mālō e lelei
The Tongan way to say greetings is mālō e lelei.
mālō e lelei is a common way to say "Hello" or "Good day".
Meaning: formal way of saying "hello" (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of mālō (goodness, well-being or thanks), e (a particle) and lelei (good or well), which literally translates to "goodness/well-being is/exists".
Which one should you use?
While mālō on its own is commonly used to mean "thank you" or "well done", mālō e lelei is specifically used as a greeting.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
mālō e lelei is the standard polite and formal way to greet someone.
Did you know?
- In Tongan culture, the formality of a greeting like mālō e lelei can shift entirely if you are speaking to royalty or high-ranking chiefs, as Tongan has a distinct social register called 'honorific' language.
- The word lelei is a direct descendant of the Proto-Polynesian word *lelei, which is why it remains nearly identical across Tongan, Samoan and Tuvaluan.
- Greeting someone with mālō e lelei is not just a social convention but a literal acknowledgement of the other person's state of health and wellness.
Examples in context
- Mālō e lelei iā te koe.Greetings to you.
- Mālō e lelei e fāmili kotoa.Greetings to the whole family.
Example conversation
Ana meets Viliami at a formal community gathering.
- AnaMālō e lelei, Viliami.Greetings, Viliami.
- ViliamiMālō e lelei, Ana.Greetings, Ana.
- Ana'Oku ke lelei pea?Are you well?
- Viliami'Oku ou lelei, mālō.I am well, thank you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry mālō e lelei, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries e, lelei, CC BY-SA 4.0.
