Tēnā koutou - hello everyone.

How are you going in your te reo journey?  It’s great to hear people giving te reo a go with me.

I hope you have found something from last week’s kōrero for business that you can try using. This week I have a phrase for our cafes and restaurants, and for all of us in everyday use.

Kei te hiakai koe? Are you hungry?

If you think about what we’ve already learned, you can start to figure out for yourself what this phrase is asking.

The beginning kei te is the present tense, meaning doing. The koe is you. So the speaker is asking you a question.

Plus, there’s the word kai in there, and most of us know this is the word for food.

Hiakai is to want food, or to be hungry. So we’re asking, ‘Are you hungry?’ Kei te hiakai koe? 

When you put that little prefix hia in front of a noun like kai, you’re saying ‘want food’, or to be hungry.

So, when someone asks you “Kei te hiakai koe?”

You can answer ‘Ae’ for yes, or ‘Kao’ for no.

And if you are hungry,  then expect the reply:

Haere mai ki te kai!   Come and eat!

Kia pai te rā. Have a great day.

Check out te wiki o te reo Māori here