Lesson 33: Instrumental ʻaki and the Suffix -ʻi
This lesson introduces two tools for building more precise sentences: the word ʻaki, which expresses the instrument or means used to do something, and the suffix -ʻi, which changes how a verb relates to its object. A suffix is a letter or group of letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning or grammatical function.
Tongan uses mo for accompaniment, as in Naʻá ku ʻalu mo Sione (I went with Sione). For expressing the instrument or means used to do something, Tongan uses a different word: ʻaki. The word ʻaki functions like a preposition, showing the relationship between a verb and the tool or material involved.
Lesson 32 · All 52 lessons · Lesson 34
The Tongan alphabet and pronunciation · Tongan greetings and what they mean · Tongan tense markers explained · Tongan word order · Saying "not" in Tongan · Tongan possessives · The Tongan ko pattern