Martial Arts

1. Azoko jerena ve ny fampiofanana?

   A-zo-ko je-re-na ve ny fam-pi-o-fa-na-na

   May I watch the training?

   Usage

   Gyms in Antananarivo and Mahajanga are relaxed about onlookers and rarely refuse if you ask first. French is widely understood in Madagascar, but asking in Malagasy earns a warmer welcome

   Grammar Note

   Malagasy strongly favours the passive, and "azoko + passive verb" is the natural way to say "I can". The question particle "ve" follows the verb phrase

2. Te hianatra ady totohondry aho

   Te hi-a-na-tra a-dy to-to-hon-dry a-ho

   I want to learn boxing

   Usage

   "Ady totohondry" literally means "fist fight" and denotes boxing. Antananarivo has many boxing and karate clubs, still following a French-influenced coaching tradition

   Grammar Note

   Malagasy is verb-object-subject, so the subject "aho" comes last. "Te h-" is the desiderative element and merges phonetically with the following verb

3. Ohatrinona isaky ny fotoana iray?

   O-ha-tri-no-na i-sa-ky ny fo-to-a-na i-ray

   How much is one session?

   Usage

   The currency is the ariary. A local club may charge a few thousand ariary per session and only tens of thousands per month, very cheap by international standards. Payment is normally cash

   Grammar Note

   "Isaky ny + noun" forms a distributive: "isaky ny andro" means every day. The question word "ohatrinona" stands at the head of the sentence

4. Vao manomboka aho, tsy mbola nanao mihitsy

   Va-o ma-nom-bo-ka a-ho, tsy mbo-la na-na-o mi-hi-tsy

   I am just starting, I have never done it at all

   Usage

   Say this to the desk or the coach and they will start you from stance and basic movement. Malagasy clubs mix wide age ranges, so a beginner never stands out

   Grammar Note

   "Tsy mbola + past" means "have never yet". "Nanao" is the past of "manao" (to do); Malagasy forms the past by replacing the initial m- with n-

5. Afaka manofa gants ve aho?

   A-fa-ka ma-no-fa gants ve a-ho

   Can I rent gloves?

   Usage

   "Gants" is a French loanword used as is in Madagascar. Provincial clubs are often short of equipment and gloves get shared, so bring your own if you can

   Grammar Note

   "Afaka + verb" expresses ability. The question particle "ve" sits right after the verb phrase and before the subject, giving verb-object-ve-subject order

6. Ataovy moramora azafady

   A-ta-o-vy mo-ra-mo-ra a-za-fa-dy

   Please go gently

   Usage

   Say this before sparring. "Moramora" means slowly and gently and is often cited as a word that captures the pace of Malagasy life. "Azafady" is the all-purpose word for please and excuse me

   Grammar Note

   "Ataovy" is the passive imperative of "manao" (to do); Malagasy commands normally use the passive. Reduplicating "mora" (easy, gentle) into "moramora" softens the degree

7. Marary ny lohaliko, tsy afaka mandaka aho

   Ma-ra-ry ny lo-ha-li-ko, tsy a-fa-ka man-da-ka a-ho

   My knee hurts, I cannot kick

   Usage

   Always declare this before training. Swap "lohalika" (knee) for "soroka" (shoulder), "hato-tanana" (wrist) or "valahana" (lower back). Medical care can be far away outside the cities, so do not push through pain

   Grammar Note

   Possession is suffixed onto the noun: -ko (my), -nao (your), -ny (his/her). "Lohalika" plus "-ko" drops the final a to give "lohaliko"

8. Amin'ny firy no manomboka ny fampiofanana?

   A-min'ny fi-ry no ma-nom-bo-ka ny fam-pi-o-fa-na-na

   What time does the training start?

   Usage

   Malagasy clubs concentrate their sessions after five in the afternoon. Days are taken up with school and work, and because dusk falls early most finish by around seven. Many close on Sundays

   Grammar Note

   "No" is a focus particle that must follow a fronted question word or emphasised element. Most Malagasy wh-questions use this construction

9. Aiza no ahitana moraingy?

   A-i-za no a-hi-ta-na mo-ra-in-gy

   Where can I see moraingy?

   Usage

   Moraingy (also spelled moringue) is a bare-fist striking contest practised above all by Sakalava communities on Madagascar's west and north-west coasts. Fighters go bare-chested without protective gear, and drums and singing drive the event. It is staged around festivals and market days near Mahajanga and Nosy Be rather than on a fixed calendar or at a permanent venue

   Grammar Note

   "Ahitana" is the circumstantial form of "mahita" (to see), foregrounding the place where the action happens. Beyond active and passive, Malagasy has voices that focus location or instrument

10. Rahoviana no misy moraingy eto?

    Ra-ho-vi-a-na no mi-sy mo-ra-in-gy e-to

    When does moraingy take place around here?

    Usage

    Moraingy is a community event rather than a tourist show, so asking locals directly is the surest route. It tends to fall on dry-season weekends between May and October or around post-harvest festivals. Always get the organisers' permission before photographing

    Grammar Note

    Malagasy splits "when" by tense: "rahoviana" for the future and "oviana" for the past. "Eto" means here beside the speaker, while "eo" refers to somewhere slightly further off

11. Azoko atao ve ny maka sary?

    A-zo-ko a-ta-o ve ny ma-ka sa-ry

    May I take photographs?

    Usage

    Whether at a moraingy or in a gym, always ask before photographing. In some parts of Madagascar people strongly dislike being photographed without consent, and ceremonial settings call for extra care

    Grammar Note

    "Azoko atao" literally means "it can be done by me" and is the most polite way to ask permission. "Maka sary" is the set expression for taking a photograph

12. Asandrato ny tananao, jereo ny mason'ny mpifanandrina!

    A-san-dra-to ny ta-na-na-o, je-re-o ny ma-son'ny mpi-fa-nan-dri-na

    Raise your hands, look at your opponent's eyes!

    Usage

    Said by the coach. In Malagasy clubs the commands often mix with French (garde!, regarde!). They come as short imperatives with no rudeness intended

    Grammar Note

    Imperatives add "-o" or "-y" to the passive stem: asandratra becomes asandrato, jery becomes jereo. The prefix "mpi-" derives agent nouns, so "mpifanandrina" is the one who faces you

13. Daroy mafy, aza malemy!

    Da-ro-y ma-fy, a-za ma-le-my

    Hit hard, do not go soft!

    Usage

    Said by the coach, the most frequent shout during pad work. In actual sparring you would instead be told "moramora" (gently), so this command is aimed at pads and bags

    Grammar Note

    Prohibition uses "aza" plus a verb or adjective. "Mafy" (hard) and "malemy" (soft) are a basic antonym pair and can follow a verb adverbially

14. Mialà sasatra dimy minitra, misotroa rano

    Mi-a-là sa-sa-tra di-my mi-ni-tra, mi-so-tro-a ra-no

    Take five minutes' rest and drink water

    Usage

    Said by the coach. Coastal Madagascar is hot and humid, and the western coast where moraingy is held tops thirty degrees even in the dry season. Do not drink the tap water — bring bottled

    Grammar Note

    The active imperative adds a final "-a" to misotro, giving misotroa ("mialà" is miala with a stressed final vowel, not an added "-a"). "Miala sasatra" literally means "to leave fatigue" and is the idiom for resting

15. Ampy izay ny androany. Tsara be ny nataonao!

    Am-py i-zay ny an-dro-a-ny. Tsa-ra be ny na-ta-o-na-o

    That is enough for today. You did really well!

    Usage

    The coach's closing line. Sessions usually end with everyone shaking hands. Reply with "misaotra" (thank you)

    Grammar Note

    "Be" means big or much and intensifies a preceding adjective: "tsara be" is very good. "Nataonao" is the past passive "atao" with the agent suffix "-nao" (by you)

16. Ohatrinona ny saram-pianarana isam-bolana?

    O-ha-tri-no-na ny sa-ram-pi-a-na-ra-na i-sam-bo-la-na

    How much is the monthly fee?

    Usage

    For a stay of more than a week the monthly rate works out cheaper. Some clubs charge a separate joining fee, so check what the month covers. Payment is normally cash, though more clubs now accept mobile money

    Grammar Note

    When two nouns are joined, the linking "-n-" fuses with the first word and the following f hardens to p: sara plus fianarana gives "saram-pianarana". This mutation is regular in Malagasy

17. Misy fampiofanana ho an'ny vehivavy ve?

    Mi-sy fam-pi-o-fa-na-na ho an'ny ve-hi-va-vy ve

    Is there training for women?

    Usage

    Antananarivo runs women's self-defence and karate classes. On the west coast, by contrast, moraingy is fought by men while women drive the event with singing and dancing

    Grammar Note

    "Ho an'ny" plus a noun means "for". The question particle "ve" comes after the predicate group, near the end of the clause

18. Misy toerana handroana ve eto?

    Mi-sy to-e-ra-na han-dro-a-na ve e-to

    Is there somewhere to wash here?

    Usage

    Neighbourhood clubs often have no shower, and even where one exists a water cut can leave it dry. Assume you need your own towel and change of clothes. Note that "fandroana" also names the festival of the royal bath, so the root for bathing carries cultural weight

    Grammar Note

    A verb's initial consonant alternates with tense: m- present, n- past, h- future. "Handroana" is the circumstantial form of "mandro" (to bathe) with the future h-, pointing to a place where one is going to wash

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