Language/Samoan/Grammar/How-to-Use-Have

Samoan Grammar - How to Use "Have"

Hi Samoan learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn how to use the verb "to have" in Samoan. "To have" is a very important verb in any language because it helps us talk about possession and existence. So, let's get started!

Don't hesitate to look into these other pages after completing this lesson: Conditional Mood & Pronouns.

Basic Vocabulary and Concepts

Before we get into the grammar rules of using "to have", let's review some basic Samoan vocabulary and concepts.

First, the Samoan language has a rich oral tradition with deep cultural roots. Samoan culture celebrates the communal life, and this is reflected in the unique Samoan language. For example, Samoan has many words for different types of relationships, such as "tama" (father), "tina" (mother), "tuagane" (older brother), and so on. These words are important in Samoan society and instill a sense of respect and family values.

Second, Samoan has a unique sound system that includes five vowels (a, e, i, o, u) and 11 consonants (p, t, k, m, n, ng, l, f, s, h, v). The Samoan sound system is phonetic, which means that words are pronounced as they are spelled.

Third, Samoan uses various personal pronouns to denote possession. These pronouns include "ou" (my), "lou" (your), "ona" (his/her), "ia" (its), "mauā" (our), and "lau" (your).

Now that we have reviewed these basic concepts, let's learn how to use "to have" in Samoan.

Using the Verb "To Have" in Samoan

In Samoan, "to have" is expressed using the word "ia". "Ia" can be used to talk about possession or existence. The following table shows how to use "ia" with different pronouns.

Pronoun	Samoan	Pronunciation	English
My	ou ia	ooh ee-ah	I have
Your (singular)	lou ia	looh ee-ah	You have
His/Her	ona ia	oh-nah ee-ah	He/She has
Its	ia ia	ee-ah ee-ah	It has
Our	maua ia	mah-oo-ah ee-ah	We have
Your (plural)	lau ia	lah-oo ee-ah	You have
Their	latou ia	lah-toh-oo ee-ah	They have

So, for example, to say "I have a cat" in Samoan, you would say "Ou ia se popo". Here, "ou" means "my", "ia" means "have", "se" means "a", and "popo" means "cat".

Let's see some more examples in context.

Dialogue 1

• Person 1: O fea lava o lou tino? (Where is your body?)
• Person 2: O lo'o i le fale. Ou te ia se telefoni i luma. (It's in the house. I have a phone inside.)

In this dialogue, Person 1 is asking where Person 2's body is as a way of asking where they are. Person 2 responds by saying their body is in the house and that they have a phone inside.

Dialogue 2

• Person 1: O lo'u tama e ia se polokalama vaivai. (My father has a broken car.)
• Person 2: Oi aku nei telefoni mata'utia e ou te ia. (I have an old phone.)

In this dialogue, Person 1 is talking about their father's broken car, and Person 2 responds by saying they have an old phone.

Exceptions

There are a few exceptions to using "ia" in Samoan. For example, when talking about food, clothing, or other items that are worn or eaten, we use the word "e". "E" is a preposition that roughly translates to "with" or "along with".

Examples:

Samoan	Pronunciation	English
O lo'u suafa e fa'apopo lea.	O loo-oo soo-ah-fa eh fa-ah-po-po le-ah	My shirt is being washed tomorrow.
O le sā e fasioti.	O leh sah eh fa-see-oh-tee	The sky is blue.

We also use the word "o" instead of "ia" when describing possession in certain situations. "O" is a particle that signals the subject of a sentence.

Examples:

Samoan	Pronunciation	English
O lo'u uso lea.	O loo-oo oo-so le-ah	That's my sister.
O lea ua i ai le mea nei.	O le-ah oo-ah ee ah-ee leh meh-ah neh-ee	That thing is here.

Conclusion

Congratulations! Now you know how to use "to have" in Samoan! Remember, practice makes perfect, so don't be afraid to find native speakers and ask them any questions you may have. In addition, explore the Polyglot Club website for more resources on learning Samoan Grammar. Good luck!

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➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Having concluded this lesson, consider checking out these related pages: Negation & Future Tense.

Other Lessons

• Questions
• Pronouns
• Adjectives
• Negation
• Give your Opinion
• How to Use Be
• Plurals
• Future Tense
• Conditional Mood

Sources

• Samoan language - Wikipedia
• 12. From feelings to grammar: a Samoan case study
• Samoan Language - Structure, Writing & Alphabet