Basic Nouns

1. Ko e vai

   Water

   Usage

   Ask for drinking water; pair it with “bottle” if you want sealed water

   Grammar Note

   Tongan dictionaries cite nouns in the "ko e …" frame; inside a sentence the article becomes "he" or "ha."

2. Ko e meʻakai

   Food

   Usage

   The general word for food; useful when hunting for somewhere to eat

3. Ko e paʻanga

   Money

   Usage

   The base word for paying and changing currency

4. Ko e falemālōlō

   Toilet

   Usage

   Combine it with the “where” question

5. Ko e pepa holoholo

   Tissue

   Usage

   Many toilets have no paper — use this word to buy some

   Grammar Note

   "Pepa holoholo" means "wiping paper."

6. Ko e faitoʻo

   Medicine

   Usage

   At a pharmacy; combine it with gestures for your symptom

7. Ko e kato

   Luggage

   Usage

   For checking in, carrying on, or reporting lost bags

8. Ko e kī

   Key

   Usage

   At hotel reception when collecting or returning it

9. Ko e tikite

   Ticket

   Usage

   Covers both transport tickets and admission tickets

10. Ko e paasipooti

    Passport

    Usage

    Comes up at check-in, currency exchange, and any police check

11. Ko e telefoni

    Phone

    Usage

    When you need to borrow one or ask for a number

12. Ko e meʻa fakafonu telefoni

    Charger

    Usage

    To borrow one at a hotel or café, or buy one in a shop

    Grammar Note

    "Meʻa fakafonu telefoni" is a descriptive phrase, "the thing that fills the phone"; English "charger" is understood too.

13. Ko e tuʻuʻanga pasi

    Station

    Usage

    A landmark word when asking for directions

    Grammar Note

    Tonga has no railway, so "station" means a bus stand.

14. Ko e falemahaki

    Hospital

    Usage

    The first word you need if you fall ill

15. Ko e kau polisi

    Police

    Usage

    For theft or accidents; combine it with “where?”

16. Ko e falekoloa

    Shop

    Usage

    When looking for somewhere to buy something

17. Ko e loki

    Room

    Usage

    Use it when asking a hotel about vacancies

18. Ko e hala

    Road

    Usage

    The base word when asking the way

19. Ko e fāmili

    Family

    Usage

    A guaranteed small-talk topic; showing photos goes a long way

20. Ko e hingoa

    Name

    Usage

    For introductions and for giving your name at a counter

21. Ko e ʻulu

    Head

    Usage

    Point here to show where it hurts

22. Ko e mata

    Eye

    Usage

    For eye symptoms; mata also means face

23. Ko e nifo

    Tooth

    Usage

    At a dentist or pharmacy

24. Ko e kete

    Stomach / belly

    Usage

    To point at stomach pain

25. Ko e tuʻa

    Back

    Usage

    For back pain

26. Ko e vaʻe

    Leg / foot

    Usage

    Covers both leg and foot; point at your own body to narrow it down

27. Ko e nima

    Hand / arm

    Usage

    Covers both hand and arm

28. Ko e fatafata

    Chest

    Usage

    For chest pain or tightness

29. Ko e telinga

    Ear

    Usage

    For an earache

30. Ko e kia

    Neck

    Usage

    For neck pain

31. Ko e uma

    Shoulder

    Usage

    Tongan uma is the shoulder — not the chest, as the same form means in Māori

32. Ko e tui

    Knee

    Usage

    For knee pain

33. Ko e kili

    Skin

    Usage

    For rashes and other skin symptoms

34. Ko e ihu

    Nose

    Usage

    For nose symptoms

35. Ko e mafu

    Heart

    Usage

    For heart symptoms

36. Ko e hōtele

    Hotel

    Usage

    To show a taxi driver where you are going

37. Ko e malaʻe vakapuna

    Airport

    Usage

    To show a taxi driver where you are going

38. Ko e ʻapi ʻo e konisela

    Consulate

    Usage

    Point at it to show where you are going; konisela is the consul and ʻapi the premises

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