Ke tāpuekina koe ‘e he ‘Otuá
The English phrase "God bless you" is translated into Tongan as Ke tāpuekina koe ‘e he ‘Otuá.
This phrase is used as an interjection to be said to someone who has just sneezed.
Meaning: said to somebody who has sneezed (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "May you be blessed by God".
How does it change in a sentence?
In this phrase, koe is the singular second-person pronoun, which is used when you are speaking to only one person.
Did you know?
- Because Tongan is a highly hierarchical language, the way you say this phrase can change depending on the social status of the person who sneezed.
- In Tongan culture, the spoken word carries significant weight, so saying Ke tāpuekina koe ‘e he ‘Otuá is seen as a sincere invocation of protection rather than just a polite 'bless you'.
- The word ‘Otuá comes from the root ‘Otua, with the final -á acting as a definite article meaning 'the God'.
Examples in context
- Ke tāpuekina koe ‘e he ‘Otuá.God bless you.
- Hahā, ke tāpuekina koe ‘e he ‘Otuá.Achoo, god bless you.
Example conversation
Sina and Viliami are sitting together in a living room.
- Sina‘Atu!Achoo!
- ViliamiKe tāpuekina koe ‘e he ‘Otuá, Viliami.God bless you, Viliami.
- SinaMālō, Sina.Thank you, Sina.
- Viliami‘Oku koe mālohi?Are you okay?
