It always helps to know a bit of the local lingo when travelling to a new destination. French Polynesia has two official languages, French and Tahitian, although each island group has its own dialect. English is widely spoken, but put a few of these Tahitian phrases up your sleeve to help you get around.
Pronunciation
You’ll quickly learn there are a lot of vowels in each word in Tahitian, and each letter is pronounced. Here’s how to pronounce the vowels:
A – ah
E – ay
I – ee
O – oh
U – oo
Basic greetings
La ora na – hello
Maita’ i oe – how are you?
Maita’ i vau – I am fine
Nana – bye bye
Mauruuru – thank you
Manuia! – cheers!
E – Yes
Aita – No
Travelling
Haere tatou – let’s go!
Fa’aite mai ia’u ite e’a – show me the way to…
‘Ia maita’i terera’a – have a good trip
‘Ia maita’i te ho’ira’a – come back soon!
Ua ite oe i te parar Marite? – do you speak English?
Aita i papu ia’u – I dont understand
Ehia moni te’ie? – How much does it cost?
Other expressions
‘Aita pe’ ape’a – no worries
Haere maru – take it easy
Ua here vau ia oe – I love you
E mea maita’ i roa tele – this is very good
‘Ia ha’amaita’i mai te Atua ia ‘oe – God bless you
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