Tongan: Difference between revisions
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== Order of words == | |||
*In Tongan you put an adjective <u>after</u>, not before a noun, i.e. ''big house'' becomes literally ''house big'' in Tongan: | *In Tongan you put an adjective <u>after</u>, not before a noun, i.e. ''big house'' becomes literally ''house big'' in Tongan: | ||
{{mu|fale lahi|big house|house big}} | {{mu|fale lahi|big house|house big}} | ||
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Wrong: '''*Ko e lahi fale eni''' | Wrong: '''*Ko e lahi fale eni''' | ||
= Tongan alphabet (Koe 'A Faka-Tonga) = | == Tongan alphabet (Koe 'A Faka-Tonga) == | ||
:'''A E F H I K L M N NG O P S T U V <nowiki>'</nowiki>''' | :'''A E F H I K L M N NG O P S T U V <nowiki>'</nowiki>''' | ||
=Normal Vowels (Vauele)= | == Normal Vowels (Vauele) == | ||
:'''a e i o u''' | :'''a e i o u''' | ||
== Long Vowels (Vauele Loloa) == | |||
:'''ā ē ī ō ū''' | :'''ā ē ī ō ū''' | ||
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This explains why the name '''Tonga''' is spelled as such. You can't have '''Toga''' (illegal syntax - can't have g by itself). However, you can have '''Tona''' - meaning "wart" , well different meanings, aren't they? | This explains why the name '''Tonga''' is spelled as such. You can't have '''Toga''' (illegal syntax - can't have g by itself). However, you can have '''Tona''' - meaning "wart" , well different meanings, aren't they? | ||
=Numbers: Decimal System= | == Numbers: Decimal System == | ||
{| class=wikitable | {| class=wikitable | ||
|- | |- | ||
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| Hiva | | Hiva | ||
|} | |} | ||
="Weights" or Place Values= | |||
== "Weights" or Place Values == | |||
{| class=wikitable | {| class=wikitable | ||
|- | |- | ||
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|} | |} | ||
=Frequently used words and phrases= | == Frequently used words and phrases == | ||
{| class=wikitable | {| class=wikitable | ||
|- | |- | ||
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|} | |} | ||
==Questions(Fehu'i)== | ==Questions (Fehu'i)== | ||
{| class=wikitable | {| class=wikitable | ||
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|} | |} | ||
=Tongan Currency (Tongan Pa'anga (TOP))= | == Tongan Currency (Tongan Pa'anga (TOP)) == | ||
{| class=wikitable | {| class=wikitable | ||
|- | |- | ||
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|} | |} | ||
=Links= | == Links == | ||
*http://web.archive.org/web/20070807165618/http://loseli.tripod.com/tasks.html | *http://web.archive.org/web/20070807165618/http://loseli.tripod.com/tasks.html |
Revision as of 10:19, 27 March 2015
Order of words
- In Tongan you put an adjective after, not before a noun, i.e. big house becomes literally house big in Tongan:
fale lahi big house house big [literally] |
- fale = house
- lahi = big
- In Tongan first you put a verb, then a subject, then an object. This might be confusing for speakers of English since in English usually you put a subject, then a verb, then an object:
Ko e fale lahi eni This is a big house. this house big is [literally] |
- ko e = this
- eni = is
- fale = house
- lahi = big
Wrong: *Ko e lahi fale eni
Tongan alphabet (Koe 'A Faka-Tonga)
- A E F H I K L M N NG O P S T U V '
Normal Vowels (Vauele)
- a e i o u
Long Vowels (Vauele Loloa)
- ā ē ī ō ū
Thus each vowel can has a macron, bar above it (faka'ilonga toloi).
The effect of having a bar on top makes each sound as if it is doubled. E.g. mama means chew whereas māma with a long vowel (ā) means light. Obviously the effect of having either a normal vowel or long vowel definitely affects the meaning.
Note
The following characters are not in the Tongan alphabet:
- b c d g j q r w x y z
Also ng are counted as one, they must always go together. The n can be by itself but g can't.
This explains why the name Tonga is spelled as such. You can't have Toga (illegal syntax - can't have g by itself). However, you can have Tona - meaning "wart" , well different meanings, aren't they?
Numbers: Decimal System
Digits | Numerical Names |
0 | Noa |
1 | Taha |
2 | Ua |
3 | Tolu |
4 | Fa |
5 | Nima |
6 | Ono |
7 | Fitu |
8 | Valu |
9 | Hiva |
"Weights" or Place Values
Tongan | English | Examples |
---|---|---|
Matelau | Units | e.g. taha, ua, tolu, .... |
Ngofulu | Tens | e.g. taha ua, ua nima, tolu ono, .... |
Ngeau | Hundreds | e.g. teau, teau ma ua, teau ma tolu, .... |
Afe | Thousands | e.g. tahāfe, tahāfe ma ua, tahāfe ma tolu, .... |
Mano | Tens of Thousands | e.g. taha mano, tahamono uāfe, tahamano toluafe, .... |
Kilu | Hundreds of thousands | e.g. tahakilu, tahakilu uamano, tahakilu uamano toluafe, .... |
Miliona | Millions | e.g. tahamiliona, tahamiliona uakilu, tolumiliona, .... |
Sample numbers | Expressions |
10 | hongofulu, you may also say taha noa as in "one zero" |
11 | hongofulu ma taha or simply taha taha (one one) |
20 | oofulu or simply ua noa,the rest follows a similar pattern |
28 | ua valu |
100 | teau or taha noa noa |
500 | nima ngeau |
1,000 | taha afe |
6,000 | ono afe |
30,000 | tolu mano |
90,000 | hiva mano |
400,0000 | fa kilu |
800,0000 | valu kilu |
7,000,000 | fitu miliona |
Frequently used words and phrases
Tongan | English |
---|---|
Malo e lelei | Hello |
Fefe hake | How are you? |
Sai pe | Fine, Alright,well |
Malo | Thank you |
Malo 'aupito | Thank you very much |
'Ikai | No |
'Io | Yes |
'Api | Home |
Feitu'u | Place |
'Omai | Get , bring |
'Ave, 'oatu, foaki | Give |
'Oku ou;au | Am |
Taimi | Time |
Kai | Eat |
Inu | Drink |
'Alu | Go |
Ha'u | Come |
Ako | Study, learn |
'Uhinga | Because |
Sio | Watch, look |
Va'inga | Play |
'O e | Of |
Ngāhi | Plural word(s) to go with any noun e.g house = fale <> houses, cars etc = ngāhi fale, ngāhi ka |
Ko hai ho hingoa ? | Who are you? What is your name? |
Questions (Fehu'i)
Tongan | English |
---|---|
Koe ha ? | What ? |
Fakaku ? | When ? |
I fe ? ; Ko fe ? | Where ? |
'Uhinga ? | Why ? |
Tongan Currency (Tongan Pa'anga (TOP))
Tongan | English |
---|---|
Seniti | Cents |
e.g Seniti e nima noa | Fifty cents |
Pa'anga | Dollars |
e.g Pa'anga e taha nima | Fifteen dollars |
Putting together what you have learnt so far
Tongan | English |
---|---|
Kataki ha'u o' kai | Please come and eat |
Malo 'oku ikai keu fiekaia | Thank you, I am not hungry |
Ko fe pangike ? | Where is the bank ? |
Koe ha e taimi ? | What is the time ? |
'Alu 'o sio Televisone | Go and watch Television |
Ha'u 'o Va'inga | Come and Play |
'Omai e pa'anga 'e tolu nima | Bring thirty five dollars |
Ko e ha e totongi 'o e sitapa? (ngāhi sitapa?) | What is the cost of one stamp? (stamps ?) Can also specify the number of stamps |