mai Viti
The English phrase "come on Fiji" is translated into Fijian as mai Viti.
This phrase is used as an invitation or a call for someone to come to the country of Fiji.
How does it change in a sentence?
In this phrase, the country of Fiji is referred to by its Fijian name, Viti.
When do people say it?
When arriving in Fiji or greeting someone, you may encounter the word bula, which is a greeting that translates to "hello" or "welcome".
Did you know?
- The word Viti is used in the local language, but the English name 'Fiji' is actually a corruption of that original word.
- The name Viti is rooted in the concept of the sunrise, originally meaning 'east' or 'the place of the rising sun'.
- The word bula can be doubled as bula bula to express extra warmth or excitement when welcoming someone to the islands.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about future vacation plans.
- MereSairusa, mai Viti ena qase ni makawa.Sairusa, come to Fiji next year.
- SairusaAu vinaka, Mere. Au via qai lako.Thank you, Mere. I would love to go.
- MereNa vei na vula oya?Which month will that be?
- SairusaAu na lako ena vula i Vulotu.I will go in July.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Viti, mai, CC BY-SA 4.0.
