Language/Fijian/Grammar/Questions

Fijian Grammar - Questions

Hi Fijian learners! 😊
In this lesson, you will learn how to ask questions in Fijian. Questions are an essential component of language communication. They enable us to seek and provide information. The ability to ask questions in Fijian as an intermediate-level learner means you can make inquiries on various subjects and increase your cultural awareness. You will also improve your conversation skills and solidify your grammar knowledge. So, let's go!

Introducing questions

In Fijian, questions are formed by utilizing interrogative words or particles. Interrogative words include words like “what,” “how,” and “why” to ask about actions, things, and ideas. Examples of interrogative particles include “sa kerea?” or "veidreu?" which are added to a statement to indicate a question.

To ask a question simply, change the intonation pattern of your statement. For example, statement "ko Jone sa yaco tiko e Tokatoka" (John is in the village) becomes "sa yaco tiko e Tokatoka ko Jone?" (Is John in the village?).

Here are some interrogative words in Fijian and their translations as well as some examples:

Fijian	Pronunciation	English
a cava	ah tha-va	what
a vica na	ah vee-tha-na	how many
vakaevei	vah-kah-eh-vey	how
au sa qai goneyalewa beka	ow sa ka-e gow-nee-al-eh-wa beh-ka	Am i young or old

And here are some interrogative particles in Fijian and their translations:

Fijian	Pronunciation	English
sa kerea	sa keh-reh-ah	is/are/was/were it/they asked
veidreu	veh-in-drey-oo	what for/why
veiwekani	veh-ee-wekh-ah-nee	how
au sa lomani iko beka	ow sa lo-mah-nee eek-o beh-ka	do I love you or not?

To give a simple example of a dialogue, let's say Riley wants to ask about the location of the supermarket.

• Riley: "Sa lako tu na supermarket?" (Is the supermarket nearby?)
• Mary: "Sega, sa vakatikora mada" (No, it has just been rebuilt)

As you can see, the structure of a question in Fijian is simple, as long as you use the right intonation or interrogative word/particle. Keep practicing to get comfortable with them!

Question word order

In Fijian, the word order in a question is similar to a statement only differing in the intonation or interrogative particle used. For example, in a statement "au rogoca na sere" (I hear the song), the question formation would be "sa rogoca mada na sere?" (Has the song been heard?).

Note that just like in English, the word order will depend on the verb tense. For example, in the present continuous tense, you would use "sa" or "na" before the verb, before adding the interrogative participle. As in the example "sa lako tu na supermarket?" (Is the supermarket nearby?).

However, for the continuous form, you can also use "sara" or "nara" before the present participle. For example:

Fijian	Pronunciation	English
sa oti na cava?	sah o-tee na tha-va	Has what been finished?
na qai kana meal?	Na ka-ee kah-na meh-ahl	What will be eaten? (future)
sarava rogoca na siga?	Sa-rah-vah ro-goth-ah na sing-gah	Is the sun being heard? (continuous)
au sa qai savasava na dela ni manumanu.	ow sah kah-ee sah-vah-sah-vah na deh-lah ni mah-noo-mah-noo	Will the animal's hind be clean soon? (continuous and future)

But still, word order is important in Fijian questions, and you need to be careful of how you order them. If you're not careful, you might end up with a statement instead of a question.

Using question particles

Aside from using intonation and word order, Fijian speakers use interrogative particles to indicate that a sentence is a question. The particles, such as "sa kerea" and "veidreu," add an extra layer of formality to the question. As mentioned above, particles are added to statements to indicate a question. They always come at the end of the question in the sentence.

It's also worth noting that these particles have different variations depending on the tense and focus of the sentence. For example, "sa kerea" has a future variant, "na kerea," which indicates that the question is related to the future. Some of the most common interrogative particles used in Fijian include "sa kerea," "veidreu," and "deivakatavuni."

Example:

Fijian	Pronunciation	English
au sa lako vakacegu	ow sah lah-koh vah-kah-theng-oo	am I going on vacation?
kena laurai samusamuvakai	keh-na lah-roo-aye sah-moo-sah-moo-vah-kay	what kind of fruit is in the fruit basket?
ko sa qai cunida moce?	koh sah kah-ee ch-nee-dah moh-they	are you going to sleep?

Practice questions

Now it's time to practice! Here are some sample questions in Fijian.

Fijian	Pronunciation	English
oti e saraga na kena taki?	oh-tee e sing-gah-gah nah keh-nah tah-kee	Has the salt and pepper been put on the table?
sega lailai mai na bia?	sehg-ah lah-ee-lah-ee my nah bee-yah	Isn't beer coming soon?
sa lako beka na turaga mai Nadi moce viavialevu?	sah lah-koh beh-ka nah too-rah-ngah my nah-dee moh-they vee-ah-vee-ah-leh-voo	Will the boss go to the big hotel in Nadi to sleep?
sa qai kana vata na koro ni boci?	sah kah-ee kah-nah vah-tah nah kor-roh nee boh-thi	Are the village people eating together?

Now that you know how to ask questions in Fijian, you can increase your language skills by continuing to practice and engaging with native speakers. Remember, one of the best ways to learn a new language is through continuous practice, and immersion in the language and culture. To improve your Fijian Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

---

➡ 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. 😎

Sources

• Fijian language
• Fijian Grammar
• Interrogative
• Intonation
• Question Particle