The 6 golden rules of pronunciation
- Vowels are pure & consistent: a=ah (car), e=eh (bet), i=ee (see), o=aw (four), u=oo (moon). They never change.
- A macron (ā ē ī ō ū) just holds the vowel longer — but it can change the meaning, so it matters (e.g. keke = cake, kēkē = armpit).
- wh is a soft f sound → whānau = "fah-now".
- ng is like the middle of "singer" (never "finger") — and it can start a word: ngā = "ngah".
- r is a light rolled/tapped r (tongue taps behind the teeth), closer to a soft "d" than an English r.
- Every syllable ends in a vowel. Break words into open syllables: A-o-te-a-ro-a. Stress usually falls on the first long vowel; if there's none, on the first diphthong; otherwise the first syllable.
Talking to people
Ngā Mihi · Greetings & farewells
| Kia ora | Hi / Hello / Thanks / Cheers |
| Mōrena | Good morning |
| Tēnā koe | Hello (formal, to one) |
| Tēnā kōrua | Hello (to two people) |
| Tēnā koutou | Hello (to three or more) |
| Kia ora tātou | Hello everyone (incl. me) |
| Haere mai | Welcome / Come in |
| Haere rā | Goodbye (to one leaving) |
| E noho rā | Goodbye (to one staying) |
| Ka kite anō | See you again |
Ngā Kīwaha · Survival phrases
| Kei te pēhea koe? | How are you? |
| Kei te pai | I'm good / fine |
| Āe / Kāo | Yes / No |
| Tēnā koa | Please |
| Kia ora / Ngā mihi | Thank you |
| Aroha mai | Sorry / Excuse me |
| Ka pai | Good / Well done |
| Nē? / Nē rā? | Is that so? / Really? |
| Kāore au e mōhio | I don't know |
| He aha tēnei? | What is this? |
Whakapuaki · Introducing yourself
| Ko [name] tōku ingoa | My name is [name] |
| Nō hea koe? | Where are you from? |
| Nō [place] au | I am from [place] |
| Kei [place] au e noho ana | I live in [place] |
| Tēnā koe, e hoa | Hello, friend |
tōku = my · ingoa = name · au = I/me · koe = you (one person)
Ngā Tau · Numbers 1–10
| 1 · Tahi | TAH-hee |
| 2 · Rua | ROO-ah |
| 3 · Toru | TOH-roo |
| 4 · Whā | FAA (wh = f) |
| 5 · Rima | REE-mah |
| 6 · Ono | OH-noh |
| 7 · Whitu | FEE-too |
| 8 · Waru | WAH-roo |
| 9 · Iwa | EE-wah |
| 10 · Tekau | TEH-koh |
People & daily life
Te Whānau · Family
| Whānau | Extended family |
| Māmā / Whaea | Mother / Aunty |
| Pāpā / Matua | Father / Uncle |
| Tamaiti / Tamariki | Child / Children |
| Tuakana / Teina | Older / Younger sibling (same gender) |
| Mokopuna | Grandchild |
| Tipuna / Tupuna | Ancestor / Grandparent |
| E hoa | Friend |
Kai me Inu · Food & drink
| Kai | Food / to eat |
| Wai | Water |
| Tī / Kawhe | Tea / Coffee |
| Miraka | Milk |
| Ika | Fish |
| Kūmara | Sweet potato |
| Kei te hiakai au | I'm hungry |
| Kei te hiainu au | I'm thirsty |
Te Taiao · Nature & place names
| Aotearoa | New Zealand ("long white cloud") |
| Moana | Sea / Ocean |
| Maunga | Mountain |
| Awa | River |
| Roto | Lake (Roto-rua = 2nd lake) |
| Whenua | Land (also: placenta) |
| Ngahere | Forest / Bush |
| Rangi | Sky |
| Wai | Water (in many place names) |
Ia Rā · Everyday expressions
| Kia kaha | Stay strong |
| Kia ora rawa atu | Thank you so much |
| Ka mau te wehi! | Awesome! / Amazing! |
| Aroha nui | Much love (warm sign-off) |
| Mauri ora! | Be well! / To life! (strong close) |
| Nau mai, haere mai | Welcome! (emphatic) |
Ngā Kīanga o ia Rā · Daily living
| Kei te aha koe? | What are you doing? |
| Haere mai ki te kai | Come and eat |
| Haere tātou | Let's go |
| Taihoa | Wait / hold on |
| Kia tūpato | Be careful |
| Kāore he raruraru | No worries / no problem |
| Āwhina mai | Help me |
| Whakarongo mai | Listen |
| Titiro mai | Look (here) |
| Homai | Give it (to me) |
| Anei | Here it is |
| He aha te taima? | What's the time? |
| Tino pai! / Tau kē! | Excellent! / Cool! |
| Rā whānau ki a koe | Happy birthday |
| Meri Kirihimete | Merry Christmas |
| Ka kite | See ya |
Animals & the outdoors
Ngā Kararehe · Animals (home & farm)
| Kurī | Dog |
| Ngeru | Cat (also: poti) |
| Manu | Bird |
| Hipi | Sheep |
| Kau | Cow |
| Hōiho | Horse |
| Heihei | Chicken / hen |
| Poaka | Pig |
| Rāpeti | Rabbit |
| Kiore | Rat |
| Namu | Sandfly |
| Waeroa | Mosquito |
| Pī | Bee |
| Pūrerehua | Butterfly / moth |
Ngā Kararehe Taketake · NZ wildlife
| Kiwi | Kiwi (flightless national bird) |
| Tūī | Tūī (songbird) |
| Kea | Kea (alpine parrot) |
| Kākāpō | Kākāpō (flightless night parrot) |
| Pūkeko | Pūkeko (swamp hen) |
| Kererū | Wood pigeon (also: kūkupa) |
| Pīwakawaka | Fantail |
| Ruru | Morepork (native owl) |
| Weka | Weka (flightless rail) |
| Wētā | Wētā (large insect) |
| Tuatara | Tuatara (reptile) |
| Tohorā | Whale |
| Aihe | Dolphin |
| Kekeno | Fur seal |
Words behind the worldview
Tikanga & Kupu Hira · Key cultural concepts
| Mana | Prestige, authority, spiritual power — inherited through whakapapa and enhanced or diminished by your actions. |
| Aroha | Love, compassion, empathy — far beyond romantic love. |
| Manaakitanga | Hospitality and care that lifts the mana of host and guest alike. |
| Whānau | Family — the foundational social unit. |
| Whakapapa | Genealogy / lineage connecting people to ancestors and land. |
| Kaitiakitanga | Guardianship and stewardship of the natural world. |
| Wairua | Spirit / soul. |
| Tūrangawaewae | Your place to stand — where you belong. |
| Tapu / Noa | Sacred & restricted / ordinary & safe (cognate of "taboo"). |
| Pōwhiri | Formal welcome ceremony onto a marae. |
| Marae | Communal meeting grounds — the heart of a community. |
| Kaupapa | Purpose, plan, guiding principle. |
No matches — try another word, or clear the search.
Whakataukī · Two proverbs worth memorising
He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people.
Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini.My strength is not that of one, but the strength of many.