Weather & Climate

1. 'Ua ve'ave'a roa i teie mahana!

   It's really hot today!

   Usage

   Weather conversation in Tahiti

   Grammar Note

   Tahitian is a Polynesian language — official in French Polynesia

2. E ua ana paha

   It looks like it might rain

   Usage

   When rain seems likely

   Grammar Note

   "Ua" = rain in Tahitian. Many vocabulary items are shared with Hawaiian

3. Tē haere mai nei te vero rahi

   A big storm is approaching

   Usage

   Warning about an approaching cyclone

   Grammar Note

   'ino means bad or evil; a storm is vero. nui is archaic; the modern word is rahi. tētahi is Māori. ho'i means return, so approach uses haere mai. French Polynesia is affected by cyclones.

4. 'Ua to'eto'e maita'i i teie mahana

   It's pleasantly cool today

   Usage

   Comment on pleasant cool weather

   Grammar Note

   'olu'olu is Hawaiian. Tahitian has no letter l. Cool or cold is to'eto'e.

5. Eaha te huru o te anotau ānānahi?

   What will the weather be like tomorrow?

   Usage

   Asking what tomorrow's weather will be like

   Grammar Note

   tāpura means a list, not a forecast. This asks what tomorrow’s weather is like. anotau means a season, also called tau.

6. Tē tītau ānei au i te crème solaire?

   Is sunscreen needed?

   Usage

   Ask on sunny days

   Grammar Note

   Tahitian has many French loans. For sunscreen, use French crème solaire as-is.

7. E ti'a ānei ia'u ia rave i te parapluie?

   Should I bring an umbrella?

   Usage

   Before going out in uncertain weather

   Grammar Note

   pāpū means certain, not should. Obligation is expressed with E ti'a ia'u. parapluie is French for umbrella.

8. Āhea te tau marō?

   When is the dry season?

   Usage

   Travel planning question

   Grammar Note

   vāhine means woman and maoro means long; vāhine maoro means long woman, not a season. Season is tau; dry is marō. Tahiti’s dry season is May–October.

9. Āhea te tau ua?

   When is the rainy season?

   Usage

   Ask about the rainy season

   Grammar Note

   vāhine means woman, so vāhine ua means rain woman, not a season. Season is tau. Tahiti’s rainy season is November–April and is affected by cyclones.

10. 'Ua pūai roa te rā

    The sun is really intense

    Usage

    Exclamation about intense sunshine

    Grammar Note

    māuiui means pain, anguish or grief, or to be in pain, not intense. Strength or force is pūai. rā means sun; roa is an intensifying adverb.

11. Ua

    Rain

    Usage

    For asking or telling about the weather

12. Mata'i

    Wind

    Usage

    For asking or telling about the weather

13. Mahana

    Sun

    Usage

    The same word also means "day"

14. Ata

    Cloud

    Usage

    For asking whether it is cloudy

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