sau
The Samoan verb for "come" is sau.
The verb sau is used to express the action of arriving or appearing.
Meaning: to arrive, to appear (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
To indicate that an action of coming or arriving has just been completed or is currently in a state of having arrived, use the particle ua before the verb to form ua sau. To express habitual actions or future intent, use the particle e before the verb to form e sau.
Did you know?
- In some Samoan contexts, saying someone 'has come' with ua sau can be a polite way to describe a person's presence or even their death, depending on the social setting.
- In Samoan, the word sau can also mean 'to draw' or 'to pull', such as when drawing water from a well.
- In high-status oratorical speech, the word sau is often avoided and replaced by complex metaphors to show respect to chiefs.
Examples in context
- Alu mai i le ta'avaleCome to the car
- Ua sau le pasi.The bus has arrived.
Example conversation
Losa and Tau are waiting for a guest to arrive.
- LosaE sau le malo?Is the guest coming?
- TauIoe, e sau o ia nei.Yes, he is coming now.
- LosaO fea o lana sau?Where is he coming from?
- TauE sau o ia mai le nuu.He is coming from the village.
