Improve Your Rotuman Language Skills with 20 Essential Words

Want to build confidence in speaking Rotuman? Learning 20 common Rotuman words is a practical and effective way to strengthen your everyday vocabulary and begin your Rotuman language journey.

Noa’ia and warm Pacific greetings! At Pacific Learners, we are passionate about revitalising and promoting Pacific languages. In this Rotuman language video, we introduce 20 essential words that can be used in daily conversations at home, school, and within the community.

Simple substitutions make a big difference when learning a new language. For example, instead of saying “Yes,” try saying “O’.” Instead of “Please,” say “Figalelei.” Using these words regularly helps build fluency and confidence.

The Rotuman language can be challenging to pronounce at first, so repetition is key. Watch the video multiple times, practise the sounds, and gradually master the pronunciation.

The Rotuman language also contains several marks that accompany certain vowels to help guide pronunciation.  Here are some examples of the vowels you will see used in our Rotuman videos:

Umlaut – two dots over a vowel

• Ä ä
• Ü ü
• Ö ö 
•  Ї ї

Ring – A circle over or under a vowel

• Ḁ ḁ
• Å å
• Ů ů

Scroll down to see the full list of the 20 common Rotuman words featured in this lesson and continue expanding your vocabulary.

20 Common Rotuman Words

Below are 20 essential Rotuman words you can use in everyday conversations to build confidence and fluency.

• ‘O – Yes

• ‘Igkå‘ – No

• Figalelei – Please

• Pӧg leleit – Goodnight

• Mijarån leleit – Good morning

• Noa‘ia – Hello

• ‘Ātē – Eat

• Mose / Mӧs – Sleep

• Leu-mea / Leum – Come

• La‘a / La‘ – Go

• Våh‘ia / Våh – Finish

• ‘Imo / ‘Iom – Drink

• Soge / Sӧg – Hungry

• Fu‘uou (referring to one person) – Goodbye

• Päe – Sit

• Fū – Stand

• Takaga / Takag – Bed

• Joni / Jӧn – Run

• Seke / Sek – Walk

• Hanisi / Hanis – Love

Practise these common Rotuman words regularly to strengthen your pronunciation and everyday vocabulary.