The purpose of this list is to give a rough idea of the Tahitian language. The words listed below are not the most common words, but a broad sampling of words. See the Word Lists page for more details.
| English | Tahitian (reo tahiti) |
| I | au, vau |
| you (singular) | oe |
| he | oia, 'ōna |
| we | tātou *(inclusive)*, mātou *(exclusive)* |
| you (plural) | outou |
| they | rātou |
| this | teie |
| that | terā |
| here | iho nei |
| there | iho na |
| who | vai *(interrogative)* |
| what | aha *(interrogative)* |
| where | teihea *(no movement, interrogative)* |
| when | ahea *(interrogative)* |
| how | nāhea *(interrogative)* |
| not | eiaha |
| all | ana'e |
| many | rahi |
| some | nau, tau |
| few | ma'a |
| other | ē |
| one | hō'ē |
| two | piti |
| three | toru |
| four | maha |
| five | pae |
| big | rahi |
| long | roa |
| wide | ā'ano |
| thick | me'ume'u |
| heavy | teiaha, taimaha |
| small | iti |
| short | poto |
| narrow | oaoa |
| thin | rairai |
| woman | vahine |
| man (adult male) | tāne |
| man (human being) | ta'ata |
| child | tamari'i |
| wife | vahine fa'aipoipo |
| husband | tane fa'aipoipo |
| mother | metua vahine |
| father | metua tane |
| animal | manu, 'ānimara |
| fish | i'a |
| bird | manu |
| dog | ūrī |
| louse | utu |
| snake | ōfī |
| worm | to'e, tu'a |
| tree | rā'au |
| forest | aru |
| stick | rā'au, mauha'a |
| fruit | mā'a |
| seed | huero |
| leaf | rao'ere |
| root | a'a |
| bark (of a tree) | pa'a, 'iri |
| flower | tiare, pua |
| grass | matie, 'aihere |
| rope | taura |
| skin | iri |
| meat | ina'i |
| blood | toto |
| bone | ivi |
| fat (noun) | hinu |
| egg | huero |
| horn | tara |
| tail | aero, hi'u |
| feather | huruhuru, hetehete |
| hair | rouru |
| head | upo'o |
| ear | tari'a |
| eye | mata |
| nose | ihu |
| mouth | vaha |
| tooth | niho |
| tongue (organ) | arero |
| fingernail | mai'u'u |
| foot | āvae |
| leg | āvae |
| knee | turi |
| hand | rima |
| wing | pererau |
| belly | ōpū |
| guts | ā'au |
| neck | a'ī |
| back | tua |
| breast | ōuma |
| heart | māfatu |
| liver | ūpa'a |
| to drink | inu |
| to eat | amu |
| to bite | hōhoni |
| to suck | ote |
| to spit | tuha |
| to vomit | piha'e |
| to blow | pūhi, farara *(wind)* |
| to breathe | huti i te aho |
| to laugh | ata |
| to see | hi'o |
| to hear | fa'aro'o |
| to know | ite |
| to think | mana'o |
| to smell | hau'a |
| to fear | taiā, mata'u |
| to sleep | taoto |
| to live | ora |
| to die | pohe, mate |
| to kill | taparahi-pohe-roa, ha'apohe; tūpa'i *(an animal)* |
| to fight | taputō |
| to hunt | a'ua'u pua'a |
| to hit | taparahi |
| to cut | tāpū |
| to split | tuha, vāhi |
| to stab | patia |
| to scratch | pāra'u |
| to dig | pao, tūpā, 'ō |
| to swim | au |
| to fly | ma'ue |
| to walk | haere |
| to come | haere mai |
| to lie (as in a bed) | tārava *(state)* |
| to sit | pārahi *(action, state)* |
| to stand | oti'ati'a *(action)* |
| to turn (intransitive) | tīoi |
| to fall | topa |
| to give | hōro'a |
| to hold | mau |
| to squeeze | tāmau |
| to rub | ū'ui, 'ui'ui |
| to wash | horoi |
| to wipe | horoi |
| to pull | ume |
| to push | tura'i |
| to throw | tāora |
| to tie | ruru, nati |
| to sew | au, nira |
| to count | nūmera |
| to say | ī |
| to sing | pehe, hīmene |
| to play | ha'uti |
| to flow | tahe |
| to freeze | faato'to'e roa |
| to swell | oru |
| sun | mahāna |
| moon | āva'e, marama |
| star | feti'a |
| water | vai |
| rain | ua |
| river | ānāvai, tahora |
| lake | roto |
| sea | miti |
| salt | miti |
| stone | ōfa'i |
| sand | one |
| dust | repo, one |
| earth | fenua |
| cloud | ata |
| fog | rūpehu |
| sky | ra'i |
| wind | mata'i |
| snow | hiona |
| ice | pape to'eto'e |
| smoke | auauahi |
| fire | auahi |
| ash | rehu auahi |
| to burn | ama |
| road | e'a tia, purumu |
| mountain | mou'a |
| red | ura |
| green | matie |
| yellow | re'are'a |
| white | uo'uo |
| black | ere'ere |
| night | ru'i, pō |
| day | mahana |
| year | matahiti |
| warm | māhanahana |
| cold | to'eto'e |
| full | api(a room), 'ī(belly) |
| new | āpī |
| old | tahito |
| good | maita'i |
| bad | ino |
| rotten | pē |
| dirty | repo |
| straight | āfaro, ti'a |
| round | menemene |
| sharp (as a knife) | ina |
| dull (as a knife) | tūmū, mania |
| smooth | mānina |
| wet | rari |
| dry | marō |
| correct | ti'a |
| near | fatata |
| far | ātea |
| right | atau |