moli ʻaina
The English word "orange" translates to Samoan as moli ʻaina. Wiktionary also lists moli ʻaiga.
Meaning: fruit (noun)
Ways to say it
| Samoan |
|---|
| moli ʻaina |
| moli ʻaiga |
The term is used to refer to the orange fruit.
Which one should you use?
While moli ʻaina is the default term for the fruit, the form moli ʻaiga is also present in the language.
Did you know?
- Samoan culture often distinguishes between the fruit itself and the color 'orange', which is typically described using different descriptive terms rather than the fruit name.
- Samoan distinguishes between 'land' ʻaina and 'family' ʻaiga in the names for oranges, reflecting the cultural importance of land ownership and kinship.
- The word moli is the root for most citrus fruits in Samoan. This means that without a modifier, a speaker might be referring to a lemon or lime instead of an orange.
Examples in context
- Faʻatau mai se moli ʻaina i le maketi.Buy an orange at the market.
Example conversation
Sione and Mere are in the kitchen preparing food.
- SioneMere, e iai se moli ʻaina?Mere, is there an orange?
- MereIoe, o loo i le pusa.Yes, it is in the box.
- SioneFaafetai, ou te mana'o i se moli ʻaina.Thanks, I want an orange.
- MereIa manuia lau taumafataga.Enjoy your snack.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “orange” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
