Beginner's Tongan

by simmmo

Starting course for pālangi English speakers who want to learn the language of the Kingdom of Tonga

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This is a language course created by the Memrise Community users

Total 8 levels

- mālō e lelei
  Hello!
- fēfē hake
  How are you?
- sai pē
  Just fine!
- ko hai ho hingoá
  What's your name?
- ko Tevita au
  I am David.
- ko e hā e lea faka-Tonga ki he 'David'
  How do you say 'David' in Tongan?
- ʻoku ʻikai keu ʻilo
  I don't know.
- ko ia
  That's it!
- fakamolemole
  Sorry!
- kātaki
  Please!
- tulou
  Sorry! (when passing in front or reaching across)
- mahino
  Understand?
- ʻoku ʻikai mahino
  I don't understand.
- ʻoku mahino
  I understand.
- mālō ʻaupito
  Thanks very much.
- ʻalu ā
  Goodbye! (to person going)
- nofo ā
  Goodbye! (to person staying)
- mou ō ā
  Goodbye! (to people going)
- mou nofo ā
  Goodbye! (to people staying)
- fakaʻau ā
  Goodbye! (polite singular)
- mou fakaʻau ā
  Goodbye! (polite plural)
- ko e hā au
  What am I? (being; eg. animal)
- ko e kulī au
  I'm a dog.
- ko e hā koaá
  What was that? (didn't catch it) (polite)
- ko hoku hingoá ko ...
  My name is ...
- ʻoku ou nofo ʻi ...
  I live in ...
- ʻokú ke nofo ʻi fē
  Where do you live?
- ko ē
  That's it, yes
- mālō ʻemau meʻatokoni
  Thank you for our food
- taimi kamata
  Time to start
- taimi tuku
  Time to stop
- ʻoku ou nofo noa pē
  I'm not doing anything
- ʻokú te nofo noa pē
  *I'm* not doing anything
- taha
  one
- ua
  two
- tolu
  three
- fā
  four
- nima
  five
- ono
  six
- fitu
  seven
- valu
  eight
- hiva
  nine
- hongofulu
  ten
- taha taha
  eleven
- taha ua
  twelve
- taha tolu
  thirteen
- taha fā
  fourteen
- taha nima
  fifteen
- taha ono
  sixteen
- taha fitu
  seventeen
- taha valu
  eighteen
- taha hiva
  nineteen
- ua noa
  twenty
- ua taha
  twenty-one
- uoua
  twenty-two
- ua tolu
  twenty-three
- tolu noa
  thirty
- fā fā
  forty-four
- nimenima
  fifty-five
- ono ono
  sixty-six
- tolu tolu
  thirty-three
- fitu fitu
  seventy-seven
- valu valu
  eighty-eight
- hivehiva
  ninety-nine
- teau
  one hundred
- ʻelefānite
  elephant
- pulu
  cow
- pusi
  cat
- sita
  cheetah
- manu puna
  bird
- lainōlosi
  rhinoceros
- hipopotama
  hippopotamus
- sipi
  sheep
- ko e fanga puaka ʻa Sione
  John has some pigs
- sepelā
  zebra
- kalokataile
  crocodile
- pola pea
  polar bear
- lāpisi
  rabbit
- ko e ongo kulī ʻa Ema
  Emma has two dogs
- taika
  tiger
- hoosi ʻe tolu
  three horses
- ngeli
  monkey
- kangakalū
  kangaroo
- pengikuini
  penguin
- laione
  lion
- fanga silafe
  giraffes (pl)
- feke
  octopus
- manu totolo
  land animal
- manu ʻotahi
  ocean animal
- ongo ʻanga
  two sharks (dual)
- ika
  fish
- tofuaʻa
  whale
- fanga lulu
  owls (pl)
- peka
  flying fox
- kakā
  parrot
- moko
  lizard, gecko
- fanga manu lalata
  domesticated animals
- manu lalata
  domesticated animal
- moa
  chicken
- toke
  eel
- ongo lupe
  (a couple of) pigeons (dual)
- moa taʻane
  cockerel/rooster
- pato
  duck
- ngata
  snake
- kosi
  goat
- fonu
  turtle, tortoise
- paka ʻe ua
  two crabs
- ʻunga
  hermit crab
- valu
  tuna
- uloulaʻāvai
  prawn
- sāmani
  salmon
- fakafeʻiloaki e fanga manu lalatá
  Introducing the pets
- kinipiki
  Guinea pig
- pīpī
  turkey
- kenali
  Canary
- tongikī
  donkey
- hina
  spider
- kumā
  rat/rodent
- fonu kakau
  turtle
- silafe
  giraffe
- ʻanga
  shark
- paka
  crab
- lupe
  pigeon
- lulu
  owl
- hoosi
  horse
- lanu
  colour
- ko e hā e lanu e
  What colour is ...
- kulokula
  red
- lanupulū
  blue
- lanupingikī
  pink
- engeenga
  yellow
- lanumata
  green
- melomelo
  brown
- hinehina
  white
- ʻuliʻuli
  black
- pulepule
  multicoloured (prefix)
- pulepule hinehina mo ʻuliʻuli
  it's black and white
- vāleti
  purple
- tukumisi
  grey
- lanumoli
  orange
- siliva
  silver
- koula
  gold
- melomelo mālohi
  dark brown
- engeenga vaivai
  light yellow
- fakapōpōʻuli
  dark
- mālohi
  dark
- vaivai
  light
- ko e hā e hingoa e kulií
  What's the dog's name?
- ʻoku toko nima e fanga puaka ʻa Sione
  John has five pigs
- ko e ongo tokoua ʻa Sione
  John has two brothers
- ko e hā e hingoa hoʻo pató
  What's your duck called?
- ko e hingoa ʻeku pató ko Tōnolo
  My duck is called Donald.
- ko e hā e manu ko ení
  What is this animal?
- ko e hā e manu ko ená
  What is that animal?
- ʻoku toko fiha hoʻo pusí
  How many cats have you got?
- ko e kosi ʻe taha
  I have one goat.
- ko e ongo pusi ʻe ua
  I have two cats.
- ko e fanga sipi ʻe taha ua
  I have twelve sheep.
- fakamatala fēfē manu lalata
  Describe (your) pet.
- niku
  Tail
- kili
  skin
- fulufulu
  fur; hair; feather
- lōloa
  long
- fulufulua
  furry/hairy/feathered
- ko e pusi fulufulua mo lanu melomelo mo hiku lōloa
  The cat is furry, brown and with a long tail
- nifo
  teeth
- telinga
  ear
- ko e lāpisi nifo lōloa ʻoku telinga lōloa mo lanu hinehina
  The rabbit has long teeth. It has long ears and is white.
- namu
  smell (emit)
- namukū
  smell bad
- kālou
  bark
- longoaʻa
  noisy
- ko e kulī namukū ʻoku kālou longoaʻa
  The dog is smelly. He has a noisy bark
- hiva
  sing, song
- fakaʻofoʻofa
  pretty
- ko e kakā fulufulua mo lanu pulepule fakaʻofoʻofa pea hiva longoaʻa
  The parrot is feathered, brightly coloured and has a noisy cry
- meʻa tosi
  beak
- fei meʻakai
  Preparation of food
- ʻuluaki fufulu e ʻāpelé
  Firstly, wash the apple.
- ʻāpele
  apple
- fufulu
  clean, wash
- ua fohi e molí
  Secondly, peel the orange
- fohi
  Peel (with hands)
- moli
  orange
- ua tele e ʻāpelé
  Secondly, peel the apple
- tolu tofi e patetá
  Thirdly, cut the potato
- tele
  Peel (with knife)
- tofi
  Cut, divide
- pateta
  potato
- fā tufa e ʻāpelé
  Fourthly, give out the apple
- tufa
  Give out, distribute
- kātaki tofi í mai ʻeku meʻi moli
  Please can you cut me a little piece of orange?
- mai
  to me/to us
- meʻi
  small (piece)
- Uate, tele koe e ʻāpelé
  Uate, you peel the apple
- koe
  You (sing)
- ʻoku ou ʻuluaki tele
  Shall I peel it first? OR I am peeling it first
- ʻikai naʻá mau inu ʻotai
  No, we drank ʻotai
- ʻalu
  Go! (sing)
- mou ō
  Go! (pl)
- haʻu
  Come! (sing)
- mou ō mai
  Come! (pl)
- naʻá ke kai ma
  Did you eat bread? (sing)
- ʻio naʻá ku kai ma
  Yes, I ate bread
- naʻá mou inu vai
  Did you drink water? (pl)
- mou tangutu
  Sit down! (pl)
- tuʻu
  Stand up! (sing)
- naʻá ke lea
  Did you speak? (sing)
- naʻá mou ako faka-Tonga
  Did you study Tongan? (pl)
- ʻio naʻá mau ako faka-Tonga
  Yes, we studied Tongan
- tangutu
  Sit down! (sing)
- mou tuʻu
  Stand up! (pl)
- naʻá ne inu kava
  Did he drink kava?
- ʻikai naʻá ne inu vai pē
  No, he just drank water.
- naʻá nau kai pulu
  Did they eat beef?
- ʻikai naʻá nau kai ika pē
  No, they only ate fish.
- naʻá ku ako lea
  I studied language.
- naʻá ke kai kumala
  Did you eat sweet potato? Ising)
- naʻá ku kai ʻufi
  I ate yam.
- naʻá mou kai moa
  Did you eat chicken? (pl)
- ʻikai naʻá mau inu sota pē
  Nope, we just drank soda
- naʻá ne kai ika
  Did he eat fish?
- ʻio naʻá ne kai ika
  Yes, he ate fish
- naʻá nau inu ʻotai
  They drank 'otai.

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