Greetings and politeness in Samoan
Hello, please, thank you, sorry: the ten openers everything else builds on. Play the ten Samoan words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 11 Samoan phrases in this lesson
- Talofata-LO-fa
- Hello
- Manuia le taeaoma-NOO-ee-a le ta-ee-A-o
- Good morning
- Manuia le afiafima-noo-EE-a le ah-fee-AH-fee
- Good evening
- Tofa soifuaTO-fa soy-FOO-a
- Goodbye
- Fafah
- See you
- Fa'amolemolefah-ah-mo-le-MO-le
- Please
- Fa'afetaifah-ah-fe-TYE
- Thank you
- Leai se meale-AH-ee se ME-a
- You're welcome
- Fa'amalie atufah-ah-ma-LEE-eh AH-too
- Sorry
- Tuloutoo-LOU
- Excuse me
- Fiafia e feiloa'i ma oefee-ah-FEE-ah eh fay-loh-AH-ee ma OH-eh
- Nice to meet you
The universal greeting in Samoa, used for anyone and any time of day. Literally means "I come with peaceful intentions". It is the only greeting most Samoans expect you to know.
Literally "blessings on the morning". Used until roughly noon. Samoans blend hospitality into time-based greetings, so the word carries warmth beyond the English equivalent.
Literally "blessed evening".
Literally "stay well". The standard farewell. Soifua also appears in other goodbye forms. Shorter farewells like "tofa" alone work for informal settings.
The casual goodbye between friends. Tofa soifua is the polite one.
The doubled "mole" makes it formal and polite. In casual speech, Samoans often rely on tone and context; this phrase appears more in requests to elders or strangers.
The everyday version. Samoans use it constantly for even small favors, reflecting a culture that values acknowledgment and relationship building.
Literally "it is nothing".
The everyday apology. The ' marks a short catch in the throat.
Said when passing in front of someone, especially an elder; lower your body as you go.
Literally "happy to meet you".