#118: The doctor says you are well but he thinks you will die
E ai ki.../E ai ki tā... /Ki tā
According to... — E ai ki.../E ai ki tā... /Ki tā
In Māori, kī (with a macron) is used to quote someone directly. Another word, ki, appears in the phrase e ai ki, meaning “according to.” It introduces reported statements, sources, or sayings, such as news reports, people’s claims, or traditional proverbs. A related form, ki tā, expresses someone’s opinion rather than reporting their words. Thus e ai ki reports what someone said, while ki tā indicates what someone thinks.