Three times a week, we'll check in with Hēmi Kelly, to learn some useful te reo Māori phrases you can use in your day-to-day life.
Hemi's a lecturer in Te Ara Poutama - the Faculty of Māori & Indigenous Development at Auckland University of Technology, and his book A Māori Phrase a Day: 365 Phrases to Kickstart Your Reo will be released on January 7.
Last time on the show we learned the phrase: Kei whea ngā kī?
Today's phrase: Kei te pai tō āhua.
Translation: You're looking good.
Hēmi Kelly Photo: Supplied/Hēmi Kelly
This is another dextrous one - used both to describe someone who's looking healthy and well, and also someone who you wouldn't mind getting to know a little better ;)
"The last time I used this I'd seen someone I hadn't seen in a while, they were looking really good, so I said kei te pai tō āhua - so you could be talking about the physical appearance, or someone's glow."
What if you're in the club and spot someone who you quite like the look of - can you saunter over with a cheeky wee kei te pai tō āhua?"
You sure can, says Hēmi - followed by a little wink!
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Click the play button above to hear Hēmi pronounce this phrase and take you through any pronunciation nuances
