adj • beginner
pai
good
pie
He pai tēnei pukapuka.
This book is good.
✦ TE REO MĀORI ✦
🌟 Qualities
78 words and phrases for focused te reo Māori practice.
Qualities vocabulary
Pick a word card below to practise the Māori word, meaning, pronunciation and example sentence.
Vocabulary
qualitiesdescribingadjectives
adj • beginner
kino
bad
kee-noh
He kino te huarere.
The weather is bad.
adj • beginner
nui
big
noo-ee
He nui te whare.
The house is big.
adj • beginner
iti
small
ee-tee
He iti te kurī.
The dog is small.
adj • beginner
roa
long
roh-ah
He roa te rori.
The road is long.
adj • beginner
poto
short
poh-toh
He poto te pene.
The pen is short.
adj • beginner
tere
fast
teh-reh
He tere te waka.
The vehicle is fast.
adj • beginner
pōturi
slow
poh-too-ree
He pōturi te honu.
The turtle is slow.
adj • beginner
kaha
strong
kah-hah
He kaha taua tāne.
That man is strong.
adj • beginner
ātaahua
beautiful
aa-tah-ah-hoo-ah
He ātaahua te whenua.
The land is beautiful.
adj • beginner
hou
new
hoh
He motokā hou tēnei.
This is a new car.
adj • beginner
tawhito
old
tah-fee-toh
He whare tawhito tēnā.
That is an old house.
adj • beginner
mā
clean
maa
He mā te tēpu.
The table is clean.
adj • beginner
paru
dirty
pah-roo
He paru ngā ringa.
The hands are dirty.
adj • beginner
taimaha
heavy
tie-mah-hah
He taimaha te pēke.
The bag is heavy.
adj • beginner
māmā
light in weight
maa-maa
He māmā te pouaka.
The box is light.
adj • beginner
mārō
hard
maa-roh
He mārō te kōhatu.
The rock is hard.
adj • beginner
ngohengohe
soft
ngo-he-ngo-he
He ngohengohe te paraikete.
The blanket is soft.
adj • beginner
puku
quiet
poo-koo
He tamaiti puku ia.
She is a quiet child.
adj • beginner
haruru
loud / noisy
hah-roo-roo
He haruru te rūma.
The room is noisy.
adj • beginner
kī
full
kee
Kua kī te kapu.
The cup is full.
adj • beginner
tīareare
empty
tee-ah-reh-ah-reh
Kei te tīareare te pouaka.
The box is empty.
adj • beginner
uaua
difficult
oo-ah-oo-ah
He uaua tēnei mahi.
This task is difficult.
adj • beginner
tika
correct
tee-kah
He tika tāu whakautu.
Your answer is correct.
adj • beginner
hē
wrong
hay
He hē tāu whakautu.
Your answer is wrong.
adj • beginner
reka
delicious
reh-kah
He reka te kai.
The food is delicious.
adj • beginner
kawa
bitter
kah-wah
He kawa te rongoā.
The medicine is bitter.
adj • beginner
māeneene
smooth
maa-eh-neh-eh-neh
He māeneene te kiri.
The skin is smooth.
adj • beginner
taratara
rough
tah-rah-tah-rah
He taratara te kiri o te rākau.
The bark of the tree is rough.
adj • beginner
reka
sweet
reh-kah
He reka te huka.
The sugar is sweet.
adj • beginner
kawa
sour / bitter
kah-wah
He kawa te rongoā.
The medicine is bitter.
adj • beginner
tote
salty
toh-teh
He tote te kai.
The food is salty.
adj • beginner
wera
spicy / hot (taste)
weh-rah
He wera tēnei kai.
This food is spicy.
adj • beginner
hou
fresh
hoh
He hou ngā hua.
The fruit is fresh.
n • beginner
tae
colour
tie
He aha te tae o tō hāte?
What colour is your shirt?
adj • beginner
whero
red
feh-roh
He whero te āporo.
The apple is red.
adj • beginner
kikorangi
blue
kee-koh-rah-nghee
He kikorangi te rangi.
The sky is blue.
adj • beginner
kākāriki
green
kaa-kaa-ree-kee
He kākāriki ngā rau.
The leaves are green.
adj • beginner
kōwhai
yellow
koh-fye
He kōwhai te panana.
The banana is yellow.
adj • beginner
pango
black
pah-ngoh
He pango te ngeru.
The cat is black.
adj • beginner
mā
white
maa
He mā te hipi.
The sheep is white.
adj • beginner
parauri
brown
pah-row-ree
He parauri ōna karu.
Their eyes are brown.
adj • beginner
karaka
orange (colour)
kah-rah-kah
He karaka te ārani.
The orange is orange.
adj • beginner
waiporoporo
purple
why-poh-roh-poh-roh
He waiporoporo te putiputi.
The flower is purple.
adj • beginner
māwhero
pink
maa-feh-roh
He māwhero te hāte.
The shirt is pink.
adj • beginner
kiwikiwi
grey
kee-wee-kee-wee
He kiwikiwi te rangi.
The sky is grey.
adj • beginner
iti te utu
cheap
ee-tee teh oo-too
He iti te utu o tēnei.
This is cheap.
adj • beginner
nui te utu
expensive
noo-ee teh oo-too
He nui te utu o tērā.
That is expensive.
adj • beginner
kore utu
free (no cost)
koh-reh oo-too
He kore utu tēnei.
This is free.
adj • beginner
mōhio / mātau
clever / smart
moh-hee-oh / maa-tow
He tamaiti mōhio ia.
He is a clever child.
adj • beginner
pukumahi
hardworking
poo-koo-mah-hee
He ākonga pukumahi ia.
She is a hardworking student.
adj • beginner
māngere
lazy
maa-ngeh-reh
Kaua e māngere.
Don't be lazy.
adj • beginner
atawhai
kind
ah-tah-fye
He wahine atawhai ia.
She is a kind woman.
adj • beginner
hoahoa
friendly
hoh-ah-hoh-ah
He tangata hoahoa ia.
He is a friendly person.
adj • beginner
whakaute
polite
fah-kah-oo-teh
He tamaiti whakaute ia.
He is a polite child.
adj • beginner
paru
dirty (clothes)
pah-roo
He paru ngā kākahu.
The clothes are dirty.
adj • beginner
mā
clean (clothes)
maa
He mā ngā kākahu.
The clothes are clean.
adj • beginner
mākū
wet
maa-koo
He mākū ngā kākahu.
The clothes are wet.
adj • beginner
maroke
dry
mah-roh-keh
He maroke ngā kākahu.
The clothes are dry.
adj • beginner
pōrohe
messy
poh-roh-heh
He pōrohe te rūma.
The room is messy.
adj • beginner
pai
tidy
pie
He pai te rūma.
The room is tidy.
adj • beginner
mā
clean (environment)
maa
He mā te moana.
The ocean is clean.
adj • beginner
paru
dirty (environment)
pah-roo
He paru te awa.
The river is dirty.
adj • beginner
whakarongo
obedient
fah-kah-roh-ngoh
He kurī whakarongo tēnei.
This is an obedient dog.
adj • beginner
ora
healthy (animal)
oh-rah
He kurī ora tēnei.
This is a healthy dog.
adj • beginner
māuiui
sick (animal)
maa-oo-ee-oo-ee
He kurī māuiui tēnei.
This dog is sick.
adj • beginner
hoahoa
friendly (animal)
hoh-ah-hoh-ah
He kurī hoahoa tēnei.
This is a friendly dog.
adj • beginner
whakamā
shy (animal)
fah-kah-maa
He ngeru whakamā tēnei.
This is a shy cat.
adj • beginner
riri
aggressive
ree-ree
He kurī riri tēnei.
This is an aggressive dog.
adj • beginner
mōhio
clever (animal)
moh-hee-oh
He kurī mōhio tēnei.
This is a clever dog.
adj • beginner
harikoa
excited
hah-ree-koh-ah
Kei te harikoa te kurī.
The dog is excited.
adj • beginner
mārie
calm
maa-ree-eh
He kurī mārie tēnei.
This is a calm dog.
adj • beginner
mohoao
wild
moh-hoh-ow
He manu mohoao tēnei.
This is a wild bird.
adj • beginner
rata
tame
rah-tah
He kurī rata tēnei.
This is a tame dog.
adj • beginner
atawhai ki ngā kararehe
kind to animals
ah-tah-fye kee ngaa kah-rah-reh-heh
He tangata atawhai ki ngā kararehe ia.
He is kind to animals.
adj • beginner
ngākau kino
cruel
ngaa-kow kee-noh
Kaua e ngākau kino.
Don't be cruel.
adj • beginner
tata
near
tah-tah
He tata te toa.
The shop is near.
adj • beginner
tawhiti
far
tah-fee-tee
He tawhiti te tāone.
The town is far.