pai
The Maori word for good is pai.
pai describes anything good or pleasant, from a plan to a cook to a restaurant.
Meaning: pleasant, enjoyable (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
Like other describing words in Maori, pai comes after the noun it describes, as in kaupapa pai. Put tino before it to say very good, as in tino pai.
Did you know?
- The word pai is a distant relative of the Malay word 'baik' and the Tagalog word 'bait', both of which also mean 'good' or 'kind'.
- Small variations in how a speaker pronounces words like pai can act as a subtle signal of which iwi or tribe they belong to.
- If you want to describe a person as 'good', calling them pai often implies they are 'capable' or 'skilful' rather than just a person of high moral character.
Examples in context
- He kaupapa pai tēnā.That's a good plan.kaupapa pai means a good plan.Tatoeba #4463860 by iarere91, translation #442129 by CK
- He kaitunu tino pai a Tom.Tom is a very good cook.tino pai means very good.Tatoeba #4519472 by iarere91, translation #4081904 by CK
- Kei hea tētahi whare kai pai i konei?Where's a good restaurant around here?whare kai pai means a good restaurant.Tatoeba #4517191 by iarere91, translation #2831809 by kevinhsu
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manaia and Maia are discussing a book.
- ManaiaHe pukapuka pai tēnei.This is a good book.
- MaiaHe pukapuka pai tonu tēnā.That is indeed a good book.
- ManaiaKua mutu koe i te pānui?Have you finished reading it?
- MaiaĀe, he kōrero pai tēnā.Yes, that is a good story.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry pai, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pai, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
