NCEA L1 Gagana Sāmoa flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Samoan alphabet

Fourteen letters: five vowels (a, e, i, o, u) and nine consonants (f, g, l, m, n, p, s, t, v). K and h occur only in loanwords like kī and hōtēl.

Fa'amamafa (macron)

The bar over a vowel marking length: ā, ē, ī, ō, ū. Length distinguishes meaning, as in tama (father) versus tamā (boy), so it must be written.

'Okina (glottal stop)

A consonant written as an apostrophe, as in 'ava, 'ai, and 'ulu. Omitting it changes meaning: tai (seaward) versus ta'i (to strike).

VSO word order

Samoan's neutral order is verb-subject-object. In 'Sā 'ai le tama i le fa'i', the verb phrase comes first, then the subject, then the object.

Verb tense markers

Particles before the verb: ua (perfect or change of state), sā (past), e (present habitual), o le a (future), oi (still), ā (near future).

Articles le and ni

Le is the singular article ('the'); ni is plural or partitive ('some'). Proper names take no article. Example: le fale (the house), ni fale (some houses).

A-class and o-class possession

Samoan possession splits into two classes. O-class covers body parts, kin, and most personal possessions (lo'u, o a'u); a-class covers most other possessions (la'u, a a'u).

Negation with lē and leai

Lē before verbs and adjectives means 'not' (e lē lelei - not good). Leai expresses absence or 'no' (Leai se vai - there is no water). Lē differs from the article le.

Polite register words

Fa'amolemole (please), fa'afetai (thank you), and tulou (excuse me, used when passing or interrupting). Address elders with lāu susuga or lāu afioga plus their title.

Greetings by register

Talofa lava is formal; malo is informal and also means 'well done'; feofoofoa'iga is a formal welcome. Register determines which greeting is appropriate.

Fa'alupega

The honorific titles and salutations of a village. A formal speech opens by reciting the fa'alupega; misordering it is a serious breach of protocol.

'Ava ceremony order

Kava is prepared and served in rank order: ali'i first, then tulafono, then untitled men. The server presents the cup saying 'lāu 'ava lea'.

Fono speaking protocol

The village council where formal speech follows the fa'atau opening and closes with thanks. Turn-taking is fixed by rank, so visitors wait to be invited.

'Ie toga

The fine mat exchanged at weddings, funerals, and title bestowals. Its value derives from genealogy and history, not from size or ornamentation.

Key value vocabulary

Tautua (service), fa'aaloalo (respect), alofa (love or compassion), soalaupule (consultation and consensus), 'ava (ceremonial kava), malae (village open space).

Listening for honorifics

Honorific plurals like outou and lāua signal respect; the particle lā adds emphasis; repeated words signal intensity (tele tele - very big). These cues aid transcription.

Formal versus digital writing

Text messages often drop macrons and glottal stops, while formal writing such as church notices and newspaper articles retains them. Match conventions to the context.

Four fa'avae values

Alofa (love), fa'aaloalo (respect), tautua (service), and soalaupule (consultation). These foundations are reflected in Samoan language choices and behaviour.

The fa'a- prefix

Marks Samoan-ness or a Samoan way: fa'asamoa (Samoan custom), fa'aaloalo (respectful behaviour), fa'afetai (thanks), fa'amolemole (please). It helps decode unfamiliar words.

Matai ranks

The chiefly system has two ranks: ali'i (chief) and tulafono (orator). In many contexts only tulafono deliver formal speeches, and ali'i may speak through an orator.

'Aiga

The extended family and basic social unit. 'Aiga potopoto means the gathered extended family, and decisions are made collectively rather than individually.

Fa'alavelave

A family obligation event such as a wedding, funeral, or title ceremony, requiring contributions of fine mats and food. Related terms are lafo (contribution) and fa'asoa (distribution).

Respect language rules

Say tulou before passing or interrupting and fa'amolemole for requests. Avoid direct commands to elders, and address titled people with lāu susuga or lāu afioga.

Fale types

The fale tele is the meeting house, the fale afolau the guest house, and the faleo'o the small dwelling. Naming these correctly demonstrates cultural knowledge.

Church context vocabulary

Sunday is Aso Sa and church is lotu. Related words include vi'iga (hymn), tatalo (prayer), lauga (sermon), and sauniga (service).

Affix-based vocabulary building

Learn roots plus affixes: fa'a- (causative or Samoan way), -ga (nominaliser, as in fai to faiga), and -ina (verbal suffix). Recognising affixes multiplies known words.

Spaced retrieval schedule

Review new words at increasing intervals: one day, three days, seven days, then twenty-one days. Recalling the Samoan form from English meaning is stronger than recognition alone.

Shadowing practice

Listen to a short clip, pause, and repeat aloud, matching vowel length and glottal stops. Recording yourself and comparing with the model catches errors in ā versus a.

When not to speak

In a fono, visitors wait to be invited. Observing turn-taking and rank before contributing is part of communicative competence, not passivity.

Samoan indirectness

Phrases like āfai e te manao (if you want) are polite rather than evasive. Translating them literally as commands misreads the speaker's intent.

Reading VSO texts

Identify the verb phrase first, then the subject, then obliques. Use verb markers (ua, sā, e, o le a) to anchor tense before parsing unfamiliar nouns.

Common learner errors

Dropping macrons, omitting glottal stops, using a-class possession for body parts, and confusing lē (not) with le (the). Track these deliberately to avoid fossilisation.