sega e vinaka
The Fijian phrase for "no thank you" is sega e vinaka.
sega e vinaka is a polite way to say no. While the word sega alone means "no" and can be used to decline, adding e vinaka makes the refusal polite.
Meaning: polite way of saying no (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "not good" or "not well", where sega means "no/not" and vinaka means "good/well".
Did you know?
- The word sega is built from two functional particles, se meaning 'or' and ga meaning 'only' or 'but'.
- If you are offered food or kava, it is common to repeat sega e vinaka several times as the host may insist out of hospitality before accepting the refusal.
- In Fijian culture, refusing an offer of food too quickly can sometimes be seen as impolite, so sega e vinaka is often said with a smile to maintain social harmony.
Example conversation
Teresia offers Jone some more tea.
- TeresiaO kemuni sa via nomuna tale?Would you like some more?
- JoneSega e vinaka, Teresia.No thank you, Teresia.
- TeresiaSega na leqa.No problem.
- JoneVinaka vakalevu.Thank you very much.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sega, vinaka, CC BY-SA 4.0.
