fale
/fa.le/
The Tongan word for house is fale.
fale is a noun used to refer to a human abode or a house.
Meaning: human abode (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables and is pronounced /fa.le/.
Did you know?
- The Tongan word fale shares an ancient ancestor with the Tagalog word 'bahay' and the Indonesian word 'balai'.
- In traditional Tongan architecture, a fale was often an open structure without permanent walls, relying on mats for privacy.
- A fale is traditionally built using lashings of coconut sennit rather than nails or screws.
Example sentences for Tongan are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Akuila and Mele are talking about where to meet.
- AkuilaʻOku ʻi he fale ʻa Mele?Is Mele at the house?
- MeleʻIo, ʻoku ou ʻi he fale.Yes, I am at the house.
- AkuilaTe u haʻu ki he fale.I will come to the house.
- MeleMālo hifo, Akuila.Thank you, Akuila.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “house” translations and entries fale, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fale, CC BY-SA 4.0.
