hala
The English word 'nothing' is translated into Tongan as hala.
hala is used to express the concept of 'not any thing'.
Meaning: not any thing (pron)
Did you know?
- The word hala is a homograph that can mean 'nothing', 'a path', or 'to be mistaken', meaning the context of your sentence is vital to avoid being misunderstood.
- In Tongan culture, avoiding a direct 'no' or 'nothing' in certain social exchanges is often seen as a sign of faka'apa'apa or respect toward elders and chiefs.
- Tongan uses a concept called 'negative concord' where multiple negative words in one sentence do not cancel each other out.
Example sentences for Tongan are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Sione and Mele are talking in the kitchen.
- SioneKo e hā ‘a e mea ‘oku ‘i ai?What is in there?
- Mele‘Oku ‘i ai hala, Sione.There is nothing, Sione.
- Sione‘Oku ‘ikai ke ‘i ai me‘a kai?Is there no food?
- Mele‘Io, ‘oku ‘i ai hala.Yes, there is nothing.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nothing” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
