ua here vau ia oe
To say "i love you" in Tahitian, use ua here vau ia oe.
This phrase is used as an affirmation of romantic feeling.
Meaning: affirmation of romantic feeling (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "I am loving you". The component ua is a tense marker, here means to love, vau means I and oe means you.
How does it change in a sentence?
To emphasize that the feeling is happening currently or continuously, you can add the particle nei to the end of the phrase, resulting in ua here vau ia oe nei.
Did you know?
- The word here can also refer to a 'bond' or 'tie' that fastens two things together. To love someone is conceptually similar to being tied to them.
- In Tahitian culture, romantic declarations are often accompanied by the offering of a flower, such as a tiare, rather than just a spoken phrase.
- Because ua stems from a very ancient Proto-Austronesian root, the grammatical foundation of this romantic phrase connects modern Tahiti to ancient seafaring cultures from thousands of years ago.
Examples in context
- Ua here vau ia oe.I love you.
- Eia, ua here vau ia oe.Yes, I love you.
Example conversation
A couple is sharing a quiet moment at the beach.
- VairupeUa here vau ia oe, Hiro.I love you, Hiro.
- HiroUa here vau ia oe au anei, Vairupe.I love you too, Vairupe.
- VairupeʻAe, e fāu vau ia oe.Yes, I am devoted to you.
- HiroE tū vau i tō oe taha.I will stand by your side.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “i love you” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ua, CC BY-SA 4.0.
