Free online trial tutorial

We are offering a one off personal online tutorial to help you develop your Fijian Language.

Whether you're a newbie, beginner or intermediate we will be pleased to help you progress.

This lesson is for 1 hour and we will email you the course content prior.

Book here now.

Veikidavaki (Greetings in Fijian)

Three important parts to greetings in Fijian are your name, your village and your mothers village.
Your mother's village is your 'koro ni vasu'. Your father's village is your 'koro'.

1. Na yacaqu o ________________ (My name is _______)

2. Na noqu koro o _______________(My village is _____)

3. Au vasu i __________________ (My mothers village is ______)

Another way of saying my mothers village is :

Na noqu koro ni vasu o ____________.

New words
yaca - name
yacaqu - my name
au - me
yacamu - your name

Telling the time in Fijian

 Sa vica na kaloko? - What is the time?

Notice 'kaloko' is the translation for time when referring to the exact time. Gauna is another word for time but is more general.

To tell the time to the exact hour: 

Sa tini na kaloko  -  Its 10 o'clock
Sa tinikadua na kaloko - It's 11 o'clock.

To tell the time to 30 minutes after the hour: 

Sa veimama na tini - It's half past 10
Sa veimama na tolu - It's half past 3

To tell the time to minutes before the hour 

Sa vo e tini na miniti me tolu - It's 10 minutes to three
Sa vo e tinikalima na miniti me va - Its 15 minutes to 4

To tell the time to minutes after the hour

Sa oti na ono ena tinikatolu na miniti - It's 13 minutes past 6
Sa oti na rua ena ruasagavulukava na miniti - It's 24 minutes past 2

Exercises  - Sa vica na kaloko ena kaloko era tu era qo.

Fijian Language Fluency Survey

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Tiki ni yago - Taro

Tiki ni yago

Choose the Fijian for the body parts

1. Nose

ulu
yame
yava
ucu


2. Knee

duru
ulu
liga
qaqalo


3. abdomen

kete
sarisari
ulu
ucu


4. tooth

yame
liga
bati
gusu


5. finger

qaqalo
roqo
kesu
saga


6. ear

kesu
daliga
liga
taukuku


7. hand

daliga
ulu
ucu
liga


8. thigh

yava
saga
qurulasawa
duru


9. neck

domo
daku
dibina
kesu


10. back

domo
daku
qurulasawa
kesu

Wiliwili - Counting in Fijian

Counting in Fijian is important but easy to learn.

Here are first twenty numbers. Please add the rest to 99


1.   Dua            11   Tinikadua
2.   Rua            12   Tinikarua
3.   Tolu            13   Tinikatolu
4.   Va               14   Tinikava
5.   Lima           15   Tinikalima
6.   Ono            16    Tinikaono
7.   Vitu            17     Tinikavitu
8.   Walu           18    Tinikawalu
9.   Ciwa           19    Tinikaciwa
10  Tini             20    Ruasagavulu


Exercise:

Fijian for these numbers

30
45
90
99
100

iSema - foundation of the Fijian Language

The iSema is the foundation of the Fijian Language. Once you've learned the pronunciation of the isema you can then start reading Fijian words correctly. Before you learn anything else in the Fijian language please make sure your pronunciation is correct

 A.

 BA CA DA DRA FA GA JA KA LA MA NA PA QA RA SA TA VA WA YA

 E.

 BE  CE  DE  DRE  FE GE JE KE LE ME NE PE QE RE SE TE VE WE YE

 I.

 BI  CI   DI  DRI  FI  GI  JI KI  LI   MI  NI  PI  QI   RI  SI  TI  VI   WI  YI

 O.

 BO CO DO DRO FO GO JO KO LO MO NO PO QO RO SO TO VO WO YO

 U.

 BU CU DU DRU FU GU JU KU LU MU NU PU QU RU SU TU VU WU YU

Fijian Alphabets - Matavosa

Fijian Language Class - Hamilton, New Zealand

Live in the Waikato? Have children that want to learnFijian? Have a partner that has been dying to learn your language? Do you want learn Fijian?

This is your opportunity. We have classes starting on August 29, 2017.

Regularity of classes will depend on initial interest.

This introductory 2 hour session will be free but we welcome gold coin donations to support the venue.

The venue is the Settlement Centre on Boundary Road, Hamilton and starts at 6 pm for 2 hours.

Please register for free (Click on the button) if you want to attend or if you're interested in attending future classes.

Live outside of Hamilton? No problem.
Go to this Youtube link and Set Reminder and just follow this link on the set time and join the class.

Vodre - Fijian for grasshopper

The grasshopper is called 'vodre' in Fijian. The Fijian surname 'Samusamuvodre' is probably from an ancestor who was named such for repeatedly trying to hit a grasshopper.

Samuta (verb) - hit with a weapon or object

Samusamu (verb) - repeatedly hit

iSamu (noun) - a heavy wooden weapon or instrument used to hit something else. Example 'iSamu ni sulu' is a heavy wooden stick used to beat clothes to clean them.

Inspiration to learn Fijian

Fijian Culture lessons in Sydney

If you live in Sydney then here's your chance to learn or refresh on Fijian culture.

Details below.

Experience learning the Fijian Language

Learn more about our Fiji Islands

This video will show you more about Fiji, its different cultures and the challenges our Islands face.

Positional relationships in the Fijian Language

These are some commonly used words to describe position in relation to something/someone else.

cake                                up
ra                                    down
delana                             on top
rukuna                             below
dakuna                            behind
matana                            in front
yasana                             beside
lomana                            inside
mawi                               left
matau                              right

Savasava - verb and adjective

Savasava is used in the Fijian language as both a verb and an adjective. 

However, the pronunciations of savasava when used as an adjective is different from when it's used as a verb.

Sah-vah-sah-vah is the pronunciation when it's used as verb. When it's used as an adjective it's pronounced 'Sah-vah-sah-vaaah'. Note the stress in the last syllable.

Enjoy learning the Fijian language.

Ni - a versatile fijian word

The word 'Ni' corresponds to these English words and that's why I call it versatile:

• As
• When
• Since
• That
• Because

And here are some examples of its use

Lock your bag since there are thieves around.

Lokata na nomu kato ni levu na dau butako.

Did you know that it's raining?

O kila ni tau tiko na uca?

New words

Uca - rain

Tau na uca - raining

Lokata - lock

kila - know

Oya - Particles in space and time Part 3

Oya is the particle used in reference to a address third person or an object further away from  two people in a discussion. Oya can also be used to refer to a distant past.

Again oya is usually abbreviated to ya in everyday Fijian.

Eg.

na yanuyanu oya                 that island
na motoka oya                    that car

na gauna oya                       that time

Particles for space and time 2 - Oqori

Oqori is used in the second person to refer to people or things at hand in relation to the person being addressed.

In contrast oqo is in relation to the person speaking or in the first person.

Eg. John asks Anna for the salt.

Can I have the salt.                         Kerea na masima oqori.

Again abbreviation is common in everyday Fijian language speaking that 'qori' is more commonly used.

the  car (you're standing next to)         motoka qori (oqori abbreviated)

Particles for space and time 1 - Oqo

Three particles in the Fijian language refer to positions in space and time.  These are oqo, oqori and oya.

Oqo is

1. linked to things near or at hand to the person speaking or in the first person.

Eg. Na motoka oqo.                                   This car.

2. and the present time.

Eg. Au sa lako yani oqo                               I am coming now.

Often oqo is abbreviated in everyday language to qo.

So you may hear people say - Au sa lako yani qo. Na motoka qo.

Come back tomorrow for the other two particles.