Talofa lava, pronounced Tah-lo-fah lah-va is the polite way to just say hello. A simple talofa suffices but to express great happiness when greeting someone, the adjective 'lava' is also included.
It is a formal greeting to somebody, generally used to greet
people in a respectful manner. Malo, on the other hand, is an
informal greeting in Samoan, which is used more often.