Wondering how to say ‘hello’ in Samoan?
This post covers how to greet people in Samoan and teaches you some essential phrases including ‘hello’, ‘good morning’, ‘good afternoon’ and ‘good night’.
It also covers some other Samoan greeting etiquette such as handshakes and gestures.
Hopefully you’ll leave this page knowing some essential Samoan greetings.
Table of Contents
How Do You Say ‘Hello’ In Samoan?
If you want to say ‘hello’ to someone in Samoan then you can do so with the following phrase:
| English | Samoan |
|---|---|
| Hello | Talofa |
This phrase can be used in pretty much any situation and with anyone.
Click here to hear the pronunciation of this phrase by a native Samoan speaker.
If you want to say hello in a more formal way, then you can say:
| English | Samoan |
|---|---|
| Hello | Talofa lava |
| Hello (respectful) | Mālō le soifua |
In more casual situations, such as with friends and family you can say:
| English | Samoan |
|---|---|
| Hello | Mālō |
| Hello (warm greetings) | Mālō lava |
| Hello my friend | Talofa la’u uō |
| What’s up? | Ua |
The word ‘Mālō’ is the most common way to informally say ‘hello’ in Samoan. Adding the word ‘lava’ onto it adds more emphasis and warmth.
Check out the video below to hear the pronunciation of some of these phrases by native Samoan speakers:
If you use the phrase ‘Ua’, a slang term meaning ‘what’s up?’, make sure you pair it with a rise of the eyebrows and an upward nod. You can see it action in the video below:
How Do You Greet Someone In Samoan?
How Do You Greet Informally In Samoan
If you’re female or the person you’re greeting is a female, then Samoans will usually greet each other with a single kiss on the cheek.
If you’re both male, then Samoans will greet you with a handshake and you’ll then press your shoulders together – sort of like a manly hug rather than a kiss.
How Do You Formally Greet In Samoan
In more formal situations, such as with people you’ve just met or don’t know very well you will usually just greet them with a handshake and a warm smile.
How To Say Other Greetings In Samoan e.g. ‘Good Morning’
You may want to use some other greetings in Samoan such as ‘good morning’, ‘good afternoon’ and ‘good night’. Check out these other Samoan greetings below:
How To Say ‘Good Morning’ In Samoan
To say ‘good morning’ in Samoan, you can say:
| English | Samoan |
|---|---|
| Good morning | Manuia le taeao |
How To Say ‘Good Day’ In Samoan
To say ‘good day’ in Samoan, you can say:
| English | Samoan |
|---|---|
| Good day | Manuia le aso |
How To Say ‘Good Afternoon’ In Samoan
To say ‘good afternoon’ in Samoan, you can say:
| English | Samoan |
|---|---|
| Good afternoon | Manuia le aoauli |
How To Say ‘Good Evening’ In Samoan
To say ‘good evening’ in Samoan, you can say:
| English | Samoan |
|---|---|
| Good evening | Manuia le afiafi |
How To Say ‘Good Night’ In Samoan
To say ‘good night’ in Samoan, you can say:
| English | Samoan |
|---|---|
| Good night | Manuia le pō |
Check out this video (YouTube) to hear the pronunciation of good morning, good day, good afternoon, good evening and good night by a native Samoan speaker.
Thanks for reading this post on how to greet someone in Samoan. Hopefully you now know how to say ‘hello’ in Samoan and also how to say ‘good morning’, ‘good afternoon’ and ‘good night’ in Samoan.
If the person you’re talking with is someone you love then why not also learn how to tell them ‘I love you’ in Samoan.
Interested in learning more about the Samoan language? Check out our post on how hard it is to learn Samoan.
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