoa /lapatoa/ | āuli /aːuli/ | ukamea /ukamea/ | ukamea /ukamea/ |
| Wheel | uili /uili/ | uili /uili/ | teka /teka/ | veli /veli/ | — | veʻeteka /veʔeteka/ | teka /teka/ |
| Silk | silika /silika/ | hilika /hilika/ | silika /silika/ | silika /silika/ | tilika /tilika/ | silika /silika/ | — |
| Book | tusi /tusi/ | tuhi /tuhi/ | tusi /tusi/ | tohi /tohi/ | puka /puka/ | tohi /tohi/ | tosi /tosi/ |
| Eat | ʻai /ʔai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ |
| Drink | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ |
| Sleep | moe /moe/ | moe /moe/ | moe /moe/ | mohe /mohe/ | moe /moe/ | mohe /mohe/ | moe /moe/ |
| One | tasi /tasi/ | tahi /tahi/ | tasi /tasi/ | taha /taha/ | tayi /taði/ | taha /taha/ | tasi /tasi/ |
| Two | lua /lua/ | lua /lua/ | lua /lua/ | ua /ua/ | lua /lua/ | ua /ua/ | lua /lua/ |
| Three | tolu /tolu/ | tolu /tolu/ | tolu /tolu/ | tolu /tolu/ | tolu /tolu/ | tolu /tolu/ | tolu /tolu/ |
| Four | fā /faː/ | fā /faː/ | fā /faː/ | fā /faː/ | wā /waː/ | fā /faː/ | fā /faː/ |
| Five | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | nima /nima/ | lima /lima/ |
| Hundred | selau /selau/ | helau /helau/ | selau /selau/ | teau /teau/ | lau /lau/ | teau /teau/ | kaulelau /kaulelau/ |
| Hello | talofa /talofa/ | malo ni /malo ni/ | taalofa /taːlofa/ | fakaalofa atu /fakaalofa atu/ | kia orana /kia oɾana/ | mālō e lelei /maːloː e lelei/ | mālō /maːloː/ |
| Thank you | faʻafetai /faʔafetai/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | fakaaue /fakaaue/ | meitaki /meitaki/ | mālō /maːloː/ | mālō /maːloː/ |
| Good | lelei /lelei/ | lelei /lelei/ | lei /lei/ | mitaki /mitaki/ | lelei /lelei/ | lelei /lelei/ | mālie /maːlie/ |
| New | fou /fou/ | fou /fou/ | fou /fou/ | foou /foou/ | wou /wou/ | foʻou /foʔou/ | foʻou /foʔou/ |
| Red | mūmū /muːmuː/ | kukula /kukula/ | kula /kula/ | kula /kula/ | kula /kula/ | kulokula /kulokula/ | kula /kula/ |
| White | paʻepaʻe /paʔepaʔe/ | paepae /paepae/ | kena /kena/ | tea /tea/ | tea /tea/ | hinehina /hinehina/ | tea /tea/ |
| Black | uliuli /uliuli/ | uli /uli/ | uli /uli/ | uli /uli/ | uli /uli/ | ʻuliʻuli /ʔuliʔuli/ | ʻuli /ʔuli/ |
| Green | lanumeamata /lanumeamata/ | lanu meamata /lanu meamata/ | lanu lau niu /lanu lau niu/ | lanu laukou /lanu laukou/ | yengayenga /ðeŋaðeŋa/ | lanu mata /lanu mata/ | moto /moto/ |
| Blue | lanumoana /lanumoana/ | lanumoana /lanumoana/ | lanu moana /lanu moana/ | lanu moana /lanu moana/ | yengayenga /ðeŋaðeŋa/ | lanu moana /lanu moana/ | ʻusi /ʔusi/ |
| Cuckoo | aleva /aleva/ | — | — | — | — | — | kāleva /kaːleva/ |
| Computer | komipiuta /komipiuta/ | komepiuta /komepiuta/ | komupiuta /komupiuta/ | komopiuta /komopiuta/ | — | komipiuta /komipiuta/ | masini /masini/ |
| Tea | tī /tiː/ | — | tī /tiː/ | tī /tiː/ | — | tī /tiː/ | — |
| Coffee | kofe /kofe/ | — | kofe /kofe/ | kofe /kofe/ | — | kofi /kofi/ | — |
| Sugar | suka /suka/ | — | suka /suka/ | suka /suka/ | — | suka /suka/ | — |
| Orange | moli /moli/ | moli /moli/ | moli /moli/ | moli /moli/ | — | moli /moli/ | moli /moli/ |
| Ninety-nine | ivasefulu ma le iva /ivasefulu ma le iva/ | iva hefuluiva /iva hefuluiva/ | iva sefulu iva /iva sefulu iva/ | — | — | hivangofulu mā hiva /hivaŋofulu maː hiva/ | — |
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Word order compared
Compare with major world languages
Samoan
Ou te
manaʻo
e faʻataʻitaʻi
se ofutino
na
ou vaʻaia
i
se faleoloa
i luma o
le faletalimalo
I
want to
try on
a suit
I
saw
in
a shop
across from
the hotel
Ich
möchte
einen Anzug
anprobieren
den
ich
in einem
Geschäft
gegenüber vom
Hotel
gesehen habe
मैं
होटल
के सामने
एक दुकान
में
देखा
सूट को
पहनकर देखना
चाहता हूँ
私は
ホテルの
向かいの
お店
で
見た
スーツを
試着
したいです
我
想
试穿
酒店
对面的
商店
里
看到的
那套西装
أنا
أريد
أن أجرب
بدلة
رأيتها
في
محل
مقابل
الفندق
Я
хочу
примерить
костюм
который
я увидел
в
магазине
напротив
отеля
Samoan
O
Tanaka
loʻu
igoa
My
name
is
Tanaka
Mein
Name
ist
Tanaka
मेरा
नाम
तनाका
है
私の
名前は
田中
です
我的
名字
是
田中
اسمي
هو
تاناكا
Моё
имя
—
Танака
Samoan
Ou te
ʻai
le taeao
i taeao uma
i le 7
I
eat
breakfast
every morning
at 7 o'clock
Ich
frühstücke
jeden Morgen
um 7 Uhr
मैं
हर सुबह
7 बजे
नाश्ता
करता हूँ
毎朝
7時に
朝ごはんを
食べます
我
每天早上
七点
吃
早饭
أتناول
أنا
الإفطار
كل صباح
الساعة السابعة
Я
завтракаю
каждое утро
в 7 часов
Samoan
O fea
le pito latalata
nofoaga o nofoaafi
Where
is
the nearest
station
Wo
ist
der nächste
Bahnhof
सबसे नज़दीकी
स्टेशन
कहाँ
है
一番近い
駅は
どこ
です
か
最近的
车站
在
哪里
أين
تقع
أقرب
محطة
Где
находится
ближайшая
станция
Samoan
E suamalie
tele
lenei
kofe
This
coffee
is
very
delicious
Dieser
Kaffee
ist
sehr
lecker
यह
कॉफ़ी
बहुत
स्वादिष्ट है
この
コーヒーは
とても
おいしいです
这
咖啡
很
好喝
هذه
القهوة
لذيذة
جداً
Этот
кофе
очень
вкусный
Samoan
Ou te
aʻoaʻo
le gagana Iapani
i le iunivesite
I
study
Japanese
at university
Ich
studiere
Japanisch
an der Universität
मैं
विश्वविद्यालय में
जापानी
पढ़ता हूँ
私は
大学で
日本語を
勉強しています
我
在大学
学
日语
أنا
أدرس
اللغة اليابانية
في الجامعة
Я
изучаю
японский язык
в университете
Samoan
O le a
susulu le la
taeao
le tau
Tomorrow's
weather
will be
sunny
Morgen
wird
das Wetter
sonnig
sein
कल
मौसम
धूप वाला
होगा
明日の
天気は
晴れ
でしょう
明天
天气
会
晴天
سيكون
الطقس
غداً
مشمساً
Завтра
погода
будет
солнечной
Samoan
E kuka
le afiafi
loʻu tina
i aso uma
My mother
cooks
dinner
every day
Meine Mutter
kocht
jeden Tag
Abendessen
मेरी माँ
हर रोज़
रात का खाना
बनाती है
お母さんは
毎日
夕食を
作ります
我妈妈
每天
做
晚饭
تطبخ
أمي
العشاء
كل يوم
Моя мама
готовит
ужин
каждый день
Samoan
Ou te
manaʻo
alu
i
Iapani
le
tausaga fou
I
want to
go
to
Japan
next
year
Ich
möchte
nächstes
Jahr
nach
Japan
fahren
मैं
अगले
साल
जापान
जाना
चाहता हूँ
私は
来
年
日本
に
行き
たいです
我
明
年
想
去
日本
أنا
أريد
أن أذهب
إلى
اليابان
العام
القادم
Я
хочу
поехать
в
Японию
в следующем
году
Samoan
E mafai
ea
ona tautala
Igilisi
Can
you
speak
English
Können
Sie
Englisch
sprechen
आप
अंग्रेज़ी
बोल
सकते हैं
あなたは
英語が
話せ
ます
か
你
会
说
英语
吗
هل
تستطيع
التحدث
باللغة الإنجليزية
Вы
умеете
говорить
по-английски
Compare with languages in the same classification
Makemake au
e hoʻāʻo
i kahi kamaʻa
aʻu i ʻike ai
ma
kahi hale kūʻai
ma mua o
ka hōkele
Kei te
hiahia au
ki te whakamātau
i tētahi hūtu
i kitea
i
tētahi toa
i mua i
te hōtēra
Samoan
Ou te
manaʻo
e faʻataʻitaʻi
se ofutino
na
ou vaʻaia
i
se faleoloa
i luma o
le faletalimalo
Gusto nako
sulayan
ang suit
nga
nakita nako
sa
tindahan
atbang sa
hotel
Au
via
vakatovolei
e dua na ivakatagedegede
ka
au raica
e
na sitoa
e
na otela
ʻO
Tanaka
koʻu
inoa
Ko
Tanaka
tōku
ingoa
Samoan
O
Tanaka
loʻu
igoa
Ang akong
ngalan
kay
Tanaka
Ko
Tanaka
na
yacaqu
ʻAi
au
i ka ʻaina kakahiaka
i kēlā me kēia kakahiaka
i ka hola 7
Ka kai
ahau
i te parakuihi
ia ata
i te 7 karaka
Samoan
Ou te
ʻai
le taeao
i taeao uma
i le 7
Mokaon
ko og
pamahaw
matag buntag
alas siyete
Au kana
na katakali
e na veisiga kece
e na 7 na kaloko
Aia i hea
ka hale kaʻa
kokoke
loa
Kei hea
te tūranga
tata
rawa atu
Samoan
O fea
le pito latalata
nofoaga o nofoaafi
Asa
ang
pinakauduol nga
istasyon
Evei
na voleka duadua na
siteseni
He ʻono
loa
kēia
kope
He
tino
reka
tēnei
kawhe
Samoan
E suamalie
tele
lenei
kofe
Kining
kape
kay
lami kaayo
E reka
vakalevu
oqo na
kofi
Ke aʻo nei
au
i ka ʻōlelo Kepanī
ma ke kulanui
E ako ana
ahau
i te reo Hapanīhi
i te whare wānanga
Samoan
Ou te
aʻoaʻo
le gagana Iapani
i le iunivesite
Nagtuon
ko og
Nihongo
sa unibersidad
Au
vulica
na vosa ni Japani
e na yunivesiti
E
lā
ke ʻano o ka lā o
ʻapōpō
Ka
paki
te āhua o
āpōpō
Samoan
O le a
susulu le la
taeao
le tau
Ang panahon
ugma
mahimo
init
E na
siga
ni mataka
na draki
Ke kuke nei
koʻu makuahine
i ka ʻaina ahiahi
i kēlā me kēia lā
Ka tunu
tōku whaea
i te kai o te pō
ia rā
Samoan
E kuka
le afiafi
loʻu tina
i aso uma
Magluto
ang akong inahan og
panihapon
matag adlaw
E vakasaqa
na vakayakavi
na tinaqu
e na veisiga kece
Makemake au
e hele
i
Iapana
i ka
makahiki aʻe
Kei te
hiahia au
haere
ki
Hapani
ā tēra
tau
Samoan
Ou te
manaʻo
alu
i
Iapani
le
tausaga fou
Gusto nako
moadto
sa
Japan
sunod nga
tuig
Au
via
lako
ki
Japani
na yabaki
mai oqo
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