'A tauturu mai ia'u!
Help me!
Usage
Shout to call for help in an emergency
Grammar Note
The imperative is 'A + verb, as in "'A tauturu mai ia'u i teie".
'A tāniuniu i te mūto'i!
Call the police!
Usage
Call for the gendarmerie (police) in French Polynesia
Grammar Note
tāniuniu = téléphoner and uses muto'i for the police. Vāvā is "muet ; mutisme", the opposite of calling out.
'A 'āfa'i ia'u i te fare ma'i.
Please take me to the hospital.
Usage
Request to be taken to the hospital
Grammar Note
"'Āfa'i : porter ; emporter" and "Fare ma'i : hôpital".
'Ua hahi vau i te 'ē'a.
I am lost.
Usage
Express that you are lost on Tahiti or another island
Grammar Note
"Hahi : se tromper de chemin ; errer" is exactly "to get lost". pohe means "to die", so "'Ua pohe au" would say "I have died".
'A tāniuniu i te pere'o'o ma'i!
Call an ambulance!
Usage
Urgently call for an ambulance; French-influenced term is understood
Grammar Note
"Pere'o'o ma'i : ambulance". Vāvā means "mute".
Tē ma'i nei au.
I feel unwell.
Usage
Express that you are feeling sick or unwell
Grammar Note
He … is a Hawaiian/Māori article that Tahitian lacks. ma'i is "maladie ; malade".
'Ua mo'e tā'u 'ete moni.
I have lost my wallet.
Usage
Report a lost wallet to the police or authorities
Grammar Note
"Mo'e : disparaître ; égarer" and "'Ete : petit sac".
'Ua haruhia tā'u mau tao'a.
My valuables have been stolen.
Usage
Report theft of valuables to the authorities
Grammar Note
"Haru : voler ; saisir", here with the passive -hia.
'A tāniuniu i tō'u ambassade.
Please contact my embassy.
Usage
Ask someone to contact your country's embassy in an emergency
Grammar Note
pāpā means "father", not "embassy". No Tahitian word for an embassy exists, so the French ambassade is used.
'A haere mai e tauturu ia'u!
Please come and help me!
Usage
An urgent call for help in an emergency situation
Grammar Note
'ōfa'i means "stone", not "to come".
auahi
Fire
Usage
Show this to report a fire; smoke is a separate word, auauahi
'eiā
Thief
Usage
Show this to report a thief; the same word also works as the verb "to steal". The plural is te feiā 'eiā.
taparahi pohe roa
Murder
Usage
Show this to report that someone has been killed; taparahi alone means "to beat", so pohe roa is required. Tahitian does not lexically separate "kill" from "murder".
tōpita
Bomb
Usage
Show this on finding a bomb; the same word also covers dynamite. A variant form is tūpita.
Auahi! 'A horo!
Fire! Run!
Usage
Shout this to warn of a fire and tell people to get out
Grammar Note
The imperative "'A + verb" is the shape of "'A tauturu mai ia'u!" and "'A tīa'i na". "horo" is the verb "courir" (to run).
'Eiā! 'A haru!
Thief! Catch him!
Usage
Shout this while pointing at a thief to get bystanders to stop him
Grammar Note
The imperative takes the form "'A + verb". "haru" is the verb "haru, attraper, arrêter" (to catch, to arrest). Note: no object is attached. The Tahitian third-person pronoun is 'ōna / 'oia. The card is used while pointing, so the object is left out.
Tei hea te fare mūto'i?
Where is the police station?
Usage
Used to ask where the police station (gendarmerie) is
Grammar Note
"Tei hea te <facility>?" is the frame of "Tei hea te fare ma'i?" (Where is the hospital?) and "Tei hea te fare iti?" (Where is the toilet?). There is no single word for "police station", so the productive "fare + <function>" pattern (fare ma'i = hospital, fare iti = toilet, fare toa = shop) is used instead.
Tē tītau nei au i te parau ha'amanara'a nō te 'eiā.
I need a theft report
Usage
Used to ask for a written certificate of the theft, e.g. for an insurance claim
Grammar Note
The frame is "Tē tītau nei au i te taote." (I need a doctor). "parau ha'amanara'a" is the phrase for "certificat".
Tē vai ra 'ānei te ta'ata o te parau i te reo Tapōnē?
Is there anyone who speaks Japanese?
Usage
Used at a counter or hospital to look for someone who speaks Japanese
Grammar Note
The existential question "Tē vai ra 'ānei ...?" is the frame of "Tē vai ra 'ānei?" and "Tē vai ra anei tā 'oe rā'au?". "te reo <language>" is the frame of "Tē parau nei 'oe i te reo Peretāne?" with the language name replaced. Note: for "Japanese" use "Tapōnē" ("Japon, Japonais, Tapōnē"; "reo Tapōnē") rather than "Hapanihi".
Tē paremo nei te ta'ata!
Someone is drowning
Usage
Shout this while pointing at someone in the water
Grammar Note
The progressive "Tē ... nei" is the frame of "Tē ma'i nei au." and "Tē mauiui nei tō'u upo'o.". "paremo" is "paremo, se noyer", and is the word used of people ("noyer (se) ... paremo (homme)").
'Ua taparahihia vau.
I was beaten
Usage
Used to report being assaulted
Grammar Note
The passive "'Ua + verb + -hia" is the frame of "'Ua haruhia tā'u mau tao'a.". "taparahi" is the first element of "taparahi pohe roa" (= murder); taparahi alone means to beat ("frapper, taparahi (agressivement)").
'Ua patiahia vau i te tipi.
I was stabbed
Usage
Used to report having been stabbed with a blade
Grammar Note
The passive is "'Ua + verb + -hia". Note: "patia" is "pierce" in general and is used both for spearing an animal and for giving an injection, so "i te tipi" (with the knife) is added so the card cannot be read as "I was injected". "tipi" means "knife" ("'Ua ... i te tipi, il tient le couteau").
'Ua tomo te 'eiā i roto i tō'u piha.
A thief broke into my room
Usage
Used to report that someone got into your room while you were away
Grammar Note
The "'Ua + verb + subject + i ..." order is that of "'Ua hahi vau i te 'ē'a.". "tomo" is "1 tomo, 1. entrer". Tahitian has no single word for burglary of an empty house.
'O te ta'ata hara teie.
That person is the culprit
Usage
Used while pointing out the offender to the police
Grammar Note
The equational "'O te <noun phrase> teie" is the frame of "'O te tere mātāmua teie nā'u i 'ō nei". "hara" is "hara, péché, crime", and "coupable, hara" is also given. Note: the phrase is the general noun "wrongdoer" rather than a word for "the perpetrator of this particular crime", and is meant to be used while pointing.
'Ua ha'avarehia vau.
I was deceived
Usage
Used to report having been cheated or scammed
Grammar Note
The passive is "'Ua + verb + -hia". "ha'avare" is "ha'avare, mensonge ; menteur, faux", and "tromper, ha'avare, rāmā" is also given. Note: fa'ahema means "tenter (tentation)", so "ha'avare" is used here for "don't cheat me".
'Ua haruhia tā'u 'ete moni.
My wallet was stolen
Usage
Used to report a stolen wallet to the police
Grammar Note
"'Ua haruhia tā'u mau tao'a." (My valuables were stolen) with the object replaced by "'ete moni" from "'Ua mo'e tā'u 'ete moni." (I lost my wallet).
'Ua vaiiho vau i tā'u pūtē.
I left my bag behind
Usage
Used to say you left your bag somewhere
Grammar Note
"'Ua + verb + vau i te ..." is the frame of "'Ua hahi vau i te 'ē'a.". "vaiiho" is the word for "laisser".
'Ua tupu te hō'ē 'ati purūmu.
There has been a traffic accident
Usage
Used to report that a traffic accident has happened
Grammar Note
"'ati" means "wound, accident" and "purūmu" means "road". The collocation "'ati purūmu" is "'Ati purūmu, accident de la route".
'Ua rō'ohia vau e te pere'o'o.
I was hit by a car
Usage
Used to report having been hit by a car
Grammar Note
The passive "'Ua + verb + -hia + subject + e + agent" adds the agent marker "e" to the passive. "e te pere'o'o" is the car as agent or instrument.
'A ha'ape'epe'e na.
Please hurry
Usage
Used to ask someone to hurry
Grammar Note
"'A + verb + na" is the softened imperative of "'A tīa'i na" (Please wait) and "'A parau fa'ahou na" (Please say it again). "ha'ape'epe'e" is "ha'ape'epe'e, hâter, se hâter".
'A haere mai i teie nei!
Please come right away
Usage
Used to ask someone to come immediately
Grammar Note
"'A haere mai" is the phrase of "'A haere mai e tauturu ia'u!" (Please come and help me). "i teie nei" ("now") is a fixed time phrase.
E ohipa ru teie.
It's an emergency
Usage
Used to say that the situation is urgent
Grammar Note
The nominal predicate "E + noun phrase + teie" is the frame of "E application tāmoni 'ore teie" (This is a free app). "ru" is the adverbial "quickly/hastily" ('ori ru = to dance fast). The collocation "ohipa ru" means "urgent work". There is no single word for "emergency".
'Aita teie ta'ata e ara fa'ahou.
This person is unconscious
Usage
Used while pointing at a collapsed person to call for help
Grammar Note
The negative "'Aita + subject + e + verb" is the frame of "'Aita vau e parau i te reo Tahiti." (I don't speak Tahitian). Note: there is no single word for "unconscious", so the card uses "ara", glossed "se réveiller", in the paraphrase "does not wake up any more".
More Tahitian phrases
- Basic Words
- Basic Nouns
- Basic Verbs
- Adjectives
- Question Words
- Greetings
- Food & Drinks
- Transportation
- Shopping
- Numbers
- Hotel
- Sightseeing
- Flirting
- Nightlife
- Massage & Spa
- Compliments
- Contacts & SNS
- Beach & Activities
- Places & Areas
- Useful Phrases
- Airport & Customs
- Weather & Climate
- Pharmacy & Health
- Directions
- Money & Exchange
- Health & Hospital
- Internet & WiFi
- Nature & Outdoors
- Religion & Temples
- Café & Drinks
- Schedule & Booking
- Culture & Etiquette
- Traveling with Kids
- Sports & Activities
- Public Transport
- Accommodation
- Banking & ATM
- Visa & Immigration
- Business & Work
- School & Education
- Cooking & Markets
- Music & Entertainment
- Art & Museums
- Festivals & Events
- Photography
- Laundry
- Post Office
- Language Learning
- Dating & Romance
- Dating Apps
- Volunteering
- Accessibility
- Sustainability & Eco
- Fruits
- Colors
- Dietary & Allergies
- Markets & Souvenirs
- Wine & Spirits
- Car Rental & Driving
- Time & Dates
- Hiking & Trekking
- Diving & Water Sports
- Hot Springs & Baths
- Yoga & Wellness
- Casino & Gambling
- Beauty & Grooming
- Remote Work
- Fashion & Clothing
- Convenience Store
- Martial Arts
- Signs
- Body Parts
- Animals