Ou te alofa ia te oe
The English phrase "i love you" is translated into Samoan as Ou te alofa ia te oe.
This phrase is used as an affirmation of romantic feeling.
Meaning: affirmation of romantic feeling (phrase)
How does it change in a sentence?
The pronoun oe is used when addressing a single person in an informal or familiar manner. To say "I love you" to more than one person, replace oe with outou to form Ou te alofa ia te outou.
Did you know?
- The word alofa is a cognate of the Hawaiian word aloha. Both share a common ancestor in the reconstructed Proto-Polynesian word *qarofa.
- In some contexts, alofa can be used as a verb meaning to pity or feel sorry for someone, showing that love and pity are linguistically linked in Samoan.
- In a Samoan context, expressing alofa often involves much more than just words, frequently requiring a physical gift or service to demonstrate the feeling.
Examples in context
- Ua ou alofa ia te oe.I love you.
- E te iloa, ou te alofa ia te oe.You know, I love you.
- Sina, ou te alofa ia te oe.Sina, I love you.
Example conversation
Sina and Manu are saying goodbye for the evening.
- SinaOu te alofa ia te oe, Manu.I love you, Manu.
- ManuOu te alofa foi ia te oe, Sina.I love you too, Sina.
- SinaFa'afetai, pele.Thank you, sweetheart.
- ManuIa manuia le po.Have a good night.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries alofa, ia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
