ia faamanuia le Atua
The English phrase "God bless" is translated into Samoan as ia faamanuia le Atua.
This phrase is used to wish someone divine favor or protection. It is a common way to conclude a formal speech, end a prayer or provide a blessing when parting from someone.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "may God bless" where ia is a particle expressing a wish or command, faamanuia means "to bless" and le Atua means "the God".
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle ia at the beginning of the phrase functions like the English word "may" in the sentence "may God bless you", serving to express a wish or a prayer.
Did you know?
- The word atua is a linguistic relative of the Malay word tuhan, showing a deep genealogical link between Samoan and the languages of Southeast Asia.
- The word faamanuia is derived from manuia, which can also mean 'lucky' or 'successful' in a secular context.
- The word faamanuia is constructed using the particle fa which is often used in Samoan to turn a noun or an adjective into a verb.
Examples in context
- Ia faamanuia le Atua i lou laulau.May God bless your table.
- Ia faamanuia le Atua i lou malaga.May God bless your journey.
- Ia faamanuia le Atua i lau aiga.May God bless your family.
Example conversation
Tasi and Losa are saying goodbye after a church service.
- TasiTasi, ia faamanuia le Atua ia te oe.Tasi, God bless you.
- LosaFaafetai, Losa. Ia faamanuia le Atua ia te oe fo'Thank you, Losa. God bless you too.
- TasiFaafetai. E tatou te feiloai atu i le vaiaso sau.Thank you. We will see each other next week.
- LosaAe, e maua le aso.Yes, see you then.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries atua, ia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
