English is widely spoken and understood at most Bora Bora resorts, restaurants, and shops. However, learning a few common Tahitian words and phrases is appreciated by the locals, especially if you venture away from the tourist areas. Ready to learn the basics of how to speak Tahitian?
It can also be helpful to brush up on a few basic French phrases as French and Tahitian are the official languages of French Polynesia, and both are commonly used throughout the Society Islands. Tahitian is mainly spoken by islanders in their homes, while French is commonly used in schools and business.
The Tahitian language has a melodic intonation like a luring appeal and is very simple, with only 16 letters and 1,000 words. There are only five vowels (a, e, i, o, u) and eleven consonants (b, f, g, h, k, m, n, p, r, t, v), which makes learning the language very easy. An apostrophe indicates a short pause, and most vowels are pronounced.
Speak Basic Tahitian
| ENGLISH | TAHITIAN |
| Welcome | maeva, manava |
| Hello | la orana |
| Yes | oia |
| No | aita |
| Good | maitai |
| Bad | ino |
| Thank you | mauruuru |
| Happy | oa oa |
| Boat | pahi |
| Beach | tahatai |
| Toilet | fare iti |
| Man, husband | tane |
| Woman, wife | vahine |
| Child | tamarii |
| Doctor | taote |
| Flower | taire |
| Flower garland, lei | hei |
| Friend | hoa |
| Tomorrow | ananahi |
| Yesterday | i nanahi |
| Evening | ahiahi |
| Money | moni |
| Sarong | pareu |
| Rain | ua |
| Luggage | otaa |
| Dance | ori |
| Song | himene |
| Shop | fare toa |
Tahitian Food Words
| ENGLISH | TAHITIAN |
| Food | ma’a |
| Eat | amu |
| Water | pape |
| Beer | pia |
| Coffee | taofe |
| Wine | uaina |
| Red | uteute |
| Cheers! | manuia |
| Bon Appetit | tama’a maitai |
| Lunch | tama’a |
| Tahitian feast | tamaaraa |
| Bread | faraoa |
| Drink | inu |
| Coconut | haari |
| Swordfish | meka |
| Pineapple | painapo |
| Earth oven | ahimaa |
| Finished | Oti |
Tahitian Phrases
| ENGLISH | TAHITIAN |
| How are you? | eaha te huru? |
| Where are you going? | e haere oe ihea? |
| How much? | e hia? |
| No problem | aita e peapea |
| Goodbye (to a person leaving) | haere |
| Goodbye (to a person staying) | parahi |
| Take it easy | haere maru |
| Very good | matai roa |
| Thank you very much | mauruuru roa |
| Happy New Year! | ‘Ia ora na i te matahiti ‘āpī |
| Merry Christmas! | ‘Ia ‘oa’oa i te Noera |
| Happy Easter | ‘Ia ‘oa’oa i te ‘ōro’a Pātate |
| Happy Mother’s Day | ‘Ia ‘oa’oa i tō ‘oe ‘ōro’a nō te mau māmā |
| Happy Father’s Day | ‘Ia ‘oa’oa i tō ‘oe ‘ōro’a nō te mau pāpā |
| Happy Anniversary | ‘Ia ‘oa’oa i to ‘oe mahana fānaura’a |
| Birthday | ‘Ōro’a mahana fānaura’a |
| Congratulations! | Te ha’apoupou atu nei! |
Speak Basic French
| ENGLISH | FRENCH |
| Hello | bonjour |
| Hi | salut |
| Good morning | bonjour |
| Good evening | bonsoir |
| Yes | oui |
| No | non |
| Thank you | merci |
| Thank you very much | merci beaucoup |
| Please | s’il vous plait |
| Where is…? | ou se trouve |
| I want… | je desire, je voudrais |
| I don’t understand | je ne comprends pas |
| A store | une boutique |
| I’m sorry | pardon |
| How are you? | comment vas-tu? |
| Cheers! | acclamations! |
| Good bye | au revoir |
| Do you speak English? | parlez vous anglais? |
| The beach | la plage |
| A room | une chambre |
Once you get to the island of Tahiti, you’ll be in better shape to communicate with the locals, and they’ll appreciate your effort in learning their language. Now before you go, do you know what to pack for a trip to Bora Bora?
