Basic Nouns

1. Le vai

   Water

   Usage

   Ask for drinking water; pair it with “bottle” if you want sealed water

   Grammar Note

   Samoan nouns are learned with the singular article "le"; in the plural the article drops and some words lengthen a vowel.

2. Le mea'ai

   Food

   Usage

   The general word for food; useful when hunting for somewhere to eat

3. Le tupe

   Money

   Usage

   The base word for paying and changing currency

4. Le faleuila

   Toilet

   Usage

   Combine it with the “where” question

5. Le pepa solo

   Tissue

   Usage

   Many toilets have no paper — use this word to buy some

   Grammar Note

   "Le pepa solo" means "wiping paper."

6. Le vaila'au

   Medicine

   Usage

   At a pharmacy; combine it with gestures for your symptom

7. Le 'ato

   Luggage

   Usage

   For checking in, carrying on, or reporting lost bags

8. Le ki

   Key

   Usage

   At hotel reception when collecting or returning it

9. Le tiketi

   Ticket

   Usage

   Covers both transport tickets and admission tickets

10. Le tusi folau

    Passport

    Usage

    Comes up at check-in, currency exchange, and any police check

    Grammar Note

    "Tusi folau" means "voyaging document" — the native compound for a passport.

11. Le telefoni

    Phone

    Usage

    When you need to borrow one or ask for a number

12. Le charger

    Charger

    Usage

    To borrow one at a hotel or café, or buy one in a shop

    Grammar Note

    The English word "charger" is used as-is.

13. Le nofoaga o pasi

    Station

    Usage

    A landmark word when asking for directions

    Grammar Note

    There is no railway in Samoa, so "station" refers to a bus depot.

14. Le falema'i

    Hospital

    Usage

    The first word you need if you fall ill

15. Le leoleo

    Police

    Usage

    For theft or accidents; combine it with “where?”

16. Le fale'oloa

    Shop

    Usage

    When looking for somewhere to buy something

17. Le potu

    Room

    Usage

    Use it when asking a hotel about vacancies

18. Le auala

    Road

    Usage

    The base word when asking the way

19. Le aiga

    Family

    Usage

    A guaranteed small-talk topic; showing photos goes a long way

20. Le igoa

    Name

    Usage

    For introductions and for giving your name at a counter

21. ulu

    Head

    Usage

    Body-part word for pointing at where it hurts

22. mata

    Eye

    Usage

    Also means "face", so point at your eye while showing it

23. nifo

    Tooth

    Usage

    Point at this to report a toothache

24. fatafata

    Chest

    Usage

    For chest pain or trouble breathing

25. manava

    Belly / abdomen

    Usage

    For stomach pain

26. tua

    Back

    Usage

    For back pain

27. lima

    Hand / arm

    Usage

    One word for hand and arm; the same form also means "five", so point at your body

28. vae

    Foot / leg

    Usage

    One word covers foot and leg — point at the part you mean

29. taliga

    Ear

    Usage

    For an ear problem

30. ua

    Neck

    Usage

    For neck pain

31. tau'au

    Shoulder

    Usage

    For shoulder pain

32. tuli

    Knee

    Usage

    The same form also means "deaf", so point at your knee while showing it

33. tama'ilima

    Finger

    Usage

    For an injured finger

34. isu

    Nose

    Usage

    For a nose problem

35. toto

    Blood

    Usage

    To show that you are bleeding

36. pa'u

    Skin

    Usage

    For a rash or skin irritation

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