Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

mahurangi

1. (noun) of importance - used to show importance of people, food, etc.

Huri kē atu ngā tau mihi mate ki mahurangi, ngā waiata apakura ki ngā whenua tītōhea (H 1992:41). / Consider the recitations for important people and the laments for barren lands.

Show example

Hide example


2. (noun) flesh of the kūmara.

Mahurangi

1. (location) Warkworth - a town north of Auckland.

(kei) Mahurangi

1. way off track, way off beam, away with the fairies, lost the plot - an idiom to suggest that someone's thoughts have gone a long way from the issue or that they don't understand the real meaning of what they're saying.

E hoa, kei Mahurangi kē ō whakaaro e haere ana. Hoki mai ki te whenua, kia ū ki te kaupapa (HKK 1999:163). / Hey mate, you've gone way off track. Come back to earth and stick to the topic.

Show example

Hide example

āpōpō ka tīkaro ō whatu ki Mahurangi

1. eat up for there may be no food tomorrow - an idiom said to a child who hasn't eaten her/his food. It suggests that there may be no food tomorrow in the hope that the child realises he/she must eat.

Pare: Ka rua rā pea tāua e haere ana, kātahi anō ka tae. Anei tā tāua parāoa hei ō haere mā tāua. Rangi: Hei aha māku tō parāoa maroke nā. Whāngaihia atu ki tō hōiho. Pare: E kī! Āpōpō ka tīkoro ō whatu ki Mahurangi (HKK 1999:158). / Pare: We will be travelling for about two days before we arrive. Here is our bread as our food for the journey. Rangi: Your dry bread is not for me. Feed it to your horse. Pare: You don't say! You'd better eat up for there may be no food tomorrow.

Show example

Hide example

New favourites & quiz!

The Te Aka Māori Dictionary mobile app now has the ability to sort your favourite words into folders. Plus, these folders can be turned into a quiz for a fun way to learn words and definitions. Download or update the app today!

iOS Android

The App

Te Aka Māori Dictionary is also available as an iOS and Android app. Download below.

iOS Android

The Book

Te Aka Māori-English, English-Māori Dictionary and Index by John C Moorfield comprises a selection of modern and everyday language that will be extremely useful for learners of the Māori language.

More info

He Pātaka Kupu

Te kai a te rangatira

He Pātaka Kupu is a monolingual Māori language dictionary, and was designed using its own culturally authentic terms.

Visit website

00:00