Language/Samoan/Grammar/Asking-Questions

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Samoan → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Questions and Negation → Asking Questions

Asking questions is an essential part of communication in any language. In this lesson, you will learn how to ask questions in Samoan using question words and proper sentence structure. Samoan questions are formed differently from English and follow specific rules.

Basic Sentence Structure

In Samoan, the basic sentence structure is Subject-Verb-Object, where the subject comes first, followed by the verb and then the object. For a simple question, the word order changes to Verb-Subject-Object. For example:

• Au te fa'atau le itūmu ia te oe? ("Do you want to buy the book?")

Here, the verb "fa'atau" or "to buy" comes before the subject "au" or "you" and the object "itūmu" or "book."

Question Words

Question words are an important part of Samoan grammar. These words are used to ask specific kinds of questions and are added to the beginning of a sentence. Here are some of the most common question words in Samoan:

• O fea? ("Where?")
• O ā? ("What?")
• O ai? ("Who?")
• O lenā? ("Which?")
• Pe a fea? ("How?")

For example:

• O ai lea o le tagata? ("Who is that person?")
• O ā lou igoa? ("What is your name?")
• Pe a fea e te nofo ai? ("How are you sitting?")

Note that the word order still follows the basic sentence structure, but the question word is added at the beginning of the sentence.

Questions with Question Words

To form a question using a question word, you can use the following structure:

Question Word + Subject + Verb + Object

Here is an example:

• O fea sivaʻi mai ia te oe? ("Where did you go yesterday?")

In this example, the question word "O fea" meaning "where" is added at the beginning of the sentence, followed by the subject "te oe" or "you," the verb "siva'i mai" or "to go yesterday," and the object "ia" or "there."

Here's another example:

• O lenā e te fiafia ai? ("Which one do you like?")

In this example, the question word "O lenā" meaning "which" is added at the beginning of the sentence, followed by the subject "te" or "you," the verb "fiafia" or "to like," and the object "ai" or "one."

Yes/No Questions

Yes/No questions in Samoan are formed without any specific question word. Instead, the sentence structure changes to Verb-Subject-Object. Here is an example:

• O loʻo i ai te fale? ("Is the house there?")

In this example, the verb "o lo'o i ai" or "is there?" comes before the subject "te fale" or "the house" and the question mark at the end indicates that it is a yes/no question.

Here's another example:

• O le fiafia le tausaga fou i le aso Faraile? ("Are you looking forward to Friday?")

In this example, the verb "o le fiafia" or "are you looking forward" comes before the subject "le tausaga fou" or "to Friday."

Question Word Chart

To help you better understand how to use question words, here is a chart showing the different types of questions and the question words used in each:

Type of Question	Question Word	Example
Location	O fea	O fea le ofisa?
Time	Pe a fea	Pe a fea e totogi ai?
Manner	Pe a foliga e?	Pe a sasa'i foliga e?
Reason	E mafai ona fa'afetai iai?	E mafai ona alofa iai?
Amount	O le a fai ʻeseʻese ai?	O le a tausaga `ese`ese ai?
Possession	O ai le mema o le ola?	O ai le pisinisi i le fale?

Exercises

Now it's time to practice asking questions in Samoan. Use the question words provided to create your own sentences:

1. O fea lea o le fale? 2. O ā lou umu? 3. O lenā gasegase e te pisisia ai? 4. Pe a foliga e i le aso toonai? 5. O ai lea o le faiaoga?

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have just learned how to ask questions in Samoan using question words and proper sentence structure. Remember that proper sentence structure is important in Samoan and that the word order changes when asking questions. Keep practicing and in no time, you will be a master at asking questions in Samoan!

Table of Contents - Samoan Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Basic Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Pronouns and Possessives

• Personal Pronouns
• Possessive Pronouns

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Relationship Status

  ---

Verb Conjugation and Tense

• Present Tense
• Past Tense
• Future Tense

  ---

Food and Dining

• Common Foods
• Eating Out

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Questions and Negation

• Asking Questions
• Negative Statements

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Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Directions and Locations

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Samoan Traditions and Customs

• Traditional Celebrations
• Customs and Etiquette

Other Lessons

• Pronouns
• How to Use Have
• How to Use Be
• Possessive Pronouns
• Future Tense
• Present Tense
• Personal Pronouns
• Negation
• Give your Opinion
• Past Tense

Sources

• Samoan Grammar | LEARN101.ORG
• Samoan language - Wikipedia
• Samoan Questions

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