How to Say “Congratulations” in Maori

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tēnā koe
/ˈteːnaː ˈkoe/
The Māori way to say congratulations is tēnā koe.
tēnā koe is used to express approbation.
Meaning: expressing approbation (intj)

How do you pronounce it?

/ˈteːnaː ˈkoe/

Did you know?

  • To congratulate two people specifically, you would use tēnā kōrua instead of tēnā koe. This creates a specific linguistic category for a pair that does not exist in English.
  • Some linguistic theories suggest that the word koe may have originated as an onomatopoeic sound.

Examples in context

  • Kia ora, [Name]. Whakamihi ki a koe i te whakatutuki i tō whāinga. Kia kaha i ō haerenga whakamua.
    Hello, [Name]. Congratulations on achieving your goal. Keep persevering in your future endeavors.

Example conversation

Kahu congratulates Tane on passing his exam.

  1. Kahu

    Kua whiwhi koe i te tūtohu, Tane!
    You got the certificate, Tane!
  2. Tane

    Ae, kua whiwhi au.
    Yes, I did.
  3. Kahu

    Tēnā koe! He tino mahi pai tēnā.
    Congratulations! That is very good work.
  4. Tane

    Tēnā koe, Kahu.
    Thank you, Kahu.

Sources

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Kelsey Madison
Kelsey MadisonHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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