Traveling with Kids

1. 'O vai tō 'oe i'oa?

   What is your name?

   Usage

   Asking a child what their name is

   Grammar Note

   The possessive is tō 'oe, not tōu.

2. E hia tō 'oe matahiti?

   How old are you?

   Usage

   Asking an adult's age at first meeting can be intrusive; with children it is ordinary

   Grammar Note

   "Parara'a matahiti" ("temps de récoltes"; today the New Year) shows matahiti = "year".

3. Eaha tō 'oe huru?

   How are you?

   Usage

   A friendly greeting to ask a child how they are

   Grammar Note

   pehea is a Cook Islands Māori / Hawaiian interrogative and does not exist in Tahitian. huru = sorte ; état gives the "how are you" sense.

4. 'Ōtahi anei 'oe?

   Are you alone?

   Usage

   Checking if a child is lost or alone

   Grammar Note

   anei is a question particle

5. E hina'aro anei 'oe i te mā'a?

   Would you like something to eat?

   Usage

   Offering food to a child

   Grammar Note

   mā'a needs both the macron and the glottal stop; tama'a was a corrupted tāmā'a ("to eat a meal").

6. 'A haere iō tō 'oe mau metua.

   Go to your parents

   Usage

   Telling a lost child to return to their parents

   Grammar Note

   The imperative is 'A + verb. "To the place of" is the solid word iō ("iō, chez. E mea rahi te ta'ata iō te 'orometua"; "chez, iō"; "e haere atu ai iō 'oe = j'irai chez toi"). NOTE: the spaced i 'ō is a different item — 'ō is the locative (i 'ō nei = here) — and there is no form "i ō". "Metua : parent", and mau marks the plural.

7. 'Aita e fifi

   It's okay, don't worry

   Usage

   Calming a crying or anxious child

   Grammar Note

   'aita e fifi is a reassuring negative expression meaning "no problem"

8. Tē hi'o noa nei au.

   Just watching / Just looking

   Usage

   Saying you are just observing children playing

   Grammar Note

   hi'opo'a means "to inspect, to look for faults", too strong here; hi'o noa is "just looking".

9. 'Oia mau rā

   Indeed! That's right!

   Usage

   Agreeing with or confirming what a child says or does

   Grammar Note

   'oia ("he / it") + mau ("true") gives "that is indeed so".

10. E tamari'i itoito roa 'oe.

    You are a very lively child

    Usage

    Complimenting a lively and energetic child

    Grammar Note

    itoito = courageux; vaillant; actif. 'uri is close to 'ūrī ("dog") and could be taken as an insult when applied to a person.

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