It’s lea faka-Tonga’ ‘i Aotearoa and what better way to celebrate than surprising your friends with some casual conversation from the Kingdom itself.
Let’s start with some basics: It’s important to know that the Tongan language has a strong phonetic foundation. The pronunciations of the consonants and vowels are similar to that of English.
There are only 17 letters in the ‘alafapeti faka-Tonga:
A E F H I K L M N NG O P S T U V ‘
The ‘alafapeti includes the fakau’a (glottal stop), which comes before a vowel and alerts us that the pronunciation of the vowel is a shorter, sharper sound. It’s important to look out for the fakau’a as it can change the meaning of words.
The theme for Tongan Language Week this year is “Ke Tu’uloa ‘a e lea faka-Tonga ‘i Aotearoa”, which translates to “sustaining the Tongan language in New Zealand”. Spot the fakau’a throughout that sentence.
Ng is pronounced like ngā in te reo Māori or the English word “wrong”.
The Tongan language also includes fakamamafa pau (stress marks) such as á, é,í, ó, ú which are used to emphasise vowels at the end of a word. Here’s an example:
Hingoá / name
Ko hai ho hingoá? What is your name?
Lastly, toloi is the macron on top of a vowel. As with te reo, it’s used to extend the sound of the vowel to twice the length of its normal pronunciation.
Here are some phrases that you can try out throughout the week:
‘Okú ke ngāue ‘i fē? Where do you work?
‘Oku ou ngāue ‘i Spinoff / I work at The Spinoff
‘Okú ke fēfē hake? How are you? (singular)
‘Oku ou sai pē, mālō / I’m fine, thank you or sai ‘aupito / I’m very good
Tala ‘alu ‘o kai / Let’s go eat!
Taimi fakamālohisino / It’s gym time! Time to exercise!
Ko e há ‘a e me’a ‘oku ke sio ‘i he Netflix? What are you watching on Netflix?
Kuo ke lau ha niusi ‘i he Spinoff? Do you read any news on The Spinoff?
‘Oku ou sai’ia ho vala / I love your outfit!
Ko e há ho’o palani ki he uike ni? Plans for the weekend?
Na’aku tesi positivi ki he Covid / I tested positive for Covid
Ko e ha ho’o me’a e fai ‘i he Kilisimasi? What are you doing for Christmas?
Like many cultures, Tongan people love using proverbs in their daily conversations, especially when offering advice. They’re a great insight into Tongan beliefs and how they carry themselves and their culture.
Here are a few popular Tongan proverbs:
Holo pe tu’u he ko e ngalu e fasi – Stand firm and the waves will break. A Tongan saying that reminds us to be patient and good will come.
Faka’ita fai ki tahi – Anger bestowed on the sea. This one highlights the importance of not letting anger cloud our judgement.
Fangota ki he kato ‘ava – Fishing with a bag that has holes in it. This proverb teaches us that when we prepare for anything, whether it’s a big event or just the day ahead, we should have all the basic requirements met before carrying out a task.
Fai’aki e ‘ilo ‘oua ‘e fai’aki e fanongo – Do it by knowing, not by hearing. A warning to exercise caution and not act hastily without knowing the full story.
Papata pē, ka na’e lalanga – It may be coarse in texture, but it was woven. This one refers to the idea that life will have twists and turns but, in the end, it’s all part of the journey.
This is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air.