tele
The Samoan word for big is tele.
tele is an adjective used to describe something of a great size, similar to the English word large.
Meaning: of a great size (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, tele is invariable. It does not change its form to indicate plurality or a change in degree.
Did you know?
- When expressing that something is 'very big', Samoan speakers often repeat the word as tele tele. This reduplication is a common linguistic feature used to add emphasis or change the nuance of an adjective.
- The word tele is often used in common Samoan idioms to denote importance or status. To be 'big' in a social sense is to hold significant weight within the community.
- Samoan grammar allows tele to be used as a predicate, meaning you can say something 'is big' without needing a word for 'is'.
Examples in context
- Tele lenei fale.This house is big.
- O se i'uga tele lenei.This is a big result.
- E tele le laasaga.The step is big.
Example conversation
Manu and Mere are looking at a fruit at the market.
- ManuVa'ai i lenei i'a tele!Look at this big fish!
- MereAe tele lava ia.It is very big.
- ManuE mafai ona tatou 'ai ai.We can all eat it.
- MereIa fa'atau lea e oe.You should buy that.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “big” translations and entries tele, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
