A

a

prep. : for, over, by;
1. a nei, over here;
2. a ruga, above;
3. a te tapa, by the side.
genitive particle, used preceding proper names and singular personal pronouns: te poki a Mateo, Mateo's child; aana te kai, the food is his.
particle often used before nouns and pronouns, especially when these are introduced by a preposition such as i, ki; ki a îa, to him, for him.

á

or also just a, article often used preceding proper names and used in the meaning of "son of…": Hei á Paega, Hei, son of Paenga.

á

very common abbreviation of the particle ana, used following verbs: ku-oti-á= ku-oti-ana; peira-á = peira-ana.

á, á-á

exclamation expressing surprise or joy, which can also be used as a verb: he-aha-koe, e-á-ana? what's happening with you,that you should exclaim "ah"? He tu'u au e-tahi raá ki te hare o Eva i Puapae. I-ûi-mai-era ki a au, he-á-á-mai, he-tagi-mai "ka-ohomai, e repa ê". one day I came to Eva's house in Puapae. Upon seeing me she exclaimed: "ah,ah" and she said, crying: "Welcome, lad".

a'a

to be flooded; flood, deluge: ku-a'a-á te hare i te vai, the house is flooded with water; ku-rere-á te a'a o te henua, water flowed, inundating the land.

aai

who: interrogative pronoun used in place of koai te mee…: Aai i-tu'u-mai-nei, e-haúru-ró-ana au? = Koai te mee i-tu'u-mai-nei, e-haúru-ró-ana au? Who is it who came here when I was sleeping?
whose: genitive pronoun. See the grammar for the differencebetween aai and oai, as well as between aaku, aau, aana and ooku, oou, oona.

aamu

to tell, tale, story: ka-aamu-mai e-tahi aamu potopoto, tell me a short story.

aano

width, breadth (of an object).

aanu

to spit, spittle.

anuanu

(iterative) to spit continuously.

aaru

to grasp, to grip, to grab, to hold: ka-aaru hiohio i te ura, hold the lobster firmly.

aau

to throw with both hands, to catch with both hands: ka-aau e-tahi maaga, throw a share (of food).
epidemic, contagion: he-tomo te aau o te miro, epidemics come with boats.

aati

race, run, to run in a race.

a'ea

thin string dangling from the tau (from which hangs the ature fishing-net) into the inside of the net (kupega ature) and is used for tying the bait.

aga, agaga

work; to work, to make, to build, to create: O te atua i-aga-ai i te ragi, i te henua. God made heaven and earth.

ánaága

to fidget, to be worried, fidgety, to move about worriedly suspecting that others are gossiping about oneself.

agahé

when? (in the past): agahé te miro i tu'u-mai-ai? when did the boat arrive?

aganirá

i aganirá, earlier today, today (past)earlier today, today (past):
i aganirá he-tu'u au ki tai here koreha, today I went to the sea to catch eels. For "today" in the future, that is, "later today," use

anirá; e-turu-ró au anirá ki tai,

agapó

tonight.

apógara

the night before last.

agataiahi

= i agataiahi, yesterday.

age

particle sometimes used with the imperative of oho, turu, iri to express the idea of going somewhere unerringly, confidently: ka-turu-age koe ki tai, go down to the sea now; ka-iri-age koe ki taaku me'e to'o-mai, be sure to go up and bring my things. Nowadays it is only used with those three verbs, but its use seems to have been more general once, as ancient chant has these verses: Ka-iri-age Rano Kau te ga atua hami regarega, Ka-oka-age Ha'w koka te korotea a Kava te ruruti, Ka-hi-age Hatehate te kahi-riva a tumu.

agi, agiagi

to know, to make sure of something, to become acquainted with; certain, true: he agi-á, that is sure; ku-agiagi au, I know for sure; mo agiagi i a îa, in order to get to know him.

agoago

emaciated, wasted away (from hunger); manava agoago, sunken stomach.

aha

what? which? to do, to be what? He aha koe? what are you? E-aha-á koe? what are you doing? Ku-aha-á koe? what have you done? Kahu aha? what, which garment? E-aha-mai-á ki a koe? what does that do you, whatharm does it do you, what is it to you? Aha is preceded by the article te when introduced by a preposition: te: o te aha, why, what for; mo te aha, ki te aha, what for, with what purpose?

ahani

conditional conjunction: ahani koe i nei… if you had been here.

ahara

interjection which,when followed by ka, or ka-ta'e and a verb, expresses the idea of "ah, indeed that is why…, no wonder that…". Ahara-ka-tu'u-mai tou hope era, he umu tonei. no wonder this lad has turned up, there's food cooking here. Ahara-ka-ta'e hoki-mai kinei, he riri-ó. ah, that's why he hasn't come back, he is angry .

ahe

dizzy spell; to black out.

ahé

through where? (adv. del lugar). When followed by ka , it means "when?" referring to the future: ahé ka-tu'u-mai te miro? when will the boat arrive?

ahi

fire; he-tutu i te ahi to light a fire.

ahiahi

evening; ahiahi-ata, the last moments of light before nightfall.

ahirega

change of government, in ancient times, when the command (ao) passed from one tribe to another: ki ea te ahirega , upon the command passing on.

aho

ancient name of the sturdy fishing-line made from the fibers of the hauhau (Triumfetta semitriloba).

ahu

funerary monument with niches holding the skeletons of the dead.
generic term for a grave, a tomb merely enclosed with stones.
stone platform, with or without graves.
elevated seat, throne.
swollen; to swell up: ku-ahu-á tooku va'e, my foot is swollen; ananake te raá e-tagi-era te ûka riva mo toona matu'a ka-ahu ahu-ró te mata, every day the daughter cried for her parents until her eyes were quite swollen.

ai

copulation, to copulate (of animals).
there is, there are; e-ai-ró-á, there is. This verb is of limited use and is avoided when not necessary: ai te vai toe? any water left? But: te ahi no te Atua, there is only one God [translator's note: te ahi is probably a misprint for te tahi].
ai ka, expression used with a verb in the sense of "then one must": he-ra'e ana-kai, ai ka-unu i te raau, first eat, then you must drink the medicine.
so, this big, this much: ai te nuinui o te pú, the hole is this big (lit. here is the size of the hole,with accompanying gesture).
ai nará, there is, here is; ai nará te kurí i tooku hare , there's my cat (lit.: the cat in my house); ai nará te kumara i roto i te kete , there are sweet potatoes in the basket.

aiga

existence, stay, sojourn.

aito

daring, fearless.

aka

anchor: he-hoa te aka, to drop anchor.
root of certain plants (banana tree, taro, sugar-cane).
to be paralyzed by surprise.

áka-áka

to do something haltingly, ineptly, to bungle, to mangle: he-áka-áka-nó au i te vânaga rapanui, I speak poor Rapanui; te poki nei he-áka-áka-nó te kupu, kai ma'a rivariva i te rutu,this child reads with difficulty, he cannot read well.

akau

palate.

akaûe

stake, thick pole.

akauve

stake, thick pole (same as akaûe).

akavega

to carry on one's back, hanging from one's neck
basket thus carried.

akikuku

fingernail (also: maikuku);
hoof.

ako

to sing, to recite: he-ako i te kaikai ,to recite the [text accomanying a] string figure kaikai; he-ako i te rîu. to sing rîu.

ákoáko

to recite hymns in honour of a deity.

aku

a fish.

ákuáku

spirit of the otherworld (good or evil). Ki a au te ákuáku oga apó. I have a dream of bad omen last night.

akui

to smear, to anoint.

ama

outrigger.

amiami

to slander, to cast aspersions, to gossip: tagata amiami i te me'erakerake, malicious gossip (person).

amo

to carry on one's shoulders: O Yetú i-amo-ai te tatauró ki ruga ki-te maúga Kalvario. Jesus carried his cross up to the Calvary.

âmo

to clean, to clean oneself: he-âmo i te umu, to clean the earth oven; ka-âmo te hare , ka haka-maitaki, clean the house, make it good; he-âmo i te ariga, to clean one's face wetting it with one's hand.
clear; ku-âmo-á te ragi, the sky is clear;
to slip, to slide, to glide (see pei-âmo).

ámoámo

to lick up, to lap up, to dry; to slap one's body dry (after swimming or bathing): he-âmoâmo i te vaihai rima.

amoga

bundle; to tie in a bundle: he-amoga i te hukahuka, to tie a bundle of wood.

amohino

unreliable, untrustworthy person; scoundrel.

a mu'a

ahead, in front.

amuti

glutton; someone who will eat anything, such as unripe or out-of-season fruit.

ana

cave.
if.
verbal prefix: he-ra'e ana-unu au i te raau, first I drank the medicine.

anake-anake

all without exception (see ananake all).

anako

useless (for work); anako koe mo te aga, you are useless;
ugly; anako te ariga oona, his face is ugly.

ananake

all; also used reduplicated:

anirá

today, now, then, a little later (also: ariná).

ánuánu

reduplication of aanu, to spit continuously.

anuhe

caterpillar (see peparere butterfly).

ao

command, power, mandate, reign: tagata ao, person in power, in command, ruler.
dusk, nightfall:
ao nui, midnight;
ao popohaga, the hours between midnight and dawn.

âo

to serve (food); ku-âo-á te kai i ruga i te kokohu, the food is served on a platter.

apa

to move or put things down, having removed them from where they were: ka-apa te kumara ki roto ki te kete , put the sweet potatoes inside the basket.

apapa

to take thing which have been arranged in a pile and put them down again in order somewhere else.

api

to cover, to cap; ka-api toou hakari, cover your body.
to translate; ka-api-mai te vânaga rapanui ki te vânaga Tire, translate for me the Rapanui sentence into Spanish (lit.: Chilean language).
to make an offering: i te nohoga tûai-era-á he-api te kai ki a Makemake, in the old days they made offerings of food to Makemake.

apó

tomorrow.

apó era

day after tomorrow.

ara

road, path; ladder.
to wake up, to concentrate on something; he-ara te mata, to inspect attentively; hé-ara, he-ûi a raro o te vai kava, concentrating, he looked at the sea-bottom.

ará-ará

to signal, to send signals with the hand (to another person in the distance): he-haaki-atu hai rima ará-ará.

arahu

coal.

a raro

down, below; he-oho a raro, to go on foot.

ararua

both: korua ararua, both of you (also: arurua).

are

to dig out (e.g. sweet potatoes). Formerly this term only applied to women, speaking of men one said keri, which term is used nowadays for both sexes, e.g. he-keri i te kumara, he digs out sweet potatoes.

arero

tongue (organ).
language: he-aha to'u arero e-vânaga ena? what is this language you are speaking?

ariga

face, cheek;

ariga ora, (lit. "living face") keepsake, memento, memory, souvenir (of someone). This used to be the name given the

moai

ariga ora is also used in the generic sense of a memento, a keepsake:

he mate te matu'a he ato tepoki i te rîu o toona matu'a; he-ariga ora o toona matu'a;

riu

ariga ora

ariki

king, ruler, member of the nobility, Ariki henua, king; members of the royal family, descenting from Hotu Matu'a; noble, nobility, chief.
divine being, superior being.

Ariki Paka

certain collateral descendents of Hotu Matu'a, who exercised religious functions.

ariná

today, now, then, a little later (also: anirá).

aro

face, front, side (of a figure); ki te aro o…, to the front of…

aroha

(ki) to greet, to take leave: ka-aroha koe ki to'ou matu'a, say hello to your father; (i) to sympathize with, to feel sorry for: me'e aroha (or: me'e hakaaroha) i te poki tama-hahine, hoko-tahi nó, ina he hokorua, [it is] a thing [that makes you] feel sorry for the girl, [being] still all alone, without a companion.

áruáru

reduplication of aaru: to grab firmly.

aruke

to delouse.

arurua

both (also: ararua, which see).

ata

dawn, first light before sunrise; ku-hamu-á te ata , dawn has broken; ku-tehe-á te ata, it's already dawn (lit.: the lights have flown).
particle inserted between the imperative prefix ka and the verb to signify "well, carefully, intelligently": ka-ata-hakarivariva, prepare it well. Between the prefix e and kahara it expresses "to make sure that, to take good care that…": e-ata-kahara koe o oona, be careful not to get dirty; e-ata-kahara koe o kori te moa o te tahi pa, be sure not to steal chickens of another property.
more: iti, small ; ata iti, smaller; he-ata-ata iti-iti ró, the smallest of all.

âta

shadow: he-veveri te poki, ana tikea toona âta, the child is frightened at seeing his shadow; person's reflection (in mirror, in water): he âta oou-á, it's your own reflection.
to be frightened by a shadow: he-âta te îka, the fish are frightened (and they flee) by people's shadows.

ata-ata

to laugh (also: katakata ).

atakai

generous, extravagant. Rima atakai, generous hands, generosity, munificence. Te rima atakai o te Atua he avai-mai ki a tâtou i te kai ananake te raá, the generosity of the Lord gives us food every day. Tagata rima atakai, selfless, generous person.

atariki

first-born.

ate

liver; more exactly: ate ánuánu; ate reherehe, lung.
Fig.: son, boy.
a certain song, ate atua, in which are recorded happy, pleasant achievements of the past.

áteáte, ateate

dear, dearly beloved: e nua ateate ê dear mother!

ati

to take revenge;
- he-ati ki… to take revenge against (someone); he-ati te kopeka o te îka ki te to'a, the avenger of the victim takes revenge against the assassin.
- he-ati i… to avenge (someone);
to get even, to pay back: te tagata nei ina kai pu'a-mai te rima, e-ati-ró au ana haga kia au mote aga, this man did not give me hand, I'll get even with him when he needs me for some work.
he-ati, he ora, to win someone's gratitude while saving one's life; this was the expression used when speaking of someone who took refuge with afamily of an enemy tribe and served them so wellthat he won their goodwill and so saved his life.
half-fathom (i.e. from end of outstretched arm to centre of chest); (see maroa, kumi, fathom).

ato

to roof, to put a roof on.

atu

particle of meaning opposite to that of "mai"; it refers to the second or third person, expressing movement away: ka-avai-atu, give it to him: he-oho-atu au, I am going there, after you; i-oho-atu-era, when I had gone there.

atua

lord, God: te Atua ko Makemake, lord Makemake. Ki a au te Atua o agapó, I had a dream of good omen last night (lit. to me the Lord last night)
gentleman, respectable person; atua Hiva, foreigner.
atua hiko-rega, (old) go-between, person who asks for a girl on another's behalf.
atua hiko-kura, (old) person who chooses the best when entrusted with finding or fetching something.

atu'a

behind.

atua tapa

orientation point for fishermen, which is not in front of the boat, but on the side.

ature

a small, tasty fish.

au

me, I. Personal pronoun used in conjunction with verbs; when on its own, the form used is koau.
smoke; au kiokio, thick, pungent smoke (of a fire).
current; he-haro te vaka i te au , the boat is towed off course in the current.
dew.
bile, gall.
au moa, chicken's gall; greenish colour (like that of gall).
au ra'e, the people first served in a feast where food or gifts are distributed.

a'u

birthing pains; matu'a a'u, biological mother (not adoptive); vi'e hakaa'u, midwife.
vessel, cup (Tahitian word).

aûa

enclosure, ring, circle (Tahitian word).

au'au

to rub, to scratch, to scrape; ina ekó au'au i te mata, don't rub your eyes.

auau

to shout (in pain), to howl; e-auau-á te mamae , the sick man is howling with pain.

aûé

interjection of pain, of sorrow: ouch, alas. Aûé, aûé, ku-mamae-á au, ouch, ouch, I hurt
interjection of salutation; aûé, e nua é! greetings, mother!

aúke

seaweed used for wrapping fish or meat when cooking in the umu.

au hopu

bonito fish.

au moa

chicken's gall; greenish colour (like that of gall).

au ra'e

the people first served in a feast where food or gifts are distributed.

ava

to remain (of dregs, of very small objects in the water or in a place which used to be full of water); he-ava, he-paroparoko, expression, said when small fishes swarm in the water holes along the coast.
furrow, rut, groove, crevice, fissure; he-hahata te ava o te henua, a crevice opened in the ground.
to strike, to hit; to sound like a blow; ku-ava-á te poko (see also hatutiri), thunder sounded.

áva-áva

to lift up.
to strike, to hit repeatedly; he-áva-áva i te koreha a ruga a te ma'ea, he struck the eel several times against a stone (to kill it).

avaga

niche, recess in an ahu, where the skeletons of the dead were deposited
small oblong, free-standing monument built for the same purpose.

avahata

a fish (pez cofre: coffer fish?)
coffer, chest, case (modern term).

avahi

to break, to smash something; to separate, to divide.

avai

to give, to present, to lend (also vaai).
for ever, for good; he oho-ró-avai au ki Hiva, I am going to the Continent to stay.
Ina avai emphatic negation: never ever, in no way.

ave

lobe of fish fin; e tahi ave o te hiku magó potopoto, e tahi ave roaroa, one lobe of the caudal fin of the dogfish is short, the other is long.
hetu'u ave, comet.

aveave

kahi aveave, a species of tuna.