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Language Class No 3



Greetings & Relationships


Bula vinaka! Ni sa bula Vinaka na colo! Bula sia! Bula re! Dialects differ but the main greeting in Fiji is -"Bula vinaka", or more politely, "Ni sa bula vinaka".  T'he word "ni" is used to denote plural for you and is used for deference to people.

Another common greeting is "Sa yadra". Literally it means 'are awake' but is used for meeting in the morning. For 'Goodbye' the usual words are “Sa moce” which means to sleep.

  Telephone conversation between 
Bubu [ Grandmother] Tarisi and Thomas
Bubu Tari Yadra Vocabulary
Thomas Hullo Bubu Grandparent

Bubu Tari

 Bula Sobosobo Oh dear
Thomas Hullo vosa vakaviti Fijian

Bubu Tari Mm. 'uflo. Bula vinaka, dear vosa vakavavalagi English
Thomas Hullo. Thomas here. Is Joketani there? kila understand
Bubu Tari Eli?  Sobosobo!
0 ni sa sega ni kila na vosa vakaviti.
Au sega ni kila na vosa vakavavalagi!		 o ni you
Thomas Just tell Akanisi I called
Bubu Tari Na cava!
Thomas Moce!
Bubu Tari Hmm.  Moce!

 

The following are Fijian sentences spoken by some of our club members attending the language class conducted in Geelong. They introduce themselves by saying their names, what is their nationality and the language they speak.

Ken M
Bula. Na yacaqu ko Ken Melrose.  Au kai Ositerelia.  Au vosa e nai Vosa Vakaperitania. 
Hullo. My name is Ken Melrose. I’m Australian. I speak English.

Joe
Bula vinaka. Na yacaqu ko Joe Cardone. Au lako mai ki Itali. Au vosa e nai Vosa Vakaitali. 
Au sega ni kila vinaka na Vosa Vakaviti.
Hullo. My name is Joe Cardone. I am from Italy. I speak Italian. I cannot speak Fijian well.

Alana
Sa yadra vinaka. Koi au ko Alana . Au kai Australia.  Au kila vakalailai na Vosa Vakaviti.
Good morning. I am Alana. I’m an Australian. I understand a little Fijian.

Christine
Ni sa bula vinaka. Koi au ko Christine,.Au  a lako mai Viti.  Au tiko e Ositerelia e na gauna oqo. Au Vosa Vakaviti.
Greetings. I’m Christine. I came  from Fiji. I live in Australia now. I speak Fijian.

Talei
Bula. Na yacaqu o Talei.  Au gone lailai.
Hullo. My name is Talei. I am a small child.

Ken O
Bula. Koi au ko Ken Osterfield. Au a lako mai Footscray.
Hullo. I’m Ken Osterfield. I come from  Footscray.

Wendy
Keni, ni sa kila na Vosa Vakafutisekerai?
Ken, do you know Footscray language?

Ken O 
Only when the Bulldogs lose the game!

 
EXERCISE
Fill in the missing words, using words from the conversation above.

Na yacaqu ko ……………………...  Au kai …………………………  Au sa dau vosa …………………………
Au tiko mai ki ……………………… (name your town or city)
Au a sucu mai  ……………………. (I was born in)

The word "kai" is often used to denote ethnic group. But it is not a polite word. It is commonly used as "kai Vavalagi" European/Australian), or kai Idia (Indian), or "kai Toga (Tongan), or "kia Jaina" (Chinese). A polite and better way of expressing someone’s nationality, or country of origin, is by using the name of the person’s country.

Yaca name O cei na yacamu? What is your name?
Yacaqu my name E cei na vanua oqo? What place is this?
Yacamu your name E cei na vanua oqori? What place is that over there?
Yacana his/her name

 

Au ~  I

Fijian

Bula vinaka kece na marama kei na turaga. 
Na yacaqu o Senimili.  
Au sa dau cakacaka mai na Ming Cafι mai Suva.
Au sa marau vakalevu.		 English 

Hullo to the women and the men. 
My name is Senimili. 
I work at Ming Cafι in Suva. 
I am very happy.

Using  Au

Au sa dau cakacaka mai na koronivuli I work at the school
Au yadra cake I wake up
Au moce vakalailai I sleep a little
Au tiko duadua ga e vale I stay by myself in the house
Au gunu wai kamikamica tiko I drink lemonade
Au tiko sobu I sit down
Au teki duru I kneel down
Au sisili vakamataka I bath early in the morning
Au katalau raisi kei na kari  I had curry and rice this morning

The word "dau" means habitual. It's used to denote something that is your normal habit.
Eg. Au sa dau cakacaka  ~ work at the Post Office.

Before you can start using whole sentences here are some "essential" word :~

Wawa Wait Tarova  Stop
Toso Go Kua Don’t

 

Bula vinaka kece na marama kei na turaga. 
Na yacaqu o Shanti. 
Oi au e dua na marama ni Idia. 
Raica na noqu sulu rairai vinaka.  
E dua na sari damudamu.  

Actually I don’t usually speak Fijian. 
I speak in Hindi. Namaste!		 Hullo to all the women and the men. 
My name is Shanti. 
I am an Indian woman. 
Look at my nice-looking clothes. 
A red sari.
 

Some useful phrases using Ogo na ... meaning This is ... [here]

Oqo na noqu i pausi This is my purse
Oqo na noqu i vava This is my shoe
Oqo na noqu i vola levu This is my big book
The "i" after "noqu" is sometimes placed with the word, or alone. 
Sometimes "i" is joined to the noun. It's a personal preference.



Some useful phrases using "Oya" meaning That is [over there]
Oya na pusi levu That is a big cat
Oya na koli levu That is a big dog
Oya na motoka levu That is a big car
Oya na vale vulavula levu That is a big white house
Oya na noqu i vola levu That is my big book

Some more phrases ~

E sega ni matata vei au I don’t understand
E vei na vanua oqo? Where am I?
E tiko e vei na talevoni? Where is a phone?
E tiko e vei nai kelekele ni tekisi Where is the taxi-stand?
E tiko e vei nai kelekele ni basi Where is the bus-stand? (bus – basi  or  lori)

 An alternative to saying "Bula vinaka" is "Sa vakaevei tiko"?

Akanisi Sa vakaevei tiko? How are you? Or, How are  things? Vocabulary
Thomas Sega ni vinaka tiko na yagoqu I am not feeling well yagoqu my body
Akanisi Ko viavia tauvi mate se sega? Are you feeling sick or not? tauvi mate  sick
Thomas Sega. E dau mosi ga na uluqu   No just an headache mate dead or sick
Akanisi Oqo e dua na memu aspirin Here is an aspirin
Thomas Vinaka Thank you

 

 

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