alofa
alofa is the Samoan word for love.
alofa is used to express a wide range of affection, from romantic love to familial love and even compassion or sympathy for others.
Meaning: strong affection (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The word alofa can function as both a noun meaning 'love' and a verb meaning 'to love'.
Did you know?
- alofa is a cognate of the Hawaiian word aloha, meaning they both share a common ancestor in the Proto-Polynesian word *qarofa.
- The act of showing alofa often involves the 'tautala' or spoken word, but it is more powerfully expressed through 'tautua', which means 'service' to the family or community.
- The concept of alofa extends to 'mercy' and 'pity'. In a religious or legal context, asking for alofa is often a plea for forgiveness or compassion rather than romantic love.
Examples in context
- Ou te alofa ia te oe.I love you.
- E tele lo matou alofa.Our love is great.
- O le alofa o le mea sili lea.Love is the most important thing.
- E fa'aali le alofa i le aiga.Show love to the family.
Example conversation
Tasi and Sina are talking about their family.
- TasiE mamao le aiga, ae e tele le alofa.The family is far away, but there is much love.
- SinaAe Leptu le alofa i o tatou fatino.But the love for our children is strong.
- TasiE maua lava le alofa i le loto.Love is always found in the heart.
- SinaE moni lena mea, Tasi.That is true, Tasi.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “love” translations and entries alofa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries alofa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
