Mālō e lelei! To encourage the use of the Tongan language we are posting a word of the week that can be used with children or beginners. 

Ako (ah-koh) is a wonderful word in Tongan. It is the word for learning. It is also the word for teaching. In our culture, ako is about the collective sharing of knowledge, mutual learning. It is one word that can be used to describe all types of learning. To learn, to teach, to master, to practice, to study, to teach oneself: self-education.

1. Naʻa ne ʻalu ʻo ako. He/She went to school.
2. Tau ‘alu ki he ako faiva’.  Let’s go to the dance practice.

Tu’a ‘ofa atu Hema