Au rawa ni lako taubale vata kei iko?
Can I walk with you?
Pronunciation
Full phrase pronunciation: ow RAH-wah nee LAH-koh tow-MBAH-leh VAH-tah kay EE-koh
Word breakdown:
au: ow — “I”, “me”
rawa: RAH-wah — “able”, “can”
ni: nee — linking particle; here giving the sense of “to”
lako: LAH-koh — “go”
taubale: tow-MBAH-leh — “walk”, “go walking”
vata: VAH-tah — “together”
kei: kay — “with”
iko: EE-koh — “you”
Notes: Say the phrase in smaller parts: au rawa ni | lako taubale | vata kei iko. In Fijian, b often has an mb sound, so taubale sounds like tow-MBAH-leh.
Common mistake: Beginners may flatten taubale or pronounce the b like a plain English b. Keep the middle fuller: tow-MBAH-leh.
Meaning & Use
A useful spoken Fijian question meaning “Can I walk with you?” or “Am I able to go walking with you?” The reusable structure is Au rawa ni…?, meaning “Can I…?” or “Am I able to…?”
Usage tip: Use this when asking politely to join someone for a walk. Vata kei iko gives the sense of “together with you.”
Good to know: Lako taubale means to go walking or walk around, while kei iko means “with you.”
Audio