Post Office

1. 'O fea le fale meli?

   Where is the post office?

   Usage

   Used to ask for the location of a post office

   Grammar Note

   "Fale meli" = "house + mail" = "post office". "Meli" is borrowed from English "mail". The national postal service is "Samoa Post".

2. Ou te mana'o e auina atu lenei tusi

   I would like to send this letter

   Usage

   Used at a post office to request sending a letter

   Grammar Note

   "Auina atu" = "to send" + directional "atu" (away from speaker). The "mai" (toward) / "atu" (away) directional pair is fundamental to Samoan grammar.

3. E fia le tau e auina atu i Iapani?

   How much does it cost to send to Japan?

   Usage

   Used to ask about international postage rates

   Grammar Note

   "Iapani" is borrowed from English "Japan". "I" is a locative preposition meaning "to/in". International mail from Samoa typically goes through Australia or New Zealand.

4. Fa'amolemole tu'u mai se sitama

   Please give me a stamp

   Usage

   Used to request a postage stamp

   Grammar Note

   "Sitama" is from English "stamp". Samoan stamps often feature traditional cultural imagery, tropical wildlife, and Pacific Island themes.

5. E iai se ta'ui?

   Is there a parcel / package?

   Usage

   Used to ask if there is a parcel waiting for pickup

   Grammar Note

   "Parcel" is ta'ui — Pratt has it in both directions: "Parcel, n. ta'ui, ta'ui'ui" and "Ta'ui, s. a bundle, a parcel". "Pusa" is a box, not the parcel itself.

6. E fia aso e taunu'u ai le meli?

   How many days does mail delivery take?

   Usage

   Used to ask about mail delivery times

   Grammar Note

   "E fia aso" means "how many days". "Taunu'u" means "to arrive" (the same word as in the airport and visa categories); "ai" marks the position of the fronted question phrase. International mail from Samoa typically takes 1-3 weeks depending on destination and service type.

7. Fa'amolemole tusi le tuatusi

   Please write the address

   Usage

   Used to ask someone to write an address

   Grammar Note

   "Tuatusi" means "address" and is related to "tusi" (to write). "Tusi" serves both as a verb (to write) and noun (book/document) in Samoan.

8. E mafai ona auina atu i le EMS?

   Can it be sent by EMS?

   Usage

   Used to ask if express mail service is available

   Grammar Note

   "EMS" is the internationally recognized abbreviation for Express Mail Service. "E mafai ona" asks about possibility or permission.

9. E mafai ona su'e le tusi i le 'upega tafa'ilagi

   The letter can be tracked online

   Usage

   Used to explain how to track mail online

   Grammar Note

   "'Upega tafa'ilagi" is a native Samoan coinage for "internet" = "net + sky/heavens". It shows how Samoan creates new vocabulary by combining existing words.

10. Ua taunu'u mai le tusi

    The letter has arrived

    Usage

    Used to say that a letter or package has arrived

    Grammar Note

    "Ua" marks completive/resultative state. "Taunu'u" means "to arrive" (the same word as in the airport and visa categories). "Mai" is the directional toward the speaker. Samoan has multiple directional particles.

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