Celebrated: Sunday 8 October – Saturday 14 October
This year’s theme for Macawa ni Vosa Vakaviti – Fijian Language Week is:
Me vakabulabulataki, vakamareqeti, ka vakaqaqacotaki na vosa vakaviti, which means, Nurture, Preserve and Sustain the Fijian language.
The theme is aligned with the overall concept of the 2023 Pacific Language Weeks’ overarching topic of sustainability, the launch of the UNESCO Decade of Indigenous Languages; and the Pacific Languages Strategy.
About the Fijian alphabet:
The Fijian alphabet is made up of all the English letters excluding the letter “x,” though the letters “h” and “z” are also rarely used, and primarily are only found in borrowed words.
Vosa Vakaviti (Fijian language) has five vaueli (vowels):
a, e, i, o, u
Vowels are mostly pronounced as they would be if they were spoken in Spanish, Italian and German:
A as in “ah” as in father
E as in error
I as in me or sit
O as in for or toll
U as in “oo” in food or too.
Key words and phrases – Vosavosa leleka vakaviti.
Try out these phrases!
| Vakaviti | English |
| Ni sa bula vinaka | Greetings to visitors/guests |
| Bula | Greetings to you two (dual) |
|
Dou bula |
Greetings to three or more people (plural) |
| Vaka cava tiko? | How are you? |
| Au bulabula vinaka tiko | I am well |
| Vinaka vakalevu | Thank you very much/very good |
| Moce | Goodbye (to someone who is going) / Goodnight |
| Au lako mada yani | Excuse me (to get past) |
| O lako ivei? | Where are you going? |
| Curu mai | Come in |
| Wananavu | Great |
| Vosa mai vei au | Speak to me |
| Io / Sa donu | Yes / Ok |
| Sega | No |