E le pu se tino i upu.

“Words do not break bones.”

Harsh words may sting, but they cannot physically harm the way violence does — encouragement to bear criticism with composure.

Fale-taeao e le afiafi.

“Who sits at home in the morning will not eat in the evening.”

Idleness in the early part of the day leads to want later on — a warning against laziness.

E le fono paʻa mona vae.

“The crab did not consult with its legs before they went off to pinch.”

Young people who act rashly without seeking the counsel of their elders bring trouble on themselves.

Ua se ana.

“It is like a cave — something promised, but never given.”

Describes an empty promise, something spoken of but never delivered.

E toa e le loto, a e pa le noo.

“Strong in heart, but broken in the back.”

Said of someone whose willpower and courage exceed their physical strength.

Ua se taʻataʻa a le ala.

“Like grass by the roadside.”

Describes someone with no fixed home, drifting without belonging to a family or place.