Accommodation

1. ʻOku ʻi fē ʻa e hōtele?

   Where is the hotel?

   Usage

   Asking for the location of a hotel

   Grammar Note

   "ʻOku ʻi fē" is the standard "where is" question. "ʻi" is the locative preposition.

2. ʻOku ʻi ai ha potu mohe?

   Is there a room available?

   Usage

   Checking room availability at a hotel or guesthouse

   Grammar Note

   "ʻi ai" is an existential adverb phrase. "ha" functions as an indefinite article for unspecified items.

3. ʻE fiha ʻa e totongi ʻo e poó?

   How much is the room per night?

   Usage

   Asking the nightly room rate

   Grammar Note

   "ʻo" is a possessive/genitive preposition. "ʻo e poó" means "of the night" → per night.

4. Ko hoku hingoa ʻi he fakaʻahu ko...

   My reservation name is...

   Usage

   Giving your reservation name at hotel check-in

   Grammar Note

   "ko" is the equative marker. "Ko hoku X ko Y" = "My X is Y" — a useful identification pattern.

5. ʻOku ou loto ke nofo ʻaho ʻe tolu

   I want to stay for three nights

   Usage

   Indicating your intended length of stay

   Grammar Note

   "ʻaho" means day; in context it indicates nights of stay. "ʻe" is a pre-numeral marker before counted nouns.

6. ʻE lava ke u hū atu?

   Can I check in now?

   Usage

   Asking if you can check in at the hotel

   Grammar Note

   "lava" is a modal verb meaning "can / be possible." "hū atu" means to enter moving away from the speaker.

7. ʻOku ʻikai ke ngāue ʻa e vai vela

   The hot water is not working

   Usage

   Reporting a hot water issue to hotel staff

   Grammar Note

   "ʻoku ʻikai ke ngāue" means "is not working". "vai vela" is hot water. Note: mālohi means "strong", not "hot".

8. Kātaki, foaki mai ha taueli

   Please give me a towel

   Usage

   Requesting a towel from hotel staff

   Grammar Note

   "mai" is a directional meaning toward the speaker. "foaki mai" = give toward me. Tongan attaches directionals to verbs to indicate movement direction. Towel is taueli. toʻonga is a real word but means manner (way), not towel

9. ʻE fiha ʻa e taimi ke ʻalu ai mei he hōtele?

   What time is check-out?

   Usage

   Asking the hotel check-out time

   Grammar Note

   "taimi" is borrowed from English "time." "ke ʻalu ai mei he hōtele" means "to leave the hotel", a paraphrase for check-out.

10. Mālō ʻaupito ʻi hoʻo tokoni

    Thank you very much for your help

    Usage

    Thanking hotel staff formally for their assistance

    Grammar Note

    "hoʻo" is the second-person possessive (your). "tokoni" means help or assistance. "ʻi" here functions as a preposition of cause/object.

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