fa'asaina
In Samoan, the English phrase "chinese" is expressed as fa'asaina.
The term is used to refer to the standard language of China. It can also be used as a descriptor for objects or people of Chinese origin, such as in the phrases Masini Saina (Chinese car) or Pasene Saina (Chinese passport).
Meaning: the standard language of China (name)
Did you know?
- The glottal stop, represented by the apostrophe in fa'asaina, is a full consonant in Samoan. If a speaker omits this tiny catch in the throat, the word can change meaning or sound unnatural to locals.
- The structure of fa'asaina is similar to fa'asamoa, which refers to 'the Samoan way'. Both use the same prefix to describe a distinct cultural identity or method.
- The prefix fa'a- in fa'asaina literally means 'in the manner of'. This means when a Samoan speaker describes something as 'chinese', they are conceptually saying it is 'in the style of China'.
Examples in context
- E te iloa le fa'asaina?Do you know Chinese?
Example conversation
Sione and Losa are talking about learning new languages.
- SioneE fia a'oa'o Losa le fa'asaina.Losa wants to learn Chinese.
- LosaAe e faigata le fa'asaina.But Chinese is difficult.
- SioneE le faigata pe a e taumafai.It is not difficult if you try.
- LosaE maua se tasi e fesoasoani?Is there someone who can help?
