Signs

1. Maeva

   Welcome

   Usage

   The welcome board at the airport arrivals hall, at hotels, village boundaries and event grounds. Even where everything else is in French, this is the Tahitian word most reliably seen on signage, often just "MAEVA" on its own

2. Fare iti

   Toilet

   Usage

   Tahitian for a toilet — but the door will almost always be labelled "TOILETTES" or "WC" in French. The Tahitian only appears on bilingual signs at pensions and cultural sites

   Grammar Note

   "Fare iti" literally means "small house" — a euphemism for the toilet, with parallels across Polynesia

3. Tāne

   Men

   Usage

   On the men's door of a toilet or changing room. French "HOMMES" is the norm, but resorts and restaurants often use the Tahitian pair "TĀNE / VAHINE"

4. Vahine

   Women

   Usage

   On the women's door, paired with "TĀNE" (men). The French equivalent on the same door would be "FEMMES"

5. Tapu

   Forbidden / No entry

   Usage

   Means "forbidden / sacred." It marks marae (stone ceremonial sites) and burial grounds where entering or photographing is restricted. Ordinary private property is posted in French as "DÉFENSE D'ENTRER" or "PROPRIÉTÉ PRIVÉE" — where tapu appears, the reason is usually religious or cultural

6. Taura'a manureva

   Airport

   Usage

   Tahitian for an airport. Road signs and terminal signage — at Tahiti Faa'a and elsewhere — read "AÉROPORT" in French, so this form shows up only on bilingual notices, announcements and combined with an island name

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