E tiko vei au na ki.
I have the key.
Pronunciation
Full phrase pronunciation: ay TEE-koh VAY ow nah KEE
Word breakdown:
e: ay — sentence marker used here before the statement
tiko: TEE-koh — “is”, “is present”, “is located”
vei: VAY — “with”, “to”; here giving the sense of “with”
au: ow — “I”, “me”
na: nah — “the”
ki: KEE — “key”
Notes: Say the phrase in clear parts: e tiko | vei au | na ki. Keep tiko clean and even as TEE-koh, and let vei au flow naturally as VAY ow.
Common mistake: Beginners may try to translate “I have” too directly. In this Fijian structure, the meaning comes from tiko vei au — “is with me.”
Meaning & Use
This phrase shows a very natural Fijian way to express possession: “I have the key.” Literally, the structure is closer to “The key is with me,” using vei au to mean “with me.” For beginner Fijian, the useful pattern is E tiko vei au na…, which can help you say that you have something with you.
Usage tip: Use E tiko vei au na… when saying that something is in your possession or with you. You can replace ki with another object as your vocabulary grows.
Good to know: Fijian often expresses “I have…” differently from English. Instead of a direct verb like “have”, this phrase uses tiko vei au — “is with me”.
Audio