ʻoku ke ʻi fē?
ʻoku ke ʻi fē? is the Tongan way to say "where are you?"
This phrase is a question used to ask for someone's current physical location.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the progressive marker ʻoku, the second person singular pronoun ke (you), the locative particle ʻi (at/in) and the interrogative fē (where). Literally, it translates to "are you at where?"
Did you know?
- The word fē is an Austronesian root that links Tongan to languages as far away as Madagascar.
- If you were asking a person of high status or an elder, you would not use ke for 'you', but would instead use a much more respectful form of address.
- Answering ʻoku ke ʻi fē? often involves pointing to landmarks or a relative's house rather than a specific street address or GPS coordinates.
Examples in context
- ʻOku ke ʻi fē?Where are you?
