Useful Tongan phrases

A collection of useful phrases in Tongan, an Austronesian language spoken mainly in

Tonga.
Cick on any of the phrases that are links to hear them spoken. If you can provide
recordings, corrections or additional translations, please contact me.
To see these phrases in many other languages click on the English versions. If you'd
like to see these phrases in any combination of two languages, try the Phrase Finder.
Key to abbreviations: frm = formal, inf = informal, sg = said to one person, dl = said to
two people, tr = said to three people
English

Faka-Tonga (Tongan)

Welcome

Talitali fiefia

Hello (General greeting)

Ml e lelei (inf)
Ml etau lava (frm)

How are you?

Ff hake? (sg)
Mo ff hake? (dl)
Mou ff hake? (tr)

Reply to 'How are you?'

Sai p, ml, ff koe?

Long time no see

Fuoloa 'e fepulingaki

What's your name?

Ko hai ho hingoa?

My name is ...

Ko hoku hingoa ko...

Where are you from?

Ko ho'o ha'u mei fe?

I'm from ...

Ko 'eku ha'u mei ...

Pleased to meet you

Good morning
(Morning greeting)

Ml tau mau e pongipongi ni

Good day

Ml e lelei
Ml e laumalie (to a chief)
Ml e lakoifua (to a monarch)

Good afternoon
(Afternoon greeting)

Ml tau mau e hoata ni

Good evening
(Evening greeting)

Ml tau mau e efiafi ni

Good night

Pouli a
Mohe a

Goodbye
(Parting phrases)

Alu a (to sb going)

Fakaau (to sb going - vfrm)
Nofo (to sb staying)
Toki sio (see you later - inf)

Good luck

Mon'ia

Cheers! Good Health!

(Toasts used when drinking)
Have a nice day
Bon appetit /
Have a nice meal
Bon voyage /
Have a good journey
I understand

Oku mahino kiate au

I don't understand

ikai mahino

Please speak more slowly

Fakamolemole duku ho lea vave

Please say that again

Fakamolemole toe tala mai

Please write it down

Kataki o tohii mai

Do you speak English?

Oku ke lava o lea faka-plangi?

Do you speak Tongan?

Oku ke lava o lea faka-Tonga?

Yes, a little
(reply to 'Do you speak ...?')

Oku ou lea faka-Tonga siisii p

How do you say ... in Tongan?

Ko e h a e lea faka-Tonga ki he ...?

Excuse me

Ktaki
Tulou

How much is this?

Oku fiha e?
Fija hono totongi?

Sorry

Fakamolemole

Please

Ktaki

Thank you

Ml
Ml aupito

Reply to thank you

Io ml

Where's the toilet?

Ko f a e falemll?

'E totongi ktoa 'ehe tamasi'i.

(>children & young people)
'E totongi ktoa 'ehe tangata.
This gentleman will pay for everything
(>married & middle aged people)
'E totongi ktoa 'ehe tangata'eiki.
(>the elderly)

This lady will pay for everything

'E totongi ktoa 'ehe tahine.

(>children & young people)
'E totongi ktoa 'ehe fefine.
(>married & middle aged people)
'E totongi ktoa 'ehe fine'eiki.
(>the elderly)

Would you like to dance with me?

Teke lava tauolunga mo au?

I love you

Oku ou ofa ia koe

Get well soon

Leave me alone!
Help!

Tokoni mai!

Fire!

Koe afi!

Stop!

Tuku ia!

Call the police!

Teu ta ki he polise!

Christmas and New Year greetings

Kilisimasi fiefia mo ha ta'u fo'ou mon'ia

Easter greetings

Ma'u ha 'aho Pekia fiefia.

Birthday greetings

Ma'u ha 'aho fiefie

Ma'u ha 'aho fa'ele'i fiefia

One language is never enough

He'ikai fe'unga ke 'ilo ha lea 'e taha.

My hovercraft is full of eels

Why this phrase?

Hoku vakapuna tt 'i 'olunga fono 'i he toke.

Heres a list of some of the good (but, mostly bad) kapekape that Group 79 PCTs have accidentally
come across:
1)

Usi a**hole. Dangerously close to osi, which means finished, or done, and is used quite frequently in
Tonga to declare the end of a presentation or speech etc.

2)

Potu penis. Again, dangerously close to poto, which means smart or clever; quick to learn.

3)

Fieuli horny; literally translates to to want the dirty. Fieuli is very different from fakauli, which means to
drive.

4)

Huhu If you say eku huhu, it means my fork. If you say hoku huhu, it means my boob.

5)

Tae When used before a word it is the equivalent to less, or without, (e.g. careless or without
care). When not used before another word, it means sh*t.

6)

Fai Most of the time it means do, as in what did you do this weekend? Other times it means to f*ck.

7)

Tepilo is to fart. Tepile is table.

8)

Onoono to moon someone; a.k.a. to drop trough and show someone your pale booty view. Ono ono is
the word for the number 66. Distinguishing the difference in pronunciation is a matter of finesse.

9)

One of the other PCTs called her host mom po, or toilet bowl, for the first three weeks of training. Her
name is Pou, a very common nickname for Tupou in Tonga.

10)

I repeated the word fulu in Tauas ear literally seven times until he laughingly begged me to stop saying
that. I was trying to tell him that I was washing the dishes, or fufulu ipu. Fulu is not fufulu. Fulu is pubic
hair.