Cooking & Markets

1. E hina'aro vau e ha'api'i i te tunu mā'a Mā'ohi.

   I would like to learn Tahitian cooking.

   Usage

   Used when you want to learn traditional Tahitian cooking

   Grammar Note

   tunu mā'a means "to cook food" — tunu means cook/bake, mā'a means food

2. Eaha te mau 'āno'i o te poisson cru?

   What are the ingredients in poisson cru?

   Usage

   Ask about ingredients in poisson cru, Tahiti's national dish of raw fish marinated in lime and coconut milk

   Grammar Note

   'āno'i = mélange ; ingrédients. tāmau means "to learn, to fasten", not "ingredient".

3. Tē hina'aro nei au e tunu i te hō'ē mā'a i roto i te ahimā'a.

   I would like to cook in a traditional underground oven (hima'a).

   Usage

   Used to express interest in the traditional hima'a underground oven cooking method

   Grammar Note

   tunu = bouillir ; rôtir ; cuire and umu = four de terre; the earth oven is ahimā'a.

4. Nāhea e fa'a'ohipa ai i te ha'ari i roto i te tunura'a?

   How do you use coconut in cooking?

   Usage

   Used to ask about coconut (ha'ari) usage in Tahitian cuisine

   Grammar Note

   "How" is Nāhea (Āfea is "when"). "E hia te meitaki" uses meitaki, which is Cook Islands Māori; Tahitian is maita'i.

5. Eaha te mā'a tā 'oe e tunu nei?

   What are you cooking?

   Usage

   Used to ask what someone is cooking in a friendly, curious way

   Grammar Note

   a-class possessive tā 'oe with the progressive e … nei. ōe is a corrupted spelling of 'oe.

6. E ti'a anei ia'u ia tauturu i te tunu?

   Can I help with the cooking?

   Usage

   Used to offer help in the kitchen at someone's home or guesthouse

   Grammar Note

   Permission is asked with E ti'a anei ia'u ia ….

7. Eaha teie mā'a?

   What is this food?

   Usage

   Used to ask the name of an unfamiliar food or dish

   Grammar Note

   The same frame as "Eaha teie?".

8. Tē hina'aro nei au e tāmata i te taro.

   I would like to try taro.

   Usage

   Used to express interest in trying taro, a Polynesian staple

   Grammar Note

   tāmata = essayer ; goûter and taro = tubercule alimentaire.

9. Mōmona roa tā 'oe mā'a!

   Your cooking is very delicious!

   Usage

   Used to compliment the host or cook on their food

   Grammar Note

   meitaki is Cook Islands Māori; "delicious" is mōmona.

10. 'A fa'a'ite mai na i te rāve'a tunu.

    Can you share the recipe?

    Usage

    Used to ask someone to share a cooking recipe

    Grammar Note

    rāve'a = moyen ; méthode. fa'atea means "to move away", not "to share".

Browse all TravelPhrases languages