kei whea mai
1. it was outstanding, terrific, that's wonderful - an eastern dialect idiom exclaiming about the outstanding quality of something or someone, or his/her work. Sometimes it is used to compliment the thought, rather than the actual contribution. In this idiom, atu can replace mai.
(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 106; Te Pihinga Audio Tapes/CDs (Ed. 2): exercise 40; Te Kōhure Textbook (Ed. 2): 76-77;)
Kei whea mai te ātaahua o ngā maunga o Te Tiritiri-o-te-moana! / How outstandingly beautiful the mountains of the Southern Alps are!
Kei whea atu i a Hirini mō te tito waiata Māori pārekareka nei (HJ 2012:27). / Hirini was outstanding at composing entertaining Māori songs.
