Martial Arts

1. E iai se kalapu fusu iinei?

   E iai se ka-la-pu fu-su i-nei?

   Is there a boxing club around here?

   Usage

   Combat sport in Samoa means boxing, wrestling and rugby in practice, and dedicated gyms are largely confined to the Apia area. No traditional fighting school survives as a taught system, so a boxing club is the realistic place to train. Conversations routinely mix Samoan and English

   Grammar Note

   Existence is expressed as "E iai se + noun". The Samoan glottal stop is written with an apostrophe, as in "ta'aloga"; leaving it out can produce a different word, so it should not be dropped

2. E mafai ona ou auai i le a'oa'oga i le aso?

   E ma-fai o-na ou au-ai i le a-'o-a-'o-ga i le a-so?

   May I join today's training?

   Usage

   Asking about a drop-in. Samoan clubs rarely have formal joining procedures — speaking to the coach directly is usually enough. Sunday is given over to church, so plan your visit for a weekday or Saturday

   Grammar Note

   "E mafai ona + subject + verb" is the standard ability construction. "A'oa'oga" comes from "a'o" (to learn) by reduplication plus a nominalising suffix; reduplication regularly marks nominalisation or repetition in Samoan

3. E mafai ona ou matamata muamua?

   E ma-fai o-na ou ma-ta-ma-ta mu-a-mu-a?

   May I watch first?

   Usage

   Asking to observe. Samoan hospitality means you will rarely be turned away, but ask separately before filming. Inside a village, also respect customs such as not walking about during the evening prayer curfew (sa)

   Grammar Note

   "Matamata" reduplicates "mata" (eye) to express sustained watching. "Muamua" is likewise reduplicated and emphasises "first of all"

4. E fia le totogi mo le a'oa'oga e tasi?

   E fi-a le to-to-gi mo le a-'o-a-'o-ga e ta-si?

   How much does one session cost?

   Usage

   Asking the price. The currency is the tala (WST). Community boxing clubs often run on small subscriptions or donations and may have no per-session rate at all; offering a modest contribution is well received

   Grammar Note

   Numerals follow the noun as "e + number": "a'oa'oga e tasi" (one session), "e lua" (two). "Fia" asks both "how many" and "how much"

5. Fa'ato'a amata lava a'u i le fusu.

   Fa-'a-to-'a a-ma-ta la-va a-'u i le fu-su.

   I have only just started boxing.

   Usage

   Flagging that you are a beginner. Samoan clubs post no skill levels, so saying it aloud is the only way to be placed sensibly — otherwise you may end up in drills pitched at experienced fighters

   Grammar Note

   "Fa'ato'a + verb" means "have only just done". The particle "lava" intensifies what precedes it, adding "really, truly" when placed after the verb

6. Fa'amolemole, aua ne'i malosi tele.

   Fa-'a-mo-le-mo-le, au-a ne-'i ma-lo-si te-le.

   Please, do not go too hard.

   Usage

   For asking a partner to lower the intensity. Samoan athletes are often large and powerful, so speak up rather than tough it out. If your partner speaks English, "go light" works just as well

   Grammar Note

   Prohibitions use "aua ne'i" plus the verb or adjective. "Tele" after an adjective intensifies it and, in context, gives the sense of "too": "malosi tele" = too strong

7. Ua tiga lo'u tulivae, 'o le a ou aloese mai kiki.

   U-a ti-ga lo-'u tu-li-vae, 'o le a ou a-lo-e-se mai ki-ki.

   My knee hurts, so I will avoid the kicking drills.

   Usage

   Declaring an injury. Samoan clubs use no intake form, so speaking up is the only channel. Swap "tulivae" (knee) for "tauau" (shoulder) or "tua" (back). Medical care is limited outside Apia, so err on the cautious side

   Grammar Note

   "Ua" marks a change of state or completed action — "has become" or "is now". The future is formed with "'o le a + subject + verb" — Pratt: "the future participle is expressed by 'o le ā" — and the marker keeps its glottal stop clause-medially

8. E iai ni totigilima e mafai ona ou nono mai?

   E iai ni to-ti-gi-li-ma e ma-fai o-na ou no-no mai?

   Are there gloves I can borrow?

   Usage

   Checking on equipment. Samoan clubs work with limited kit and often rotate a shared set of gloves. Bring your own wraps and mouthguard — few shops on the islands stock them

   Grammar Note

   The indefinite article is "se" in the singular and "ni" in the plural. "Totigilima" compounds "totigi" (covering) with "lima" (hand); Samoan builds names for new objects by combining existing words

9. 'O afea e amata ai le a'oa'oga?

   'O a-fea e a-ma-ta ai le a-'o-a-'o-ga?

   When does the training start?

   Usage

   Asking about the timetable. Samoan clubs train mostly in the late afternoon to avoid the heat, and schedules travel by word of mouth rather than being posted. Nothing runs on Sunday, so Saturday mornings are busy

   Grammar Note

   Samoan distinguishes future "afea" from past "anafea" for "when". When the question word is fronted, "ai" appears after the verb to mark the position it came from

10. E mafai ona e a'oa'o mai ia te a'u lenei faiga?

    E ma-fai o-na e a-'o-a-'o mai i-a te a-'u le-nei fai-ga?

    Could you teach me this technique?

    Usage

    Asking to be taught a move. Respect for elders and instructors matters in Samoa, so keep questions modest and always say "Fa'afetai" once you have been shown. Pressing repeatedly is best avoided

    Grammar Note

    "Mai" follows the verb to show motion toward the speaker; "atu" points away, as in "a'oa'o atu" (to teach outward, to someone else)

11. E iai se ta'ele iinei?

    E iai se ta-'e-le i-nei?

    Is there somewhere to wash here?

    Usage

    Checking for washing facilities. Samoan clubs and community halls do not always have showers; a tap, a river or the sea may be what is on offer. Bring your own towel and a change of clothes

    Grammar Note

    Samoan verbs often double as nouns; "ta'ele" reads as either "to bathe" or "a bathing place". Context and the article "se" settle which is meant

12. E lauiloa Samoa i le fusu ma le pi'i.

    E lau-i-lo-a Sa-mo-a i le fu-su ma le pi-'i.

    Samoa is known for boxing and wrestling.

    Usage

    A good conversation opener. Samoan athletes have made their mark in boxing, wrestling and Japanese sumo. No traditional fighting school survives, but pride in combat sport generally runs high and this topic opens doors

    Grammar Note

    The particle "e" marks general or habitual statements with no specific time reference. "Ma" is the coordinating conjunction "and"

13. Si'i i luga ou lima, va'ai i mata o lou paaga.

    Si-'i i lu-ga ou li-ma, va-'ai i ma-ta o lou paa-ga.

    Get your hands up, look at your partner's eyes.

    Usage

    Said by the coach. One of the most frequent cues during pad work and sparring — reading the eyes rather than the hands tells you what is coming. The clipped imperative carries no harshness

    Grammar Note

    Commands front the bare verb with no subject. Possessives distinguish number of the thing possessed: "lou" for one, "ou" for several, hence "ou lima" (your hands)

14. Kiki malosi, aua ne'i taofi.

    Ki-ki ma-lo-si, au-a ne-'i ta-o-fi.

    Kick hard, do not hold back.

    Usage

    Said by the coach. The call from the pad holder when they want full commitment. Half-hearted contact is the more likely way to hurt yourself, so this doubles as permission to kick at full power

    Grammar Note

    The adjective "malosi" placed after a verb functions adverbially, "strongly". Samoan makes no morphological distinction between adjectives and adverbs; position determines the role

15. Malolo mo minute e lima, ma inu vai.

    Ma-lo-lo mo mi-nu-te e li-ma, ma i-nu vai.

    Rest for five minutes and drink some water.

    Usage

    Said by the coach between rounds. Samoa is hot and humid and training often happens in semi-open venues under a roof, so water breaks come often. Tap water is not drinkable everywhere, so bring bottled water

    Grammar Note

    Quantities follow the order "noun + e + numeral": "minute e lima" = five minutes. "Ma" coordinates both noun phrases and verb phrases

16. Ua lava mo le aso. Sa lelei lau galuega.

    U-a la-va mo le a-so. Sa le-lei lau ga-lu-e-ga.

    That is enough for today. Your work was good.

    Usage

    Said by the coach to close the session. Samoan clubs commonly finish with a short prayer (tatalo), reflecting how central the church is to daily life. "Fa'afetai tele" is the natural reply to the coach

    Grammar Note

    "Sa" marks past tense, contrasting with the perfect "ua". Samoan has two possessive classes; something you produce, such as your own work, takes the a-class form "lau"

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