Mālō tau maʻu e hoʻatā ni
Mālō tau maʻu e hoʻatā ni is the Tongan way to say good afternoon.
Mālō tau maʻu e hoʻatā ni is used as a formal greeting during the afternoon hours.
Meaning: greeting said in the afternoon (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to a sentiment of thanks or goodness for having reached/obtained this afternoon.
Did you know?
- In Tongan, the word Mālō can mean both 'thank you' and 'congratulations' depending on the context of the greeting.
- Because the phrase is formal, using it in a very casual setting with close friends might actually feel slightly stiff or overly polite.
- The word tau shares a common linguistic ancestor with many other Polynesian languages, originating from the Proto-Polynesian *tau.
Examples in context
- Mālō tau maʻu e hoʻatā ni.Good afternoon.
- Mālō tau maʻu e hoʻatā ni, e hoa.Good afternoon, my friend.
Example conversation
Losa and Tevita meet on the street in the afternoon.
- LosaMālō tau maʻu e hoʻatā ni, Tevita.Good afternoon, Tevita.
- TevitaMālō tau maʻu e hoʻatā ni, Losa.Good afternoon, Losa.
- LosaFēfē hake koe?How are you?
- TevitaSai pē, mālō.I am fine, thank you.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries e, tau, CC BY-SA 4.0.
