Exercise Ten

I pēhea? What was it like?

I pēhea? What was it like?

You have previously learnt how to ask how one or more people is or are by saying “Kei te pēhea kōe/kōrua/koutou? The sentence structure you are about to learn builds on this. You have just learnt that I is used to denote the past tense, therefore, I pēhea is used to ask how something was. Look at the following examples:

I pēhea tō moe? How was your sleep?
I pēhea te kanikani? How was the dance?
I pēwhea te kēmu?How was the game?

When answering this type of question there are many different answers you could reply with. Look at the following examples:

I pēhea te kēmu?How was the game?
He tino pai.Very good.
I pēhea te kanikani?How was the dance?
He ngahau.Entertaining.
I pēwhea tō whakamātautau?How was your test?
Āhua pai tonu.Quite good.
I pēwhea tō rā, inanahi?How was your day, yesterday?
Te mutunga kē mai o te koretake.It couldn't have been worse.

Further explanations and examples: Te Kākano p.32

Pātai atu ki ngā tāngata o Te Whanake, “I pēhea tō ...?” Ka puta mai te pātai Pākehā.
Ask the Te Whanake characters “How was your...?” The question to ask will appear under the character.

Kei wareware i a koe ngā piko, ngā tohu pātai, ngā ira kati me ngā tohutō i ngā wāhi e tika ana.

Neihana right

[Neihana]

How was your game?

Pātai:

Tarati right

[Tarati]

How was your trip?

Pātai:

HINT: haerenga = trip

Te hereripene right

[Te Hererīpene]

How was your holiday?

Pātai:

HINT: hararei = holiday

Eruera right

[Eruera]

How was your food?

Pātai:

Wiremu right

[Wiremu]

How was (your) work?

Pātai:

Miria right

[Mīria]

How was your sleep?

Pātai:

Tarati

I pēwhea tēnei mahi?