tino
A Strong Degree
Tino pai means “very good.”
How It Works
Tino precedes the descriptive base it strengthens: tino makariri, “very cold.” In a descriptive predicate, the subject follows the predicate phrase. Within a noun phrase, the noun precedes its description, giving noun + tino + descriptive base. Neither word changes for the subject's number or gender. In a verbal phrase, tino likewise occurs before a suitable head, inside the tense or aspect frame.
Compare He pai te hupa, “The soup is good,” with He tino pai te hupa, “The soup is very good.” The property receives a stronger assessment. Comparative and superlative readings require their own context and construction, although tino can occur within them. Descriptive rawa has a different position: it follows the base.
Examples (3)
- He tino makariri te wai.
The water is very cold.
Tino precedes makariri.
- Tino pai tō mahi!
Your work is very good!
An emphatic assessment places tino before pai.
- He whare tino nui tēnā.
That is a very large house.
The intensified description follows whare.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Place tino before the property being strengthened, both in a predicate and within a noun description. Strong degree alone supplies neither a comparison standard nor selection from a set.
Related Patterns
Practice tino in Bubblegum
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