māhina
/ˈmaː.hi.na/
The Tongan word for "moon" is māhina.
māhina refers to the natural satellite of the planet Earth.
Meaning: the natural satellite of planet Earth (noun)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to the Moon as a specific celestial body, capitalize the word as Māhina.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈmaː.hi.na/. The word has 3 syllables, and the stress is on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- In Tongan, māhina is used not only for the celestial body but also as the word for 'month', since the calendar is traditionally lunar.
- In Tongan, there are specific terms for the different phases of the māhina that dictate traditional social customs and taboos.
- The term māhina is closely related to words meaning 'bright' or 'white' in other Austronesian languages, reflecting the moon's glow.
Examples in context
- ʻOku mamata ʻa e fāmili ki he māhina.The family is looking at the moon.
Example conversation
Sione and Mele are looking at the night sky.
- SioneVakai e māhina, Mele.Look at the moon, Mele.
- MeleʻOku hā moʻoni ia.It is really clear.
- SioneʻOku mālohi e māhina tonight.The moon is bright tonight.
- MeleʻOku ʻauhi moʻoni.It truly is.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “moon” translations and entries māhina, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
