mālohi
The Tongan word for strong is mālohi.
mālohi is used to describe physical strength, such as the power of a person or the strength of an object.
Meaning: capable of producing great physical force (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, mālohi does not change its form to indicate gender or plurality.
Did you know?
- In Tongan culture, strength is often linked to faka'apa'apa, meaning respect, implying that true strength is shown through humility and service to others.
- While mālohi describes physical power, Tongan uses the word to’a to describe a person who is 'strong' in the sense of being brave or a warrior.
- In a political context, mālohi can refer to the authority or sovereignty of a government or a ruler.
Examples in context
- ʻOku mālohi e ʻotua.God is strong.
Example conversation
Akuila and Mele are lifting heavy boxes.
- AkuilaKo e pūla a ia!This box is heavy!
- MeleʻOku mālohi ʻa Akuila.Akuila is strong.
- AkuilaʻOkuou lava ʻo fakaʻatu.I can handle it.
- MeleMālō, Akuila.Thanks, Akuila.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “strong” translations and entries mālohi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
