Maʻu ha ʻaho faʻeleʻi fiefia
The English phrase 'happy birthday' is expressed in Tongan as Maʻu ha ʻaho faʻeleʻi fiefia.
Maʻu ha ʻaho faʻeleʻi fiefia is the standard way to express birthday wishes in Tongan.
Meaning: good wishes for a birthday (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase means 'Have a happy birthday'. The word maʻu means 'have', ʻaho means 'day', faʻeleʻi means 'birthday' and fiefia means 'happy'.
Did you know?
- Because Tongan is a highly hierarchical language, the way you say this phrase might be adjusted with different honorifics if you are speaking to a member of the royal family.
- The Tongan word for 'day', ʻaho, is also the word used for 'sun', showing the deep connection between the passage of time and the celestial bodies in the language.
- In Tongan culture, birthday celebrations often center around the family and church community rather than just the individual, reflecting the collective nature of Tongan society.
Examples in context
- ʻOfa atu, maʻu ha ʻaho faʻeleʻi fiefia.Sending love, happy birthday.
- Losa, maʻu ha ʻaho faʻeleʻi fiefia atu!Losa, happy birthday to you!
Example conversation
Losa greets Akuila at his birthday party.
- LosaMālō e lelei, Akuila!Hello, Akuila!
- AkuilaMālō e lelei, Losa.Hello, Losa.
- LosaMaʻu ha ʻaho faʻeleʻi fiefia!Happy birthday!
- AkuilaMālō, ʻofā atu.Thank you, sending love.
