Speaking te reo Māori
Te reo Māori (the Māori language) is one of three official languages in New Zealand, along with English and New Zealand Sign Language. Find out how to pronounce it, where to learn it and some common words.
An important part of our culture
Te reo (which means 'the language') is a very important part of New Zealand's culture. Children are taught te reo Māori in schools and most New Zealanders have some knowledge of Māori language and customs – you’ll hear lots of Māori words used in everyday conversations.
In all government buildings and educational institutions and some libraries, tourist spots and scenic landmarks, you’ll find signs in both English and te reo Māori. You'll hear speeches in te reo Māori at important national and community events.
Te reo Māori names for cities
Many of New Zealand’s cities, regions, mountains, lakes and rivers have original te reo Māori names. You might even be living in one of these cities or towns! Here are a few you might have heard of:
Hāwera (town)
Hokitika (town)
Rotorua (city)
Taumarunui (town)
Taupō (city)
Tauranga (city)
Te Ānau (town)
Whanganui (city)
Whangārei (city)
Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu.
Did you know that this is the longest name in New Zealand and also in te reo Māori? This is also the longest place name in the world, not just in New Zealand!
Te reo Māori pronunciation
Unlike English, te reo Māori words are very consistent in the way they are pronounced. There are five vowel sounds (the sounds of the letters A,E, I, O, U ) and ten consonants (speech sounds that are not vowels) in the Māori alphabet.
- Five short vowels: a, e, i, o, u.
- Five long vowels: ā, ē, ī, ō, ū.
- Consonants: h, k, m, n, p, r, t, w.
- Two digraphs (two letters that combine to form one sound): wh, ng.
In te reo the vowel sounds A, E, I, O, U are pronounced differently. To hear how they're different, go to Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (the Māori Language Commission)(external link that opens in a new tab) and listen to their audio recordings.
In some te reo Māori words, like 'Māori', you'll also notice a little line above the vowels. This is called a 'macron' and it lets you know to sound that vowel longer than usual. Some words that are spelt the same mean different things if the macron is used. For example, anā means ‘here is’. Ana, with no macron, means a cave.
Learning te reo Māori
If you’d like to learn some te reo Māori, check out suggestions for ways to reach this goal and some resources from Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori(external link that opens in a new tab) (the Māori Language Commission). The Kupu app, available on Google Play(external link that opens in a new tab) or from the App Store(external link that opens in a new tab), is also a great place to start. You can also study te reo at schools and community centres across New Zealand – which would be a great place to make friends! There are lots of online te reo Māori(external link that opens in a new tab) courses too, if you’d rather learn from home.
Common te reo Māori words
Here are a few te reo words you might hear often:
- Aotearoa: New Zealand ('the land of the long white cloud', ao = cloud, tea = white or pale, roa = long).
- Aroha: Affection, compassion, empathy, love.
- Haere mai: Welcome, enter (come in).
- Haka: Chant with dance for the purpose of challenge (The All Blacks rugby team perform a haka before every game).
- Hāngi: Traditional feast prepared in an earth oven (if you get a chance to eat a hangi, do it!)
- Hui: Meeting, conference or gathering.
- Kai: Food.
- Ka pai: Great! If you do a good job on a test or assignment your Kiwi friends might say, "Ka pai!"
- Kia ora: To wish someone life and health, it can be used for 'hello' and 'thanks'.
- Koha: Gift or present, or sometimes donation (for example, if you are visiting a small museum that has free entrance you might see a sign asking for a koha, in this case, it means that if you would like to contribute a donation to the museum you're welcome to).
- Mahi: Work or activity (which could include your studies).
- Mana: Authority, power, influence or reputation (for example someone might say that your university lecturer has a lot of mana, meaning they are an authority on the subject, have a great reputation or are influential in this area of study).
- Manuhiri: Guests, visitors (when you visit a marae, you will be the manuhiri).
- Marae: A Māori meeting house or large complex that includes the meeting house, and other houses or spaces, like a dining hall, sleeping houses, forecourt, etc.
- Nau mai: Welcome, enter (come in).
- Pākehā: New Zealander of non-Māori descent, usually European.
- Pounamu: Greenstone (another word in English for this is Jade). You will often see New Zealanders wearing jewellery made of greenstone. For many, this represents a connection to New Zealand. Traditionally, you can't buy pounamu for yourself, you must be gifted it.
- Pōwhiri: a welcome ceremony onto a marae (you may also have a pōwhiri to welcome you to your place of study).
- Taonga: Treasure (this doesn't just mean something like jewellery. For Māori the land, soil and water are taonga).
- Tapu: Sacred, taboo, not to be touched (if you come across something that you're told is tapu or is labelled as tapu, please don't touch it and be very respectful of it).
- Waiata: Song or chant (speeches on the Marae are followed with a song or chant).
- Waka: Canoe (some people also call their car a 'waka' because it transports them).
- Whānau: Family (including extended family).
- Wharepaku: Toilet.
Here are a few te reo idioms you might hear often:
- Kia mōhio mai koe: For your information.
- Oatemāka: Over the top
- Wheo kē!: Buzzy!
- Hangareka ana: What a crack up.
- Tapatapahi ana: Flash guy.
- Mea rawa ake: Next minute.
- Ka mutu pea: Mean.
- Maramara keke: Piece of cake, easy as!
- E ki e ki: Whatever!
- Koia, koia: That’s the one.
Tip: If you want to quickly check what a word in te reo Māori means in English, you can use the Māori Dictionary(external link that opens in a new tab).
Related pages
Learn about Māori culture
To get you started with this goal, we asked students what they did to learn about Māori culture while they were in New Zealand. Here are their suggestions, along with a few of our own!
Learn how our indigenous culture shaped our past and inspires our future.
Māori culture
Settling in a new country is easier if you know a little about its culture and lifestyle. Learn about New Zealand and Māori culture and traditions, and the lifestyle here.
Speaking NZ English
Even native English speakers have trouble understanding the New Zealand accent sometimes! Here’s why New Zealanders have such a unique way of talking. Learn about New Zealand slang and some words and phrases in New Zealand English.