n • intermediate
rā
sun
rah
Kei te whiti te rā.
The sun is shining.
✦ TE REO MĀORI ✦
🌿 Nature
34 words and phrases for focused te reo Māori practice.
Nature vocabulary
Pick a word card below to practise the Māori word, meaning, pronunciation and example sentence.
Vocabulary
natureenvironmentlandtaiao
n • intermediate
marama
moon
mah-rah-mah
He mā te marama i te pō.
The moon is bright at night.
n • intermediate
whetū
star
feh-too
He tini ngā whetū.
There are many stars.
n • intermediate
rangi
sky
rah-nghee
He kikorangi te rangi.
The sky is blue.
n • intermediate
whenua
earth / land
feh-noo-ah
He taonga te whenua.
The land is a treasure.
n • intermediate
wai
water
why
He mātao te wai.
The water is cold.
n • intermediate
awa
river
ah-wah
Kei te rere te awa.
The river is flowing.
n • intermediate
roto
lake
roh-toh
He hōhonu te roto.
The lake is deep.
n • intermediate
moana
sea
moh-ah-nah
He nui te moana.
The sea is vast.
n • intermediate
maunga
mountain
mow-ngah
Ko Taranaki te maunga.
Taranaki is the mountain.
n • intermediate
puke
hill
poo-keh
Kei runga te whare i te puke.
The house is on the hill.
n • intermediate
ngahere
forest
ngah-heh-reh
He ngahere nui kei reira.
There is a large forest there.
n • intermediate
rākau
tree
raa-kow
He rākau teitei tēnā.
That is a tall tree.
n • intermediate
putiputi
flower
poo-tee-poo-tee
He ātaahua ngā putiputi.
The flowers are beautiful.
num • intermediate
rau
leaf
row
Kei te hinga ngā rau.
The leaves are falling.
n • intermediate
kōhatu
stone / rock
koh-hah-too
He nui taua kōhatu.
That rock is big.
n • intermediate
onepū
sand
oh-neh-poo
He māhana te onepū.
The sand is warm.
n • intermediate
ahi
fire
ah-hee
Kei te mura te ahi.
The fire is burning.
n • intermediate
motu
island
moh-too
He motu iti kei te moana.
There is a small island in the sea.
n • intermediate
raorao
valley
rao-rao
Kei raro te kāinga i te raorao.
The settlement is below in the valley.
n • intermediate
pari
cliff
pah-ree
He tiketike te pari.
The cliff is high.
n • intermediate
puna
spring / source of water
poo-nah
He wai māori nō te puna.
Fresh water comes from the spring.
n • intermediate
ngaru
wave
ngah-roo
He nui ngā ngaru i te moana.
The waves are big in the sea.
n • intermediate
āniwaniwa
rainbow
aa-nee-wah-nee-wah
Kei te rangi te āniwaniwa.
The rainbow is in the sky.
n • intermediate
harakeke
flax
hah-rah-keh-keh
Kei te tipu te harakeke.
The flax is growing.
n • intermediate
rarauhe
fern
rah-rah-oo-heh
He maha ngā rarauhe i te ngahere.
There are many ferns in the forest.
n • intermediate
tī kōuka
cabbage tree
tee koh-oo-kah
Kei te tū te tī kōuka i te pārae.
The cabbage tree stands in the open field.
n • intermediate
kauri
kauri tree
kow-ree
He rākau nui te kauri.
The kauri is a great tree.
n • intermediate
pōhutukawa
pōhutukawa
poh-hoo-too-kah-wah
Ka whero te pōhutukawa i te raumati.
The pōhutukawa turns red in summer.
n • intermediate
pūkohu
moss
poo-koh-hoo
Kei runga pūkohu i te kōhatu.
There is moss on the rock.
n • intermediate
koru
fern frond
koh-roo
He ātaahua te koru hou.
The new fern frond is beautiful.
n • intermediate
kākano
seed
kaa-kah-noh
Kei te whakatō kākano mātou.
We are planting seeds.
n • intermediate
aka
vine
ah-kah
Kei te piki te aka i te rākau.
The vine climbs the tree.
n • intermediate
wana
seedling / young shoot
wah-nah
Kei te tipu te wana.
The young shoot is growing.