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]
How was your game?
Pātai:

[Tarati]
How was your trip?
Pātai:

[Te Hererīpene]
How was your holiday?
Pātai:

[Eruera]
How was your food?
Pātai:

[Wiremu]
How was (your) work?
Pātai:

[Mīria]
How was your sleep?
Pātai:

I pēwhea tēnei mahi?