n • intermediate
tikanga
custom / correct practice
tee-kah-ngah
Me whai tikanga tātou.
We must follow proper custom.
✦ TE REO MĀORI ✦
🪶 Cultural
50 words and phrases for focused te reo Māori practice.
Cultural vocabulary
Pick a word card below to practise the Māori word, meaning, pronunciation and example sentence.
Vocabulary
culturetikangaidentitymaori
n • intermediate
mana
prestige / authority
mah-nah
He nui tōna mana.
They have great prestige.
n • intermediate
tapu
sacred / restricted
tah-poo
He wāhi tapu tēnei.
This is a sacred place.
n • intermediate
noa
ordinary / unrestricted
noh-ah
Kua noa te wāhi ināianei.
The place is unrestricted now.
n • intermediate
whakapapa
genealogy
fah-kah-pah-pah
Kei te ako mātou i te whakapapa.
We are learning genealogy.
v • intermediate
waiata
song
why-ah-tah
Ka waiata tātou i muri i te kōrero.
We will sing after the speech.
n • intermediate
karakia
prayer / incantation
kah-rah-kee-ah
Ka tīmata tātou me te karakia.
We will begin with a karakia.
n • intermediate
taonga
treasure
tow-ngah
He taonga tuku iho tēnei.
This is a treasured inheritance.
n • intermediate
manaakitanga
hospitality
mah-nah-ah-kee-tah-ngah
He mea nui te manaakitanga.
Hospitality is important.
n • intermediate
kaitiakitanga
guardianship
kye-tee-ah-kee-tah-ngah
Me tiaki te taiao mā te kaitiakitanga.
We must care for the environment through guardianship.
n • intermediate
haka
song and dance
hah-kah
Kei te whakangungu te kapa i te haka.
The group is practising the haka.
n • intermediate
hui
meeting / gathering
hoo-ee
He hui nui āpōpō.
There is a big gathering tomorrow.
n • intermediate
whakaute
respect
fah-kow-teh
He mea nui te whakaute.
Respect is important.
n • intermediate
rāhui
temporary prohibition
raa-hoo-ee
Kua tukuna he rāhui ki te awa.
A rāhui has been placed on the river.
n • intermediate
kawa
marae protocol
kah-wah
Me whai i te kawa o te marae.
We must follow the protocol of the marae.
n • intermediate
pepeha
tribal saying / self-introduction
peh-peh-hah
Kei te ako ia i tana pepeha.
He is learning his pēpeha.
n • intermediate
mihimihi
speech of greeting
mee-hee-mee-hee
Ka tū ia ki te mihimihi.
She will stand to give her mihimihi.
n • intermediate
wehi
awe
weh-hee
He wehi tō mātou mō te maunga.
We have awe for the mountain.
n • intermediate
mana
mana / prestige / authority
mah-nah
He nui te mana o te kaumātua.
The elder has great mana.
n • intermediate
tapu
tapu / sacred / restricted
tah-poo
He tapu tēnei wāhi.
This place is sacred.
n • intermediate
noa
noa / ordinary / unrestricted
noh-ah
Kua noa te marae.
The marae is now unrestricted.
n • intermediate
manaaki
manaaki / hospitality / care
mah-nah-ah-kee
He mea nui te manaaki.
Hospitality is important.
n • intermediate
whakapapa
whakapapa / genealogy
fah-kah-pah-pah
Kei te ako ia i tana whakapapa.
He is learning his genealogy.
n • intermediate
whenua
whenua / land
feh-noo-ah
He taonga te whenua.
The land is a treasure.
n • intermediate
moana
moana / sea / ocean
moh-ah-nah
He nui te moana.
The ocean is vast.
n • intermediate
maunga
maunga / mountain
mow-ngah
Ko tōku maunga a Taranaki.
My mountain is Taranaki.
n • intermediate
awa
awa / river
ah-wah
Ko tōku awa a Waikato.
My river is the Waikato.
n • intermediate
waka
waka / canoe / vehicle
wah-kah
He nui te waka.
The canoe is large.
n • intermediate
iwi
iwi / tribe / people
ee-wee
Nō tēnei iwi ahau.
I am from this tribe.
n • intermediate
hapū
hapū / sub-tribe
hah-poo
He hapū kaha tēnei.
This is a strong sub-tribe.
n • intermediate
whānau
whānau / family
far-know
He mea nui te whānau.
Family is important.
n • intermediate
kaumātua
kaumātua / elder
kow-maa-too-ah
Kei te kōrero te kaumātua.
The elder is speaking.
n • intermediate
kuia
kuia / female elder
koo-ee-ah
He kuia manaaki ia.
She is a caring elder.
n • intermediate
rangatira
rangatira / chief / leader
rah-ngah-tee-rah
He rangatira tōna tū.
Their manner is chief-like.
n • intermediate
tangata whenua
tangata whenua / people of the land
tah-ngah-tah feh-noo-ah
Ko mātou ngā tangata whenua.
We are the people of this land.
n • intermediate
manuhiri
manuhiri / visitors / guests
mah-noo-hee-ree
Kua tae mai ngā manuhiri.
The visitors have arrived.
n • intermediate
marae
marae
mah-rye
Kei te hoki mātou ki te marae.
We are returning to the marae.
n • intermediate
wharenui
wharenui / meeting house
fah-reh-noo-ee
Kei roto tātou i te wharenui.
We are inside the meeting house.
n • intermediate
hongi
hongi / traditional greeting
hoh-ngee
Ka hongi māua.
We exchange the hongi.
n • intermediate
pōwhiri
pōwhiri / formal welcome
poh-fee-ree
Kei te pōwhiritia ngā manuhiri.
The visitors are being welcomed.
n • intermediate
karakia
karakia / prayer / incantation
kah-rah-kee-ah
Ka tīmata mātou ki te karakia.
We begin with a karakia.
n • intermediate
waiata
waiata / song
why-ah-tah
Ka waiata ngā wāhine.
The women will sing.
n • intermediate
haka
haka
hah-kah
Ka haka ngā tāne.
The men will perform the haka.
n • intermediate
kapa haka
kapa haka
kah-pah hah-kah
Kei te whakangungu te kapa haka.
The kapa haka group is practising.
n • intermediate
tikanga
tikanga / correct procedure / custom
tee-kah-ngah
Me whai i te tikanga.
We must follow the correct procedure.
n • intermediate
kawa
kawa / protocol
kah-wah
He rerekē te kawa o tēnei marae.
The protocol of this marae is different.
n • beginner
puoro
music
poo-oh-roh
He pai ki a au te puoro.
I like music.
n • beginner
waiata
song
why-ah-tah
He ātaahua tēnei waiata.
This song is beautiful.
n • beginner
pikitia / whakaahua
picture / photo
pee-kee-tee-ah / fah-kah-ah-hoo-ah
He ātaahua tēnei pikitia.
This picture is beautiful.
n • beginner
pāti / hākari
party / celebration
paa-tee / haa-kah-ree
Kei te haere mātou ki te pāti.
We are going to the party.