Sustainability & Eco

1. Tei hea vau e tu'u ai i teie pehu?

   Where can I put this waste?

   Usage

   Used to ask where to put waste in Tahiti

   Grammar Note

   There is no Tahitian word for "to recycle" (hōpoi is "to carry"). Rather than coin one, the card asks where to put the waste. "Waste" is pehu and "to put" is tu'u. Ē hea asks "from where", so the locative Tei hea is used

2. E pūtē 'ānei tā 'outou e ti'a ia rave fa'ahou?

   Do you have reusable bags?

   Usage

   Used to ask for reusable bags instead of plastic

   Grammar Note

   'ōfe means "bamboo", and reo reo is a reduplication of "voice / word" and cannot mean "reusable". A bag is pūtē. There is no single word for "reusable", so this says "that can be taken/used again" with rave + fa'ahou

3. E vāhi nohora'a 'ānei tā 'outou e pāruru i te fenua?

   Is there eco-friendly accommodation?

   Usage

   Used when searching for environmentally friendly lodging

   Grammar Note

   'ōfa'i means "stone", not "love", so 'ōfa'i fenua is not "love for the land" (love is here / aroha). "To protect" is pāruru. Lodging is vāhi nohora'a

4. E mā'a 'ānei tā 'outou 'aita e 'ī'o?

   Is there food for vegetarians?

   Usage

   Used at restaurants to ask about plant-based menu options

   Grammar Note

   tao'a rau roa means "many goods", not "plant-based". Tahitian has no word for "vegetarian", so this asks for food without meat: 'ī'o and mā'a "food"

5. Nāhea vau e haere ai i reira nā roto i te pereo'o mata'eina'a?

   How can I get there by public transport?

   Usage

   Used to ask for public transit directions to a destination

   Grammar Note

   pēhea is Rarotongan / Cook Islands Māori for "how"; Tahitian is Nāhea ("Nahea? how? or which way?"). Public transport is pereo'o mata'eina'a.

6. Tei hea te mātete fātata roa?

   Where is the nearest local market?

   Usage

   Used to find the nearest local fresh produce market

   Grammar Note

   A market is mātete and "near" is fātata. Ē hea asks "from where", so Tei hea is used

7. 'Eiaha e rahi te tāpo'ira'a, māuruuru.

   Please use minimal packaging.

   Usage

   Used when shopping to request minimal packaging

   Grammar Note

   "To wrap / cover" is tāpo'i ("the cover of any thing ; to cover"), nominalised with -ra'a. The negative request is 'Eiaha e + …

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