However, many indigenous languages were already spoken there and continue to be spoken today. As a result, French became the country’s lingua franca, as it was the language of the colonial power. It was colonized by Belgium under King Leopold II at the beginning of the twentieth century. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is commonly referred to only as the Congo (or sometimes just Congo) is located in central Africa. You can look forward to your voyage with no worries in the communication department! Check out our small ship cruises to help you discover the perfect Fiji adventure.The official language of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is French, though there are over 200 languages spoken there. If you’re thinking of embarking on an adventure to the islands of Fiji, there’s absolutely no reason to worry about a language barrier as a native English speaker. Goodbye (formal) – Moce mada (mo-they manda)Īlthough the Hindi language is far less prevalent, primarily used by Fijian Indians who almost always also speak English, an easy phrase to remember is namaste, which means both hello and goodbye. Just looking – Khali dekhta (kali deck-tah) How much is it? – Kitna dam hai? (kit-nah dahm high) I didn’t understand – Ham nhii samjha (hahm anh-ee sahm-ja) You’re welcome – Sega na lega (senga-na-lenga) Hello (informal) – Bula (literally means ‘health’ or ‘life’)

Hello (formal) – Ni sa bula (nee-sa-boola) With that in mind, here are a few phrases that might come in handy while navigating the Fijian Islands. Still, it always behooves a traveler to put forth the effort to embrace the local culture and language of the country they’re visiting. When visiting Fiji however, there’s no cause for alarm if a local refers to you as kaivilagi (kai-va-langi) – it is simply a statement of fact that one is from a ‘foreign land’, and not an insult. When travelling to other countries, non-natives may occasionally find themselves labelled with relatively unflattering terms used to describe tourists. Related: Fiji Etiquette You Should Know SPEAKING AND UNDERSTANDING FIJIAN While that might sound like a touristy pickup line, it’s actually the truth! So even on the unlikely chance, you should find yourself amidst a small language hiccup, there’ll be no shortage of help and kindness to get you through it. Translation is not really a concern for English speaking tourists while visiting Fiji.įijians promote an extremely relaxed culture and have been deemed the ‘friendliest people on Earth’. So, you can feel safe in the knowledge that arriving on the islands with only English in your language portfolio is perfectly acceptable. Almost everyone speaks English in Fiji and it is the main language used in communications, which is unsurprising considering the King’s English is taught in Fijian schools. You can find English on TV, in the newspapers, on the radio, in businesses, and on restaurant menus. Not only is English a national language, but it can also be heard everywhere on the islands. In addition to Fijian, however, English and Hindi (a variety much different from that which is spoken in India) are also considered official languages of Fiji. Fijian is spoken as a first language by more than half of the population, and as a second language by yet another quarter. The type of Fijian spoken in the islands today is known as Bauan, named so in honour of the tiny island of Bau where the dialect was born. The language is of the Malayo-Polynesian family, not too different from Hawaiian and Maori. Fijian is an Austronesian language, a grouping that includes thousands of other languages spanning the globe. Contact us today THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGES OF FIJIįiji’s 1997 Constitution established Fijian as one of the official languages of the country. Although the official language of the country is Fijian, English is still a national language and is spoken everywhere.Ĭhoosing your next Fijian Getaway is easy with the help of Captain Cook Cruises Fiji. Luckily, Fiji is a country that delivers all the perks of an exotic overseas destination, without presenting a challenge to native English speakers. One of the first questions that come to a traveler’s mind when venturing overseas is what kind of language barrier they may encounter upon arrival.

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