User:Akaudej/Vocabulary

yes io (ee-oh)

no sega (sayngah)

work cakacaka (thaka-thaka)

bad ca (tha)

beer bia (bee-a)

big, many levu (layvu)

bird manumanu vuka (mahnumahnu vukah)

boy, male tagane (tahng-ahnay)

cassava, tapioca tavioka (tav-i-oh-kah)

child gone (ngonay)

comb i-seru (ee-seru)

cup bilo (bee-low)

eat kana (kahna)

fish ika (ee-kah)

food kakana (kakahna)

girl, female yalewa (yah-lay-wah)

handsome, beautiful totoka (toe-toe-kah)

happy, satisfied marau (mah-rau)

house vale (va-lay)

kava yaqona (yang-go-nah)

kava bowl tanoa (tah-noah)

man tagane (tahng-ahnay)

man turaga (tu-rahng-ah)

matches masese (mah-say-say)

money ilavo (ee-lah-vo)

pot kuro (koo-row)

sleeping house bure (bur-ay)

small lailai (lie-lie)

smart matai (mah-tye)

stone vatu (vah-too)

stupid or crazy lialia (lee-ah lee-ah)

taro dalo (dahlo)

tobacco tavako (tah-vak-o)

today nikua (nickuah)

toilet vale lailai (vah-lay lie-lie)

tomorrow ni mataka (ni mahtahka)

tree vu ni kau (vu ni cow)

village koro (koro)

whale's tooth tabua (tam-boo-ah)

woman marama (mah-rah-mah)

yesterday nanoa (na-noa)

Some Useful Concepts

killing time, fooling around moku siga (moku singah)

wandering around gade (gan-day)

go slowly, take your time vaka malua (vaka-mahluah)

eat heartily kana vaka levu (kahna vaka layvu)

taboo, forbidden tabu (tamboo)

exclamation of regret isa, isa lei (ee-sah, ee-sah lay)

ashamed, shy madua (man-doo-ah)

go ahead and try tovolea mada (toe-vo-lay-ah mahndah)

a request kerekere (kerri-kerri)

Some Useful Phrases

Where are you going? (Interestingly enough there are no literal equivalents for 'How are you?' Instead, Fijians might ask a friend they see on the street this, which is as much a greeting as it is a question.)

O sa lako ki vei? (o sa lahko kee vay)

Good day (a polite greeting and one of the first Fijian phrases you will hear). Nibula. (nimbula)

A less formal greeting (literally 'health' and 'life'). Bula. (mbula)

Good morning. Ni sa yadra. (ni sah yandra)

Goodbye/Good night (literally, 'sleep'). Ni sa moce. (ni sah mothay)

Come here. Lako mai eke. (lahko my kay)

Good/Thank you. Vinaka. (vinahka)

Thank you very much. Vinaka vaka levu. (vinahka vaka layvu)

Where do you come from? O ni lako mai vei? (o ni lahko my vay)

I come from New Zealand. Au lako mai Niu Siladi. (ow lahko my new silandi)

What's this? A cava oqo? (ah thava ongo)

It's a... E dua na... (ay do-ah nah...)

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Language of Fiji

Bula! This is the common Fijian greeting used when meeting friends or welcoming guests. It goes beyond the simple hello, though, to incorporate spirit and literally means “life”. So Bula! And Welcome to the Fijian language section.

Fiji has three official languages that are recognized by their constitution; English, Bau Fijian and Hindustani.

English is the main medium of communication. It is the language the government uses and is the main language of education, commerce and the courts. Fijians do, however, have a constitutional right to communicate with the government in any one of the three official languages.

Fijian belongs to the Austronesian family of languages. There are many dialects, but the official standard is the speech of Bau. The Austronesian languages are a family of languages that are found throughout the islands of Southeast Asia and the Pacific and continental Asia. It is one of the largest language families in the world. The word Austronesian comes from the Greek word Austronesia meaning southern islands.

The Fijian alphabet is made up of all of the English letters, except ‘x’. The letters ‘h’ and ‘z’ are rarely used and are usually found only in borrowed words. Some Fijian Words and Phrases

Family: Mother – nana Father – tata Grandmother – bubu yalewa (mother’s mother) - bubu yalewa (father’s mother) Grandfather – bubu tagane (father’s father) - bubu tagane (mother’s father) Son – luvequ tagane Daughter – luvequ yalewa Sister – tuakaqu yalewa (older sister) - taciqu yalewa (younger sister) Brother – tuakaqu tagane (older brother) - taciqu tagane (younger brother) Aunt – nana levu (mother's older sister) - nana lailai (mother's younger sister) - nei (father’s sister) Uncle – tata levu (father's older brother) - tata lailai (father's younger brother) - momo (mother's brother)

Colours: black – loaloa green – droka.droka, kara.karawa orange – moli brown – braun, raradamu blue –kara.karawa

Numbers: Zero - saiva One – dua Two – rua Three – tolu Four – va Five – lima Six – ono Seven – vitu Eight – walu Nine – ciwa Ten – tini

Phrases: What is your name? - o cei na yacamu(ni)? My name is _____ - o yau o _______ _____ - na yacaqu o _______ Pleased to meet you - ia (ni) bula Where are you going? - o sa lako ki vei? Goodbye - ni sa moce yes - io no - sega Hello – bula* Good morning - andra vinaka How are you? - o lai vei? Please - kere kere Thanks - vinaka Excuse me – tulou Eat – kana Come – lako mai Go – lako tani Coconut - niu Prouncing Fijian:

   * Vowels are pronounced as they are in Spanish, German or Italian while most consonants are pronounced as in English.
     ‘b’ & ‘d’ are pronounced with preceding nasal consonant. ‘b’ sounds like ‘mb’ and d like ‘nd’.
   * ‘k’, ’p’ and ’t’ are the same as in English but there is no puff of breath that often follows them. For example the ‘t’ sounds like ‘ch’ when it occurs before ‘i’, therefore you would pronounce ‘tiko’ like ‘jiko’.
   * ‘r’ is the same as in English
   * ‘v’ is pronounced as you would say it in the word ‘verify’
   * ‘c’ is pronounced as the ‘th’ of ‘this’
   * ‘j’ is pronounced as the ‘ch’ of ‘loch’
   * ‘q’ is pronounced as the ‘ng’ of ‘sing’

   * January - Janueri
   * February - Veverueri
   * March - Maji
   * April - Evereli
   * May - Me
   * June - June
   * July - Jiulai
   * August - Okosita
   * September - Seviteba
   * October - Okotova
   * November - Noveba
   * December - Tiseba