ka pai
In Maori, "great job" is translated as ka pai.
ka pai is the standard way to say "well done" or "congrats!"
Meaning: well done, congrats! (intj)
Which one should you use?
While ka pai is the standard way to say "well done", if you want to describe something as "beautiful" or "excellent" in an aesthetic sense rather than a performance sense, you would use ka rerehua.
How does it change in a sentence?
To specify that the work itself was good, you can say ka pai te mahi, which means "the work is good" or "good job".
Did you know?
- The word pai shares a common ancestor with the Malay word baik and the Tagalog word bait, reflecting the ancient connection between Maori and other Southeast Asian languages.
- In a traditional Maori setting, a compliment like ka pai might be accompanied by a humble deflection of praise to avoid showing arrogance, known as whakaiti.
- To express that something is 'good' in a moral or virtuous sense, Maori speakers often use pūmau or tika rather than the general pai used in ka pai.
Examples in context
- Ka pai tō mahi.Great job on your work.
- Ka pai te hui.The meeting went well.
- Ka pai koe!Well done, you!
Example conversation
Kahu is praising Manaia for finishing a drawing.
- KahuKa pai, e Manaia!Great job, Manaia!
- ManaiaTēnā koe, e Kahu.Thank you, Kahu.
- KahuHe ataahua tēnei.This is beautiful.
- ManaiaKa pai tō kōrero.That is kind of you to say.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ka pai, pai, CC BY-SA 4.0.
