kei te pēhea koe?
The English phrase "how are you" is translated into Maori as kei te pēhea koe?
This phrase is used as a greeting to inquire about someone's well-being. You can extend the phrase to ask "How are you today?" by saying Kei te pēhea koe i tēnei rā?, or use the informal version Kei te pēhea koe e hoa? to mean "How are you, friend?"
Meaning: greeting (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The literal breakdown of kei te pēhea koe? is kei te (a marker for the present continuous), pēhea (how) and koe (you, singular).
Which one should you use?
The form kei te pēhea koe? uses the singular pronoun koe to address one person, whereas kei te pēhea koutou? is used to ask how a group of people is doing.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Ngāi Tahu dialect, Kei te pēhea kōrua? is used when addressing two people.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can modify the phrase by changing the pronoun: replace the singular koe with the plural koutou to ask how a group is doing, or replace it with ia to ask how a third person (he/she) is doing (kei te pēhea ia?).
When do people say it?
When someone asks you kei te pēhea koe?, a common response is Kei te pai, which means "I am well" or "It is good".
Did you know?
- In traditional Maori culture, greetings often involve a 'hongi', where two people press their noses and foreheads together to share the breath of life.
- The word koe descends from the Proto-Austronesian root *(i-)kaSu, linking this greeting to an ancient language family that spans from Taiwan to Madagascar.
- The word koe is thought to be onomatopoeic, meaning it was created to mimic a specific sound.
Examples in context
- Kia ora, kei te pēhea koe?Hi, how are you?
Example conversation
Two friends meeting on the street.
- RawiriKia ora Aroha, kei te pēhea koe?Hello Aroha, how are you?
- ArohaKei te pai ahau, a koe?I am well, and you?
- RawiriKei te pai hoki ahau.I am also well.
- ArohaHe ra pai tēnei!This is a great day!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “how are you” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries koe, pēhea, te, CC BY-SA 4.0.
