kai
/ka.i/
To eat a meal in Tongan is to say kai.
The verb kai is used to describe the action of eating a meal.
Meaning: eat a meal (verb)
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 2 syllables and is pronounced /ka.i/.
Did you know?
- Tongan uses a complex system of honorifics where kai is the common term, but a different, more respectful word is used when referring to the eating habits of royalty.
- The Tongan word kai descends from the Proto-Austronesian root *kaən, which connects the language to a vast family stretching from Taiwan to Madagascar.
- The word kai is a cognate shared across many Polynesian languages, meaning you can use it to communicate the need for food in places like Samoa or Hawaii.
Examples in context
- ʻOku ou fie kai.I want to eat.
Example conversation
Ana and Akuila are in the kitchen during lunch time.
- AnaAkuila, ʻoku ke kai?Akuila, are you eating?
- AkuilaʻIkai, ʻoku ou kai ʻou faka-tau.No, I am eating later.
- AnaKai leva, ʻoku mavehe e kailao.Eat now, the food is getting cold.
- AkuilaʻOku lelei, te u kai.Okay, I will eat.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry kai, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries kai, CC BY-SA 4.0.
