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Idioms

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Historical loan words

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Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

koe

1. (verb) to squeak, scream, squawk, cry (of birds and animals).

See also koekoe

koe

1. (pronoun) you (one person) - like all pronouns and personals, takes a when following ki, i, kei and hei but does not take a when used as the subject of the sentence. Never occurs after he, te and ngā and is not used after the prepositions a, o, mā, mō, nā, nō or with and .

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 13;)

Ko koe tēnā? / Is that you?

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e koe (e koe)!

1. take that! that'll teach you! good job! serves you right! - an idiom used when the speaker is unsympathetic to the plight of someone because he/she brought the problem on himself/herself.

(Te Kōhure Textbook (Ed. 2): 163;)

Kua ānini taku māhunga. E koe, e koe. Nā tō kaha ki te inu pia i tērā pō. / I have a headache. That'll teach you. It's because you drank too much beer last night.

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tēnā koe

1. hello! (speaking to one person), thank you.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 1;)

engari koe!

1. (interjection) get you!  gee!  you're the one!.

(Te Kōhure Textbook (Ed. 2): 77;)

e oi [koe] i a [koe] anō

1. you’re left to your own devices, make yourself at home - an expression to let someone know they can do it themselves.

Kua haere au ki te mahi. He kai kei ngā kāpata, e oi koe i a koe anō. / I’m heading off to work now. There’s food in the cupboard, help yourself.

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me … ai (koe)

1. (you) could have….

Me mate ai koutou. / You lot could have died.

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kino kē koe

1. gee you're the one, you're good alright, you're too much, awesome - an idiom in which koe may be replaced for other appropriate personal pronouns, etc.

(Te Kōhure Textbook (Ed. 2): 77;)

Kino kē te mahi a te autaia rā. / What that bloke's done is awesome.

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See also te kino kē hoki

tahi rā koe

1. what a cheek, what a nerve - an idiom to express an opinion that someone is being presumptuous or cheeky.

Rangi: E hoa, tīkina he inu māku. Pare: Ko wai koe? Tahi rā koe! (HKK 1999:84). / Rangi: My friend, fetch me a drink. Pare: Who do you think you are? You've got a nerve!

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a koe rānei

1. get you, who are you to talk, you're one to talk, you can talk, talk about the pot calling the kettle black - an idiom used to respond to belittling or derogatory comments, the response suggesting that the accuser is actually worse than the person being criticised.

Pare: Kāore ō take ki te waiata. Rangi: A koe rānei! Nāu kē i hē ai te katoa (HKK 1999:80). / Pare: You're useless at singing. Rangi: Talk about calling the kettle black! It was you who put everybody wrong.
Pare: Kāore kē kōrua e haere ki tāwāhi? Rangi: Kāo, he mataku nō taku hoa ki te haere tawhiti i te kāinga. Pare: A koe rānei! Ko koe kē te kōkōmuka tū tara-ā-whare! (HKK 1999:80). / Pare: Won't you two go overseas? Rangi: No, because my mate is scared to go far from home. Pare: You can talk! You are the stay-at-home!

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ka mutu koe

1. you're the one, you're marvellous, you're neat all right, you're awesome, you're too much - an idiom to praise someone or their work.

Tio: Kotahi rau paiheneti taku māka mō taku whakamātautau pāngarau, e Mā. Whaea: Ka mutu koe! / Joe: My mark for my maths exam was a hundred percent, Mum. Mother: You're neat all right!

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whakangaro atu koe

1. get lost - an idiomatic expression.

Tio: Homai te īPapa. Tana tuakana: Whakangaro atu koe! / Joe: Give me the iPad. His elder brother: Get lost!

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E pēwhea ana koe?

1. How are you? - only used when speaking to one person. For two people use kōrua instead of koe, and for three or more people use koutou instead of koe.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 1-2;)

Kei te pēhea koe?

1. How are you? - only used when speaking to one person. For two people use kōrua instead of koe, and for three or more people use koutou instead of koe.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 1-2;)

e mea ana [koe]

1. you bet! - this colloquialism indicates that the questioner knows the response to the statement or question already. Koe may be replaced by kōrua, koutou or ia.

Kei te haere koe ki te whutupōro, nē rā? E mea ana koe! / You're going to the rugby, aren't you? You bet!

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2. are [you] suggesting? is [she] suggesting? you reckon that, of course it goes without saying - a colloquialism.

E mea ana ia nōu te hē? / Is she suggesting that it's your fault?

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3. who do you think!, what do you think! - to indicate that the questioner should know the answer to the question.

Kua kuhu mai te tamaiti i te whare, he kiore kei tana ringa, kua mate, kua kino katoa te āhua. Ka pātai ki tana pāpā: Me aha e au te mea nei? Pāpā: Hā! E mea ana koe! Haria ki waho! Kaua e meahia mai ki roto nei (HJ 2012:40). / The child has entered the house and has a dead, horrible looking rat in his hand. He asks his father: What should I do with this thing? Father: Huh! What do you think! Take it outside! Don't bring it in here.

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engari koe he kai

1. its food so eat it, get it down you - an idiom used for a child who won't eat what's put in front of her/him, turning her nose up up because she doesn't like the food.

Rangi: He aha koe e auē nā? Pare: He kore nōku e pai ki te kāroti me te kamokamo. Rangi: Engari koe he kai. Kia tere kē tō kai i ngā kai nā kia pau rā anō! (HKK 1999:158). / Rangi: Why are you bawling? Pare: Because I don't like the carrots and kamokamo. Rangi: Get it down you. Hurry up and eat it all up!

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taihoa [koe] ka kite

1. you'll soon see, you're bound to see, it won't be long before you'll see.

Taihoa koe ka kite i te hē o tāu mahi. / Soon you'll see the error in what you've done.

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koia kei a [koe]

1. good on you, get you, you're the bomb, you're awesome, it's good that ..., no flies on you, good for you - an idiom supporting and praising someone's efforts but can also be used to criticise what someone has said or done, implying that it will come back to bite them.

(Te Kōhure Textbook (Ed. 2): 77;)

Koia kei a Hare e patipati nei kia whakapikihia tana utu. / Harry is pretty smart trying to get a pay rise.

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2. what a cheek - an idiom to criticise what someone has said or done indicating that at some time in the future it will come back to bite her.

Koia kei a Iriata e inoi nei kia whakapikihia tana utu ā-hāora mai i te tekau tāra ki te rua tekau tāra (HKK 1999:85). / What a cheek Iriata has in asking for her hourly rate to be raised from ten dollars to twenty dollars.

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ko [koe] anō [tēnei]

1. once again [you]'ve come up trumps, [you]'ve done it again - this idiom acknowledges someone's good qualities, but can also be used to criticise someone's bad traits.

Ko kōrua anō ēnei e waha nei i a tātou. / Here you two are again doing everything on our behalf.

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kia ahatia ai [koe]

1. what business is it of yours, what's it got to do with you, why should it be my concern, so what, what do you want me to do about it - an idiom to indicate that the speaker has no interest in the matter being raised.

Rangi: Kei te mōhio au ki ngā whakautu tika ki te rārangi pātai nei. Pare: Kia ahatia ai koe? (HKK 1999:90). / Rangi: I know the right answers to this list of questions. Pare: So what do you want me to do about it?

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