The verb itself undergoes no change to denote the person. The present tense either takes the pronoun first with the euphonic particle te^* between it and the verb, or else the verbal particle e precedes, and the pronoun follows the verb.

present tense
(and also used as a future)

Singular

Dual

Plural

‘Ua, though generally past, also sometimes designates the present; thus, ‘ua ma‘i ‘o ia, he is sick.

E sometimes denotes what now is, and always was so: e silisili le Atua, God is very great.

imperfect tense

Sa differs but little from na; sa ‘ou nofo, I sat or was sitting.

perfect tense

The pluperfect is expressed by the imperfect, or by adding ‘uma: ‘ua ‘uma ona ta‘ele ina ‘ua o mai i latou, they had bathed when they arrived.

future (immediate)

future (indefinite)

Singular

Dual

imperative mood

In poetry i is used sometimes for ia: Sau i fale i ta gaguse, Come into the house that we may die together.—Fagono.

infinitive mood

E sa‘ili, to seek.

An infinitive appears as a noun: Ou te musu i galue, I am unwilling to work.

subjunctive mood

The passive is formed by suffxing to the root one of the following particles: ina, ia, a, fia, gia, lia, mia, sia, tia. Euphony regulates the choice of the particle in each particular word. If the word will admit of it, it is shortened; thus, muina, to be burnt; tuluia, from tutulu, to be leaked upon; sa‘ilia, to be sought; inofia, from inoino, to be demanded of; alofagia, to be beloved; taulia, to be fought; si‘omia. to be surrounded; ‘inosia, from ‘ino‘ino, to be hated; pulutia, from pupulu, to be mediated with.

The formation of the passive, like the formation of the plural, is very complicated. No rule can be given to guide the learner. Euphony alone seems to regulate the choice of the particle in each word. And euphony may be one thing to a native, and another thing to a European learning the language. In order to help learners, I give below lists of many of the most common verbs, except those which form the passive in ina, which are the most numerous. In the dictionary, where the passive form of a verb is not given, it may, as a rule, be taken for granted that it is in ina. The greater part of the verbs which take the causative prefix (see next section) also form the passive in ina. In the following lists those forms which are most largely used come first.

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As far as I can remember, only those verbs which end in tau form the passive in lia. But all verbs thus ending do not thus form the passive: faatau, to buy or sell, is faatauina; faitau, to read, is faitaulia, but more commonly faitauina.

The following verb lengthens the last vowel to form the passive:–

tatala, to untie, tala.

These two combine the directive particles mai and atu, and add the passive form a:–

Aumai (au and mai), to bring, aumaia. Avatu (ave atu), to take, avatua.

In declension, the pronoun follows the verb in the passive.

Present Tense

(also used as future).

Singular

Dual

Intransitive as well as transitive verbs take a passive; as ‘ua nofoia le fale, the house is inhabited.

The Causative, like Hiphil in Hebrew

This is formed by prefixing fa‘a to the root; as tupu, to grow; fa‘atupu, to cause to grow. I. Fa‘a, like fa, also denotes a diminished degree; as lata, to feel at home; le lata, not feeling at home; fa‘alelata, to be not quite at home. 2. It is also used to mark comparison; as fa‘atamaitiiti, to act like a child. 3. Some of this class of verbs are used intransitively; as fa‘amalosi, to strengthen oneself. 4. It changes the noun to a verb, as ‘au, a handle; fa‘a‘au le to‘i, to put a handle to the axe. 5. It changes the adjective to a verb, by making the thing to be what is expressed by the adjective; as leva, long; fa‘aleleva, to make long. 6. It changes intransitive verbs to transitive, as ola, to live; fa‘aola, to deliver. 7. Sometimes it is prefixed to verbs apparently without altering the meaning, as potopoto, fa‘apotopoto, to gather together.

This and the following form are declined just as the simple, active, and passive forms of the verb:–

The Intensive, like Piel

Continued action is denoted by prefixing tau; as tausau, to endeavour to come; taufa‘atupu, to continue to cause to grow.

Intensity is also indicated by reduplication; as mu, to burn; mumu, to burn brightly. On the contrary, reduplication is, also used to indicate diminished action; galu, to be rough; galugalu, to be somewhat rough (of the sea). The simple root only is doubled, as su‘esu‘e, asiasi, but not a prefix; savilivili, ma‘anuminumi, ma‘e‘a‘e‘a.

The suffix a‘ina also denotes intensity of action; faia‘ina, to be overcome, surpassed; telea‘ina, to hurry on; tulia‘ina, to drive on.

The Reciprocal, Hithpael

This is formed by prefixing fe to the root, and affixing, according to the requirement of euphony, some one of the particles ni, a‘i, fa‘i, sa‘i, la‘i, ma‘i, na‘i; as fealofani, root, alofa, to love mutually; femaliua‘i, root, maliu, to go about from place to place; felamata‘i, root, lamalama, to watch for one another; fetaola fa‘i, root, ola, to make a fire burn brightly; fealuma‘i, root, alu, to go from place to place; fetuana‘i, root, tua, to sit back to back.

To take along with a person is expressed by suffixing ta‘i, or sa‘i; as mo‘eta‘i, to run with a thing; ‘ausa‘i, to swim with a thing. Also by the preposition ma, with, as a a‘u alu ma a‘u; lit., I will go with me, for, I will go with it.

The suffix a‘i (interposing a consonant when euphony requires) makes the meaning emphatic; as nofoa‘i, lafoa‘i, leoleosa‘i, uliga‘i, alofa‘i.

Ma prefixed to an active verb makes it neuter; as sasa‘a, to pour out, to spill; masa‘a, spilt. Or it denotes ability; as mafai, to be able; ‘ua ma manava, he can breathe. The full form, however, is much better, ‘Ua mafai ona manava.^*

The prefix ga expresses equality or companionship; as gatusa, to be equal; gatasi, to be together; gasolo, to glide along. It occurs only in the dual and plural numbers.

All these forms are declined in the same way as the simple primitive verb.

The Verb “To Be”

The verb to be is expressed by the verbal particles:–

• ‘O a‘u ‘o le tagata, I am a man.

• ‘O oe ‘o le tama, You are a boy.

• ‘O ia ‘o le teine, She is a girl.

• ‘O i maua ‘o fafine, We two are women.

• ‘O i taua ‘o taulelea, We two are young men.

• ‘O oulua ‘o ali‘i, You two are chiefs.

• ‘O i laua ‘o faipule, They two are councillors.

• ‘O i matou ‘o tufuga, We (exclusive) are carpenters.

• ‘O i tatou ‘o le ‘auva‘a, We (inclusive) are the crew.

• ‘O outou ‘o le ‘au‘oso, You are the food-gatherers.

• ‘O i latou ‘o tagata ‘ese, They are strangers.

future

Singular

Dual

• Ma te i ai, we two (exclusive) will be there.

• Ta te i ai, we two (inclusive) will be there.

• Lua te i ai, you two will be there.

• La te i ai, they two will be there.

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Plural

imperfect

Singular

Dual

• Na ma i ai, we two (exclusive) were there.

• Na ta i ai, we two (inclusive) were there.

• Na lua i ai, you two were there.

• Na la i ai, they two were there.

Plural

Participle

‘O loo i ai ‘o ia, he is there, etc., etc.

The Interrogative is formed by adding the particle ‘ea: as, ‘Ou te se teine ‘ea? Am I a girl? ‘O ia ‘ea lenei? Is this he? And so on through the different persons. In asking the question, Is there? the relative particle ai is used with the verbal particle, as, E ai se va‘a? Is there a canoe? Pe ai ea sou va‘a? Have you a canoe? lit., whether is there your canoe.

On Tutuila, isi is used for to be and to have: E isi sau ava, Have you a wife?