How to Say “Hurry Up” in Samoan

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fa'ata'alise
The Samoan phrase for "hurry up" is fa'ata'alise.
fa'ata'alise is a verb used to go faster.
Meaning: go faster (verb)

Did you know?

  • Because of the emphasis on 'fa'aaloalo', or respect, using fa'ata'alise directly with an elder or a high-ranking chief could be interpreted as a significant social insult.
  • The word fa'ata'alise is built from a complex system of prefixes and suffixes where the fa' part often transforms a root into a causative verb, effectively meaning 'to cause something to happen'.
  • The concept of 'hurrying' can be seen as 'unproductive' in a traditional Samoan sense, where the quality of a task is valued far above the speed at which it is finished.

Example conversation

Sione and Mere are leaving for a party.

  1. Sione

    Mere, fa'ata'alise, o le a tu'uina atu le tafe.
    Mere, hurry up, the ride is leaving.
  2. Mere

    O lo'u sapatu o lo'o sa'ili lava au.
    I am still looking for my shoe.
  3. Sione

    Fa'ata'alise, ua tasi le itula!
    Hurry up, it is one o'clock!
  4. Mere

    O lea lava, ua sauni ua ou te alu.
    Alright, I am ready and I'm going.
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Gail Lynn
Gail LynnHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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