Transportation

1. ʻI fē e feituʻu ko Nukuʻalofa?

   ʻI fē e fei-tu-ʻu ko Nu-ku-ʻa-lo-fa?

   Where is Nukuʻalofa?

   Usage

   Basic phrase for asking directions. Nukuʻalofa is the capital on the main island of Tongatapu

   Grammar Note

   "ʻI fē" asks about location. The interrogative is fē, not feʻe (feʻe is Samoan/Tahitian for octopus); for example ʻOku ʻi fē ʻa Samuela? and Ko fē e falemālōlō? "Nukuʻalofa" means "abode of love" in Tongan. It is the capital of the Kingdom of Tonga.

2. ʻOku ʻi fē e malaʻe vakapuna?

   ʻO-ku ʻi fē e ma-la-ʻe va-ka-pu-na?

   Where is the airport?

   Usage

   Used to ask the location of the airport

   Grammar Note

   "vakapuna" = "vaka" (vessel/vehicle) + "puna" (to fly) = "flying vessel." The main airport is Fuaʻamotu International Airport near Nukuʻalofa.

3. ʻOku ʻi fē e uafu?

   ʻO-ku ʻi fē e u-a-fu?

   Where is the port / wharf?

   Usage

   Used when looking for the ferry wharf for inter-island travel

   Grammar Note

   Tonga is an archipelago of over 170 islands. Inter-island travel uses ferries or domestic flights. Ferries serve Haʻapai and Vavaʻu island groups.

4. Kole atu ha taakisi

   Ko-le a-tu ha ta-a-ki-si

   Please get me a taxi

   Usage

   Used when requesting a taxi

   Grammar Note

   "taakisi" is borrowed from English "taxi." Tonga is largely bilingual (Tongan/English), and many modern vocabulary items are English loanwords.

5. ʻAlu ki Nukuʻalofa

   ʻA-lu ki Nu-ku-ʻa-lo-fa

   Go to Nukuʻalofa

   Usage

   Telling a taxi driver or vehicle operator your destination

   Grammar Note

   "ʻAlu" means "go." "ki" is a directional preposition meaning "to/toward." Tongan prepositions precede noun phrases.

6. ʻOku fiha e totongi ki Vavaʻu?

   ʻO-ku fi-ha e to-to-ngi ki Va-va-ʻu?

   How much is the fare to Vavaʻu?

   Usage

   Asking about the fare. Vavaʻu is a northern island group famous for whale watching

   Grammar Note

   "ʻOku fiha" asks about quantity/price. Vavaʻu is renowned in the South Pacific for sailing and whale watching.

7. Ko e ʻaho fē ʻe hoko mai ai e vaka?

   Ko e ʻa-ho fē ʻe ho-ko mai ai e va-ka?

   On which day does the ferry arrive?

   Usage

   Used to confirm the arrival day of a ferry

   Grammar Note

   "vaka" means vessel/vehicle across Polynesian languages. Directional "mai" means toward the speaker (opposite of "atu").

8. Tokanga! Ko e hala ʻoku pehē

   To-ka-nga! Ko e ha-la ʻo-ku pe-hē

   Watch out! The road goes this way

   Usage

   Used for giving directions or alerting someone

   Grammar Note

   "Tokanga" is an imperative meaning "be careful." Road infrastructure is concentrated on the main island Tongatapu; other islands have mostly unpaved roads.

9. ʻOku ke ʻilo e hala ki...

   ʻO-ku ke ʻi-lo e ha-la ki...

   Do you know the way to...?

   Usage

   Polite way to ask for directions

   Grammar Note

   "ʻilo" means "to know / understand." "ʻOku ke ʻilo...?" forms the question "do you know...?"

10. Tuʻu ʻi heni

    Tu-ʻu ʻi he-ni

    Stop here please

    Usage

    Used to tell a taxi or bus driver to stop here

    Grammar Note

    "Tuʻu" means "stop/stand" and serves as an imperative. "ʻi heni" is the prepositional phrase meaning "here."

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