Maori Vocab List

hoa/mara/hika

friend

kare

intimate friend

hine

girl, or young woman

tā(ne)

male

kō(tiro)

girl

kui(a)

elderly woman

koro(ua)

elderly man

matua

mister

whaea

Miss/Ms

pūkenga

a highly skilled lecturer

kaiako

teacher

Ahorangi

professor

rangatira

boss

Nō hea koe?

Where are you from?

Nō (place) ahau

I am from (place)

Ko wai tō ingoa?

What is your name?

Ko (name) taku ingoa

My name is (name)

Kei te pēhea koe?

How are you doing?

Kei te (adjective) kaimahi

Kaimahi is (adjective)

ora

well

māuiui

unwell

pai

good

hōhā

frustrated

ngenge

tired

hiakai

hungry

hiamoe

desire to sleep

aroha

love

harikoa

happy

Kei hea tō kāinga?

Where is your home?

Kei (place name) taku kāinga

My home is (place name)

Kore

zero

Tahi

one

Rua

two

Toru

three

Whā

four

Rima

five

Ono

six

Whitu

seven

Waru

eight

Iwa

nine

Tekau

ten

mine: tōku (formal superior); tāku (formal inferior); taku (neutral)

yours: tō (for all)

his/hers: tōna (formal superior); tāna (formal inferior); tana (neutral)

Possessive Pronouns Singular

mine: ōku (formal superior); āku (formal inferior); aku (neutral)

yours: ō (for all)

his/hers: ōna (formal superior); āna (formal inferior); ana (neutral)

Possessive Pronouns Plural

*anything/anyone that makes decisions on your behalf (has mana over you)

• dwelling

• any mode of transport

• government

• teachers

• iwi

• anything that is apart of something

• anyone on the same line or higher of your family tree

‘o’ category possessions

*anything/anyone you have mana over

**add a macron to a to signify importance to that which you have mana over

• tamariki

• pets

• any moveable object

• anything used as a tool

• anyone in your whanau below you in your family tree

‘a’ category possessions

whaea

motherly figure; mrs, ms

toa

winner, warrior, chief

tipuna

grandmother/grandfather/ancestor

tīpuna

grandparents/ancestors

mātua

parents

matua

male figure, patriarch, uncle, mr, fatherly figure

whanaunga

relative

pāpā

father

wahine

female, female partner

wāhine

women

tungāne

brother of female (younger or older)

tuākana

older siblings of same gender

tuakana

older sibling of same gender (singlular)

tāne

male parter, male

māmā

mother

hunaonga

son/daughter in law

tama

child

tamariki

children

teina

younger sibling of same gender

tēina

younger siblings of the same gender

tamāhine

daughter

mokopuna

grandchild

tuahine

sister of male

tuāhine

sisters of a male

kuia

elderly woman, female elder, grandmother

koroua

elderly man, elderly, grandpa

te

definite article (the) for singular

ngā

definite article (the) for plural

ahau

I / me

koe

you

ia

he/she

tāua

you + I

kōrua

koe + koe (you guys)

māua

ahau + ia

rāua

ia + ia

tātou

ahau + koe + koe…

koutou

koe + koe + koe…

mātou

ahau + ia + ia…

rātou

ia + ia + ia…

nei

here (by the speaker)

nā

there (by you, the listener)

rā

over there (away, out of reach)

tēnei

this here (away, out of reach)

ēnei

these here (by me)

tēnā

that there (by you)

ēnā

those there (by you)

tērā

that over there

ērā

those over there

pango

black

whero

red

kahurangi

blue

kikorangi

another way to say blue

kākāriki

green

nui

big/important

pai

good