Common Family & Everyday Phrases

People in the aiga

Tinā is mother, tamā father, uso a same-sex sibling, tuafafine a man's sister and tuagane a woman's brother. Tama is boy or son, teine girl or daughter. Grandparents are usually addressed as tinā matua and tamā matua, and cousins are simply called uso within the family.

The uso and tuafafine distinction matters: the brother–sister relationship, feagaiga, is treated as sacred, and using the wrong word blurs a relationship Samoan culture keeps carefully marked.

Around the house

Sau e 'ai — come and eat. Ua sauni le mea'ai — the food is ready. Fufulu ipu — wash the dishes. Salu le fale — sweep the house. Alu e moe — go to sleep. Tu i luga — get up. Sau i'i — come here. These short household phrases can provide a manageable starting point for language practice at home.

Affection and encouragement

Ou te alofa ia te oe — I love you. Manuia lou aso — have a good day. Lelei tele — very good, said as praise to a child. Fa'amalosi — keep strong, used when someone is struggling. Ia manuia — be blessed, a general well-wish closing many conversations.

Evening devotion

The lotu a le aiga uses phrases such as ia tatou tatalo (let us pray), tatou usu (let us sing), and fa'afetai i le Atua (thanks be to God). Families can use a short evening devotion as one opportunity to practise both faith vocabulary and formal Samoan.