Lesson 13 Common Verbs (Vosa Cakacaka)
Lesson 13 Common Verbs In Fijian, verbs don’t change their spelling as much as English verbs do (like eat vs ate). Instead, we use “markers” before the verb. For now, let’s just learn the actions.
1. Daily Actions Lesson 13 Common Verbs
| English | Fijian | Pronunciation |
| To Eat | Kana | Kah-nah |
| To Sleep | Moce | Mo-thay |
| To Go | Lako | Lah-ko |
| To Work | Cakacaka | Thah-kah-thah-kah |
| To See / Look | Rai | Rye |
| To Drink | Gunu | Ng-oo-noo |
| To Come | Mai | My |
2. Making a Command (Polite)
To tell someone to do something politely, just add “mada” after the verb.
- Kana mada — Please eat.
- Moce mada — Please sleep.
- Lako mada — Please go.
Daily Important Conversation: Asking what someone is doing
This is a very common way to start a conversation in a village.
- You: O sa cakacaka tiko? (Are you working?)
- Friend: Sega, au sa kana tiko. (No, I am eating.)
- You: Vinaka. Au lako tiko i tauni. (Good. I am going to town.)
- Friend: Lako mada! (Go ahead! / Go then!)
Teacher’s Note: Remember “tiko”? It acts like “-ing” in English.
- Cakacaka = Work.
- Cakacaka tiko = Working.
Vocabulary List (Lesson 13)
- Nunu: To dive/swim
- Gade: To visit/stroll (very important for tourists!)
- Vuli: To study/learn
- Moce mada: Goodbye (Literally: “Sleep please”)
Small Test 13: Action Station
How would you say these in Fijian?
- I am drinking. (Hint: Use Au sa… tiko)
- Please sit. (Use Dabe)
- I am learning Fijian. (Fijian = Vosa Vakaviti)
- Go to the house.
What’s Next?
Excellent! You’re finally putting the “engine” in the car. In Lesson 14, we will learn Tense Markers. This will allow you to say “I did eat,” “I am eating,” and “I will eat.”
Shall we move to the past, present, and future, or do you want to practice these actions more?