Basic Nouns

1. Te pape

   Water

   Usage

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

   Grammar Note

   Tahitian nouns are learned with the article "te"; the plural is "te mau …".

2. Te mā'a

   Food

   Usage

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

3. Te moni

   Money

   Usage

   The base word for paying and changing currency

4. Te fare iti

   Toilet

   Usage

   Combine it with the “where” question

5. Te pēpa horoi

   Tissue

   Usage

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

   Grammar Note

   "Pēpa horoi" means "wiping paper."

6. Te rā'au

   Medicine

   Usage

   At a pharmacy; combine it with gestures for your symptom

7. Te pūtē

   Luggage

   Usage

   For checking in, carrying on, or reporting lost bags

8. Te tāviri

   Key

   Usage

   At hotel reception when collecting or returning it

9. Te tīkete

   Ticket

   Usage

   Covers both transport tickets and admission tickets

10. Te pasapōta

    Passport

    Usage

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

11. Te niuniu

    Phone

    Usage

    When you need to borrow one or ask for a number

    Grammar Note

    "Niuniu" originally meant cord or wire and came to mean telephone.

12. Te mea fa'a'ī uira

    Charger

    Usage

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

    Grammar Note

    "Te mea fa'a'ī uira" means "the thing that fills electricity"; French "chargeur" is common in daily speech.

13. Te vāhi tāpaera'a pereo'o

    Station

    Usage

    A landmark word when asking for directions

    Grammar Note

    There is no railway in Tahiti, so "station" means a bus stop.

14. Te fare ma'i

    Hospital

    Usage

    The first word you need if you fall ill

15. Te mūto'i

    Police

    Usage

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

16. Te fare toa

    Shop

    Usage

    When looking for somewhere to buy something

17. Te piha

    Room

    Usage

    Use it when asking a hotel about vacancies

18. Te purūmu

    Road

    Usage

    The base word when asking the way

19. Te 'utuāfare

    Family

    Usage

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

20. Te i'oa

    Name

    Usage

    For introductions and for giving your name at a counter

21. upo'o

    Head

    Usage

    Body-part word for pointing at where it hurts

22. mata

    Eye

    Usage

    Also means "face", so point at your eye while showing it

23. niho

    Tooth

    Usage

    Point at this to report a toothache

24. 'a'ī

    Neck

    Usage

    For pain in the neck or nape

25. 'ōpū

    Belly / abdomen

    Usage

    For stomach pain

26. tua

    Back

    Usage

    For back pain

27. rima

    Hand / arm

    Usage

    One word for hand and arm; the same form also means "five", so point at your body

28. 'āvae

    Foot / leg

    Usage

    One word covers foot and leg — point at the part you mean

29. tari'a

    Ear

    Usage

    For an ear problem

30. turi

    Knee

    Usage

    For knee pain

31. rimarima

    Finger / toe

    Usage

    Covers both fingers and toes — point at the one you mean

32. ihu

    Nose

    Usage

    For a nose problem

33. toto

    Blood

    Usage

    To show that you are bleeding

34. 'iri

    Skin

    Usage

    For a rash or skin irritation; the same word also means bark

Browse all TravelPhrases languages