O dau lako i lotu?
Do you go to church?
Pronunciation
Full phrase pronunciation: oh NDOw LAH-koh ee LOH-too
Word breakdown:
o: oh — “you”
dau: NDOw — habitual marker; gives the sense of “usually” or “regularly”
lako: LAH-koh — “go”
i: ee — “to”, “towards”
lotu: LOH-too — “church”, “worship”, “religion”
Notes: Say the phrase in smaller parts: o dau | lako i lotu. In Fijian, d is pronounced with an nd sound, so dau begins NDOw. Keep i short and clear as ee.
Common mistake: Beginners may miss the habitual sense of dau. This phrase is asking whether someone usually goes to church, not whether they are going there right now.
Meaning & Use
A natural Fijian question meaning “Do you go to church?” The useful part is O dau…?, which asks about something someone usually does or does as a habit. So this is less like “Are you going to church right now?” and more like “Do you usually go to church?”
Usage tip: Use this when asking about someone’s regular practice or routine. The pattern O dau [verb]…? can be reused for other habitual actions.
Good to know: Lotu can mean “church”, “religion”, “worship”, or “Christian worship” depending on context. In this sentence, lako i lotu naturally means “go to church.”
Audio