Health & Hospital

1. ʻOku ou fiemaʻu ha toketā.

   ʻO-ku ou fi-e-ma-ʻu ha to-ke-tā.

   I need a doctor.

   Usage

   When seeking medical assistance

   Grammar Note

   "Toketā" is borrowed from English "doctor," adapted to Tongan open-syllable phonology. NOTE: "fie" is a pre-verbal desiderative ("fie inu" = want to drink, "fie ʻalu" = want to go) and cannot take a noun object. Needing a *thing* is "fiemaʻu".

2. Ko fē ʻa e falemahaki?

   Ko fē ʻa e fa-le-ma-ha-ki?

   Where is the hospital?

   Usage

   When asking for the hospital's location

   Grammar Note

   "Falemahaki" = "fale" (building) + "mahaki" (illness) = hospital. NOTE: "falemai" is wrong, and "mai" does not mean "medicine" — it is the directional "toward the speaker". Do not confuse it with Samoan falemaʻi (fale + maʻi "sickness").

3. ʻOku mamahi ʻeku ʻulu.

   ʻO-ku ma-ma-hi ʻe-ku ʻu-lu.

   My head hurts.

   Usage

   When reporting a headache

   Grammar Note

   "'Eku" is the first-person singular possessive. The "'" before "'ulu" marks the initial glottal stop in Tongan.

4. ʻOku puke au.

   ʻO-ku pu-ke au.

   I am sick.

   Usage

   When communicating illness

   Grammar Note

   "'Oku puke au" (I am sick) follows VSO word order: aspect marker + predicate + subject. Tongan is a VSO language.

5. Ko fē ʻa e fale talavai?

   Ko fē ʻa e fa-le ta-la-vai?

   Where is the pharmacy?

   Usage

   When looking for a pharmacy

   Grammar Note

   "Fale talavai" = pharmacy. The English loan "kēmisi" (chemist) is also used.

6. ʻOku ou puke fakamanavahē.

   ʻO-ku ou pu-ke fa-ka-ma-na-va-hē.

   I am very seriously ill.

   Usage

   When communicating a serious medical condition

   Grammar Note

   "Fakamanavahē" = causative "faka-" + "manavahē" (fear/awe), meaning "causing fear" = serious/severe.

7. ʻOku ou fiemaʻu ha faitoʻo.

   ʻO-ku ou fi-e-ma-ʻu ha fai-to-ʻo.

   I need medicine.

   Usage

   When requesting medicine

   Grammar Note

   "Faitoʻo" = medicine / medical treatment. NOTE: bare "ʻakau" means "tree/plant"; a medicinal plant is "ʻakau faitoʻo" and a tablet is "foʻiʻakau" — the modifier is required. "fie" is a pre-verbal desiderative that cannot take a noun object, so a noun takes "fiemaʻu".

8. ʻOku ʻi ai haʻaku maluʻi moʻui?

   ʻO-ku ʻi ai ha-ʻa-ku ma-lu-ʻi mo-ʻui?

   Do I have insurance?

   Usage

   When checking your own insurance status at a medical facility

   Grammar Note

   Tongan possessives have a definite form ("ʻeku") and an indefinite form ("haʻaku"); "haʻaku" carries the nuance "my (if there is one)". "Maluʻi moʻui" = health insurance.

9. ʻOku ou maʻu ha kafo.

   ʻO-ku ou ma-ʻu ha ka-fo.

   I have a wound/injury.

   Usage

   When informing a healthcare provider of a wound or injury

   Grammar Note

   "ʻOku ou maʻu" (I have) is the basic possession/existence construction; "ha" works like an indefinite article. "Kafo" = wound. NOTE: "mafoa" never means "wound"; it appears only in the fixed phrase "mafoa ʻae ata" = "day breaks".

10. Kātaki ʻo ʻave au ki he falemahaki.

    Kā-ta-ki ʻo ʻa-ve au ki he fa-le-ma-ha-ki.

    Please take me to the hospital.

    Usage

    When urgently requesting someone to take you to the hospital

    Grammar Note

    "Kātaki ʻo + verb" is the polite request frame (same as "Kātaki ʻo fakahā mai hoʻo paasipooti"). "ʻAve au" = "take me". Hospital is "falemahaki".

11. Feitama

    Pregnant

    Usage

    Show this first — it changes what medicine and X-rays are safe

12. Mahaki suka

    Diabetes

    Usage

    To declare diabetes; literally "sugar illness"

13. Mahaki mafu

    Heart condition

    Usage

    To declare a heart condition

14. Hui fasi

    Broken bone

    Usage

    To report a suspected broken bone

15. Niniva

    Dizzy

    Usage

    To say you feel dizzy

16. Tale

    Cough

    Usage

    To report a cough

17. Mangeho

    Itchy

    Usage

    To report itching

18. Mofi

    Fever

    Usage

    To report a fever

19. Fofonu

    Common cold

    Usage

    A cold in the head and nose; influenza is a separate word, fulū

20. ʻOku mamahi ʻi heni.

    ʻO-ku ma-ma-hi ʻi he-ni.

    It hurts here

    Usage

    Show it while pointing at the spot — it works without knowing the body-part word

    Grammar Note

    Takes "ʻOku mamahi" from "ʻOku mamahi ʻeku ʻulu." ("My head hurts") and adds the locative "ʻi heni" ("here").

21. ʻOku ou fiemaʻu ha mālōlō?

    ʻO-ku ou fi-e-ma-ʻu ha mā-lō-lō?

    Do I need to rest?

    Usage

    Checking with medical staff after an examination whether you should rest

    Grammar Note

    "ʻOku ou fiemaʻu ha …" ("I need a …") is the frame of "ʻOku ou fiemaʻu ha toketā." and "ʻOku ou fiemaʻu ha faitoʻo."; only the noun is swapped for "mālōlō" ("rest") and the clause is put as a question. "Mālōlō" is the same form as "ʻOku ou houhounga — tau mālōlō ki ha feituʻu.", "Mālōlō ʻi he miniti ʻe nima, pea inu vai." and "…ʻaho mālōlō?". Note: the same word also sits inside "Ko e falemālōlō" ("toilet", literally "resting house"), but on its own it means "to rest", as the examples above show.

22. ʻOku ou vaivai.

    ʻO-ku ou vai-vai.

    My body feels sluggish

    Usage

    Describing weakness in the body when there is no fever

    Grammar Note

    "ʻOku ou + predicate" is the basic pattern seen in "ʻOku ou puke fakamanavahē." ("I feel very ill") and "ʻOku ou mamahi". "Vaivai" ("weak, feeble") is the same form as "ʻOua ke manatuʻi ko e vaivai au" ("Don't take me for a pushover"), where its literal sense is likewise "weak".

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