Local Drinks

4 phrases · Samoan with romanization, English and audio

  1. koko Samoa

    Koko Samoa (thick Samoan cocoa drink)

    Usage

    Example: "E fiafia tele le teine i le koko Samoa." (The girl likes Samoan cocoa very much.) The beans are fermented, sun-dried, roasted and ground coarsely in a wooden mortar, then mixed with boiling water and sweetened; the grounds are strained through the teeth or simply eaten

    Grammar Note

    The modifier "Samoa" follows the head noun, exactly as in "Mea'ai Samoa" (Samoan food)

  2. koko

    Cocoa

    Usage

    Cocoa is one of Samoa's main crops and goes into both the drink and the porridge koko alaisa

    Grammar Note

    ⚠ There is an unrelated word koko'e "to crow" right beside it — one letter apart, so keep the two separate

  3. vai suamalie

    Soft drink

    Grammar Note

    ⚠ Vai also means "medicine", so do not order with a bare vai and no modifier

  4. kofe

    Coffee

    Usage

    Example: "'E te fia mana'o i se ipu kofe?" (Do you want a cup of coffee?)

    Grammar Note

    Borrowed from English "coffee"; to count servings you add the vessel noun ipu (cup), giving ipu kofe

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