Martial Arts

1. E tiko e dua na kilapu ni boxing eke?

   E ti-ko e ndu-a na ki-la-pu ni bo-xing e-ke?

   Is there a boxing club around here?

   Usage

   Combat sport in Fiji means boxing and rugby in practice, with boxing clubs in Suva and Nadi. No traditional fighting school survives as a taught system; the war club (i wau) lives on as craft and ceremony. English is an official language, so conversations routinely switch between the two

   Grammar Note

   Existence is expressed as "E tiko e dua na + noun". Fijian spelling departs from the sounds: b is mb, d is nd, q is ngg, c is th and g is ng — so "dua" sounds like "ndua"

2. Au rawa ni vakaitavi ena vuli nikua?

   Au ra-wa ni va-ka-i-ta-vi e-na vu-li ni-ku-a?

   May I take part in today's training?

   Usage

   Asking about a drop-in. Fijian clubs rarely run formal joining procedures — speaking to the coach directly is usually enough. Many villages keep Sunday for church, so aim for a weekday or Saturday

   Grammar Note

   "Rawa ni + verb" expresses ability. The prefix "vaka-" is highly productive, forming verbs meaning "to do in the manner of" or "to make into"; a large share of Fijian vocabulary is built this way

3. Au rawa ni raica ga na vuli?

   Au ra-wa ni rai-tha nga na vu-li?

   May I just watch the training?

   Usage

   Asking to observe. Fijians are welcoming to visitors, but always ask separately before taking photos or video. If you are visiting a village, a formal greeting to the chief (sevusevu) may be expected first

   Grammar Note

   "Ga" limits what precedes it to "only". "Raica" is the transitive form of "rai" (to see), taking the suffix -ca that appears whenever a direct object follows

4. E vica na isau ni vuli e dua?

   E vi-tha na i-sau ni vu-li e ndu-a?

   How much does one session cost?

   Usage

   Asking the price. The currency is the Fijian dollar (FJD). Community boxing clubs often run on small subscriptions or donations and may have no per-session rate; hotel gyms aimed at tourists cost considerably more

   Grammar Note

   The prefix "i-" derives nouns of instrument or result from verbs: "sau" (to repay) gives "isau" (price), and "wau" (to strike) gives "i wau" (club). "E vica" asks both "how many" and "how much"

5. Au se qai tekivu ga na boxing.

   Au se ngai te-ki-vu nga na bo-xing.

   I have only just started boxing.

   Usage

   Flagging that you are a beginner. Fijian clubs post no skill levels, so saying it aloud is the only way to be placed sensibly — otherwise you may end up in drills pitched at experienced fighters

   Grammar Note

   "Se qai" precedes the verb to mean "have only just now". Adding "ga" softens it to "only just", which reads as suitably modest

6. Kerekere, kakua ni kaukauwa vakalevu.

   Ke-re-ke-re, ka-ku-a ni kau-kau-wa va-ka-le-vu.

   Please, do not go too hard.

   Usage

   For asking a partner to lower the intensity. Many Fijian athletes carry a rugby build, so speak up rather than tough it out. If your partner speaks English, "go light" works just as well

   Grammar Note

   Prohibitions use "kakua ni" plus the verb or adjective. "Vakalevu" is built from "vaka-" (in the manner of) and "levu" (big) and follows as an intensifier

7. E mosi na duruqu, au na sega ni caqe.

   E mo-si na ndu-ru-ngu, au na se-nga ni tha-nge.

   My knee hurts, so I will not do the kicking.

   Usage

   Declaring an injury. Fijian clubs use no intake form, so speaking up is the only channel. Swap "duru" (knee) for "taba" (shoulder) or "daku" (back). Medical care is limited on the outer islands, so err on the cautious side

   Grammar Note

   Inalienable possession, such as body parts, is marked by a suffix on the noun itself: "duru" (knee) becomes "duruqu" (my knee). Negation uses "sega ni" before the verb

8. E dodonu meu kauta mai na noqu iyaya?

   E ndo-ndo-nu meu kau-ta mai na no-ngu i-ya-ya?

   Should I bring my own gear?

   Usage

   Checking whether equipment is lent out. Fijian clubs work with limited kit and often rotate a shared set of gloves. Bring your own wraps and mouthguard — few shops on the islands stock them

   Grammar Note

   "Mai" is a directional particle meaning "toward the speaker" and follows the verb: "kauta" (to carry) becomes "kauta mai" (to bring). The opposite direction is "yani"

9. E vica na kaloko ena tekivu kina na vuli?

   E vi-tha na ka-lo-ko e-na te-ki-vu ki-na na vu-li?

   What time does the training start?

   Usage

   Asking about the timetable. Fijian clubs train mostly in the late afternoon to avoid the heat, and schedules travel by word of mouth. Sessions often start late — this is what "Fiji time" refers to — so allow some slack

   Grammar Note

   "Kaloko" is borrowed from English "clock" and marks the hour. When a question phrase is fronted, "kina" appears after the verb to mark the position it came from

10. O rawa ni vakaraitaka mai vei au na ka oqo?

    O ra-wa ni va-ka-rai-ta-ka mai vei au na ka o-ngo?

    Could you show me this move?

    Usage

    Asking to be shown a move. Respect for elders and instructors matters in Fiji, so keep questions modest and always say "Vinaka vakalevu" once you have been shown. Pressing repeatedly is best avoided

    Grammar Note

    "Vakaraitaka" is built from "vaka-" (causative), "rai" (to see) and "-taka" (transitiviser), a good illustration of how Fijian derives verbs. Human objects are introduced with the preposition "vei"

11. E tiko e dua na vanua ni sili eke?

    E ti-ko e ndu-a na va-nu-a ni si-li e-ke?

    Is there somewhere to wash here?

    Usage

    Checking for washing facilities. Fijian clubs and community halls do not always have showers; a tap or a nearby river may be what is on offer. Bring your own towel and a change of clothes

    Grammar Note

    "Vanua ni + verb" forms a noun phrase meaning "place for doing X". Note that "vanua" is a weighty word covering land, community and belonging together, and is one of the central concepts of Fijian culture

12. Na cava na kena ibalebale na i wau?

    Na tha-va na ke-na i-mba-le-mba-le na i wau?

    What is the significance of the i wau, the war club?

    Usage

    Asking about cultural meaning. The Fijian traditional weapon is the i wau, a war club, with distinct names for each shape and often finely carved; they are now seen in museums and craft shops. It survives as craft, ceremony and a prop in the meke dance rather than as a fighting system

    Grammar Note

    "Na cava ...?" is the set frame for "what is". "Kena" is the third-person possessive used for non-human possessors, and covers abstract properties such as meaning

13. Laveta cake na ligamu, raica na matana na nomu i tokani.

    La-ve-ta tha-ke na li-nga-mu, rai-tha na ma-ta-na na no-mu i to-ka-ni.

    Get your hands up, watch your partner's face.

    Usage

    Said by the coach. One of the most frequent cues during pad work and sparring — reading the face and eyes rather than the hands tells you what is coming. The clipped imperative carries no rudeness

    Grammar Note

    "Cake" (upward) is a directional particle placed after the verb; its opposite is "sobu" (down). Possession splits between an inalienable suffix type ("ligamu" = your hand) and an alienable "nomu + noun" type

14. Caqeta vakaukauwa, kakua ni vakalailaitaka.

    Tha-nge-ta va-kau-kau-wa, ka-ku-a ni va-ka-lai-lai-ta-ka.

    Kick it hard, do not go small.

    Usage

    Said by the coach. The call from the pad holder when they want full commitment. Half-hearted contact is the more likely way to hurt yourself, so this doubles as permission to kick at full power

    Grammar Note

    "Vaka- + adjective" derives an adverb: "kaukauwa" (strong) gives "vakaukauwa" (forcefully). Wrapping the adjective in "vaka- ... -taka" instead yields a transitive verb meaning "to make it X", showing how regular the derivation is

15. Vakacegu ena lima na miniti, qai gunu wai.

    Va-ka-the-ngu e-na li-ma na mi-ni-ti, ngai ngu-nu wai.

    Rest for five minutes, then drink some water.

    Usage

    Said by the coach between rounds. Fiji is hot and humid and training often happens in semi-open venues under a roof, so water breaks come often. Tap water is not drinkable everywhere, so bring bottled water

    Grammar Note

    "Qai" links actions in sequence, "and then". Quantities take the order "numeral + na + noun": "lima na miniti" = five minutes, with the number first as in English

16. Sa rauta nikua. Vinaka sara na nomu cakacaka.

    Sa rau-ta ni-ku-a. Vi-na-ka sa-ra na no-mu tha-ka-tha-ka.

    That is enough for today. Your work was very good.

    Usage

    Said by the coach to close the session. Fijian clubs commonly finish with a short prayer, reflecting how central the church is to daily life. "Vinaka vakalevu" is the natural reply to the coach

    Grammar Note

    "Sa" marks a change of state or a point reached — "it has now become". "Sara" follows an adjective as an intensifier, giving "vinaka sara" = very good

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