Ko hai ho hingoa?
Ko hai ho hingoa? is the Tongan phrase for "what is your name?"
Ko hai ho hingoa? is a question used to ask someone what they are called.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "Who is your name?" where hai means "what", ho means "your" and hingoa means "name".
How does it change in a sentence?
To ask "What is his/her/its name?", you would replace the possessive ho with hono.
Did you know?
- When speaking to a person of high rank or royalty, a Tongan speaker would avoid using the standard phrase and instead use specific honorific language to ask for their identity.
- The word hingoa is a cognate with the Māori word ingoa, showing the shared ancestral roots of these languages across the Pacific.
- In Tongan culture, asking Ko hai ho hingoa? is often preceded by a greeting or a small conversation to establish rapport, as jumping straight to a name can seem abrupt.
Example conversation
Two people meeting for the first time at a community event.
- LosaMalo e lelei! Ko hai ho hingoa?Hello! What is your name?
- TevitaKo hoku hingoa ko Tevita.My name is Tevita.
- LosaKo hoku hingoa ko Losa.My name is Losa.
- TevitaMalo, Losa.Nice to meet you, Losa.
