Ou te mana'o i se foma'i.
Ou te ma-na-'o i se fo-ma-'i.
I need a doctor.
Usage
When seeking medical assistance
Grammar Note
The apostrophe in "foma'i" marks the glottal stop, a phonemic consonant in Samoan that differentiates word meanings.
'O fea le falema'i?
'O fe-a le fa-le-ma-'i?
Where is the hospital?
Usage
When asking for the location of a hospital
Grammar Note
"Falema'i" combines "fale" (house) + "ma'i" (illness), meaning "house of the sick" = hospital.
Ua tiga lo'u ulu.
U-a ti-ga lo-'u u-lu.
I have a headache (my head is sick).
Usage
When reporting a headache
Grammar Note
Headache is "tigā o le ulu"; another example is "sa tiga lo'u mata" (my eye hurt). ⚠ "Lo'u" is "my"; "lou" is "your" (lo'u and la'u = my; lou and lāu = thy). "Ua ma'i lou ulu" says "your head is sick"; context does not make it the speaker's head — no such usage exists.
Ua ma'i lo'u tino.
U-a ma-'i lo-'u ti-no.
I am physically ill.
Usage
When communicating physical illness
Grammar Note
"Ma'i" is a stative, so it takes the perfect particle "ua" (e.g. "Ua ma'i le fafine pa'ee." — the thin woman is sick). "Ou te ma'i tino" is wrong: it attaches the general-tense "ou te" (for action verbs) to a stative and leaves the clause without a possessive subject.
'O fea le fale vaila'au?
'O fe-a le fa-le vai-la-'au?
Where is the pharmacy?
Usage
When looking for a pharmacy
Grammar Note
Pharmacy is "fale vaila'au"; "vaila'au" = medicine. Do not drop the glottal stop of "lā'au" by writing "vailaau". Apia's actual pharmacy is named Fale Tala Vai ("talavai" = to dispense medicine).
E mana'omia se pepa foma'i?
E ma-na-'o-mi-a se pe-pa fo-ma-'i?
Is a prescription needed?
Usage
When checking at a pharmacy whether a prescription is required
Grammar Note
"Mana'omia" is the passive of "mana'o" (to want/need). ⚠ There is no lexicalised Samoan word for "prescription", so a transparent descriptive is used: "pepa" (paper/document) + "foma'i" (doctor). Do not use "resipe": English "recipe" is not "prescription".
Ua ou tiga le manava.
U-a ou ti-ga le ma-na-va.
My stomach hurts.
Usage
When reporting a stomachache
Grammar Note
"Tiga" (painful) functions as a predicate adjective. "Ua ou tiga" expresses a completed/current state of pain.
Ua a'afia lo'u tino i le allergy.
U-a a-'a-fi-a lo-'u ti-no i le allergy.
I have developed an allergy.
Usage
When informing a doctor about an allergic reaction
Grammar Note
⚠ There is no Samoan word for "allergy". A Samoan descriptive is paired with the English word — "mea'ai e a'afia ai le tino (allergy)" — and the bare English noun is also used ("mea'ai e oso ai allergy"). "A'afia" = to be affected; "lo'u tino" = my body. "Ma'i faasuamalie" is unusable: "suamalie" means "sweet" and has nothing to do with allergy.
Ou te mana'o i se ta'avale falema'i.
Ou te ma-na-'o i se ta-'a-va-le fa-le-ma-'i.
I need an ambulance.
Usage
When calling for an ambulance in an emergency
Grammar Note
⚠ "Lavelave" is not an ambulance but "to entangle / be intricate; a short fishing rod", and a loanword "ameleni" does not exist. Samoa's emergency number is 911.
E iai lou inisiua?
E i-ai lou i-ni-si-u-a?
Do you have insurance?
Usage
When checking insurance at a medical facility
Grammar Note
"Lou" is the second-person singular possessive "your." Samoan possessives are divided into two classes: "o-possessives" and "a-possessives."
Ua tiga iinei.
U-a ti-ga i-i-nei.
It hurts here
Usage
Show it while pointing at the spot — it works without knowing the body-part word
Grammar Note
"Ua tiga" from "Ua tiga lo'u ulu." ("My head hurts") with the locative "iinei" ("here") added. "Iinei" is the same form as in "E iai se lifti iinei?", "E iai se ATM iinei?" and "E televave le initaneti iinei?", all of which place it clause-finally.
E mana'omia se mālōlō?
E ma-na-'o-mi-a se mā-lō-lō?
Do I need to rest?
Usage
Checking with medical staff after an examination whether you should rest
Grammar Note
"E mana'omia se …?" ("Is a … needed?") is the frame of "E mana'omia se pepa foma'i?" ("Is a prescription needed?"); the object here is "mālōlō" ("rest", the same form and macrons as in "E iai se nofoaga mālōlō mo tamaiti?" = "Is there a rest area for children?").
Ua vaivai lo'u tino.
U-a vai-vai lo-'u ti-no.
My body feels sluggish
Usage
Describing weakness or heaviness in the body when there is no fever
Grammar Note
"Ua ma'i lo'u tino." ("My body is unwell") with the predicate "vaivai" ("weak, listless", the same form as in "Ou te vaivai — ia tatou malolo ni taimi." = "I'm weak — let's rest for a while"). The body takes the "o"-class possessive "lo'u".
Ua ou pua'i ni taimi.
U-a ou pu-a-'i ni tai-mi.
I have vomited several times
Usage
Tell medical staff — how many times you vomited guides the assessment of dehydration
Grammar Note
"Ua ou + verb" is the form of "Ua ou ma'i" ("I feel sick") and "Ua ou tiga le manava." ("My stomach hurts"). "Ni taimi" is the same form as in "Ou te vaivai — ia tatou malolo ni taimi." (indefinite plural "ni" + "taimi" = time/occasion). "Pua'i" means "to vomit"; "tulei" is the respectful form used of chiefs, so it is not used of oneself.
Manava tata
Ma-na-va ta-ta
Diarrhea
Usage
A word to show when describing diarrhoea
Grammar Note
"Manava" is the belly and "tata" means loose. This data writes it without the macron.
Ma'i matutu
Ma-'i ma-tu-tu
Constipation
Usage
A word for constipation
Grammar Note
"Ma'i" is sickness and "matutu" means dry.
Tae
Ta-e
Poop
Usage
A word to show when describing stool. Whether it is child language is uncertain
Miaga
Mi-a-ga
Pee
Usage
A word to show when describing urine. Whether it is the everyday word is uncertain
Grammar Note
"Miaga" is the noun "urine". The verb "to pee" is "mimi".
Ua tata lo'u manava.
U-a ta-ta lo-'u ma-na-va.
I have diarrhea
Usage
Telling a doctor or pharmacist that you have diarrhoea
Grammar Note
"Tatā" ("to have diarrhoea") is a verb, put into the same "Ua + stative + lo'u + body part" frame as "Ua ma'i lo'u tino." Body parts take the "o"-class possessive "lo'u".
Ua mamau lo'u manava.
U-a ma-ma-u lo-'u ma-na-va.
I'm constipated
Usage
Telling a doctor or pharmacist that you are constipated
Grammar Note
"Mamau le manava" with "le" changed to "lo'u" (my). "Mamau" is listed as the plural of "mau" (to be fixed), so its naturalness with a singular subject is uncertain.
Ou te fia mimi.
Ou te fi-a mi-mi.
I need to pee
Usage
Telling a companion or a child that you need to pee
Grammar Note
"Fia" before a verb means "want to" (same frame as "Ou te fia inu le uaina."). "Mimi" is "to make water".
Ou te fia ti'o.
Ou te fi-a ti-'o.
I need to poop
Usage
Telling a companion or a child that you need to poop
Grammar Note
"Ti'o" is "to defecate, to go to stool". "Fia" plus a verb means "want to".
More Samoan phrases
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