hanga aroha (ana)
1. it's heartbreaking, it's sad, it's tragic, it's heart-rending, it's pitiful - an idiom to express one's pity. It can also be used in a sarcastic manner.
He hanga aroha te reo o ēnei kaumātua rongonui (TTT 1/10/1924:120). / The voices of these well-known elders was heart-rending.
Hanga aroha ana i te mea e tamariki tonu ana rāua ka riro nei. / It was quite sad becausethe two who had died were still young.
Hanga aroha ana rā tērā. / That's sad.
kei konā (katoa)!
1. that's the one! right on! she's/he's got it! it's his/her strong point! it's her/his forte! - an idiom used to praise someone's ability.
Kātahi te tangata tau ki te haka ko Nātana. Kei te tika tāu, e hoa. Kei konā katoa! / What an expert Nathan is at haka. Indeed, my friend. It's his forte!
Synonyms: kei reira (katoa)!
nā whai anō ...
1. so that's the reason, so that's why, it's no wonder, it's not surprising, that'll be why, well that explains it - an idiom used when someone has had something explained to them and they finally realise the reason. Similar to 'the penny's dropped'. Also as inā whai anō.
He whaiāipo tā Ngāhuia. Nā whai anō ia i kore ai e haramai i taku taha ki te pikitia. / Ngāhuia has a boyfriend. So that's the reason she won't come to the movies with me.
Ko te āhua nei e rangirua tonu ana ngā whakaaro o te kāhui ariki tae noa ki te pōtitanga o 1931, ā, nā whai anō rā i tarea tonutia ai e Piupiu a Eketone te tautoko (TTR 1996:254). / It would seem that the King's family were quite ambivalent extending into the 1931 election, and it's no wonder Piupiu was able to support Eketone.
Tau: I tae atu a Tama Purotu ki te pō kanikani. Ira: Inā whai anō i hiahia ai a Hinerera ki te haere (HJ 2012:48). / Tau: Tama Purotu arrived at the dance. Ira: So that's why Hinerera wanted to go.
kei reira (katoa)!
1. that's the one! right on! she's/he's got it! it's his/her strong point! it's his forte! fabulous!, awesome - an idiom used to praise someone's ability.
(Te Kōhure Textbook (Ed. 2): 196;)
Kua kite koe i a Tarati e pūkana ana? Āna, e hoa. Kei reira! / Have you seen Dorothy doing the pūkana? Yes, indeed, my friend. It's her forte!
Synonyms: kei konā (katoa)!
(ko) tēnā/tērā [whakaaro] tēnā/tērā
1. you're so mistaken, that's totally incorrect, that's a load of rubbish, you're so wrong, that's not right, that's an opinion I disagree with - an idiom suggesting that in the opinion of the speaker the statement is incorrect. Pōhēhē can be replaced by other similar words, e.g. whakaaro, rūkahu, wawata, kimikimi.
Kua rongo au i ētahi e mea ana, kāore he kupu kangakanga ake a te Māori. Ko tērā whakaaro tērā. Heoi anō, ko au e kī ana mēnā karekau he kupu pērā i ngā rā o mua, he aha i noho mai ai te kupu ‘kangakanga’, me te kupu ‘kohukohu’ ki te reo Māori? (HKK 1999:65). / I have heard some say that Māori has no swear words. Well that's them. However, I am saying that if there were no such words in former times, why do we have the words 'kangakanga' and 'kohukohu' in the Māori language?
Pare: E kī ana te Pākehā kāore i āta whakaritea te hekenga nui o ngā waka ki Aotearoa. Rangi: Tēnā pōhēhē tēnā! (HKK 1999:65). / Pare: The Pākehā say that the great migration of the canoes to Aotearoa/New Zealand was not deliberately organised. Rangi: That's totally incorrect!
ehara i te hanga
1. it's not something insignificant, it's no ordinary thing, it's pretty amazing - used as an expression to comment on something that is impressive.
Ehara i te hanga! Harawiniwini ana taku kiri i te mātao. / It's pretty unusual! I'm shivering from the cold.
Haere te pū repo, haere te pū Māori nei anō, ehara i te hanga ake! Ngateri ana te whenua i te tangi o te pū! (TWM 28/5/1864:3). / The cannons went off and so did the Māori guns, it was amazing! The ground shook from the noise of the guns!
kāore he tahuringa ake
1. there's nowhere to turn, there's not much that can be done, there's no escape.
I te mea ko te mata tonu o Papatūānuku tana kāinga, he māmā noa iho ki te kurī te whaiwhai haere i tōna kakara, waihoki, kāore he tahuringa ake mō te kākāpō (HM 4/1998:4). / Because the ground is its home, it's quite easy for a dog to follow its scent, and in addition there's nowhere for he kākāpō to escape to.
kāore he tikanga
1. there's no need, it's not necessary, there's no point.
Ka mea mai ngā tuākana, “E tama! Kātahi anō te mahi pōrearea ki tō mahi, kāore koe e haere mārire, kāore he tikanga i a mātou o tāu haere.” (JPS 1929:20). / His elder brothers remarked, “Heavens! What a lot of fuss about your project, you shouldn't go and there's no point in us going on your journey.”
kua riro māna
1. it's up to him, it's up to her, the ball's in her court, the responsibility is hers - an idiom.
Kua riro māna anō āna hipi e katikati, kua kore i haria ki te teihana i Ōpoho (TTT 1/2/1928:733). / It is up to him to shear his sheep, no longer can they be taken to the station at Ōpoho.
hei a [koe] (rā) hoki
1. what's with you,what's wrong with you,what's the matter with you, you've got a nerve - an idiom used to express the opinion that an idea or something someone has done is a little strange or surprising. May be used to show disapproval.
Hei a koe hoki e kangakanga nā i ō tamariki (HKK 1999:81). / What's wrong with you swearing at your children.
Hei a koe hoki! Hei tō noho mai anō nei kāore he rangatira i tua atu i a koe! / Get you sitting there like there's nobody more important than you!
ki a [koe] (rā) hoki
1. what's with you, what's wrong with you, what's the matter with you - an idiom used to express the opinion that an idea or something someone has done is a little strange or surprising. May be used to show disapproval.
Moana: Kua kore au e āwhina i a ia. Mere: Ki a koe hoki! Ko ia tō hoa. / Moana: I won't help her. Mere: What's the matter with you! She's your friend.
Uru: Kāore māua e pai ki te toa rā - he Īnia hoki ngā rangatira. Pare: Ki a kōrua hoki! He aha te mate o te Īnia? (HJ 2012:31). / Uru: We don't like that shop - the owners are Indians. Pare: What's the matter with you two! What's the problem with Indians?
me ... (rā) ka tika
1. it's only right that, it's to be expected, so it should be, it's appropriate - an idiom used to express an opinion that something is appropriate or expected.
Kua nenewha ngā karu o te koroua rā. Me nenewha rā ka tika. He maroke nō ngā kōrero. / The elderly man over there is dozing. It's to be expected because the talk is so boring.
2. (stative) be allowed, permitted.
Ka āhei i a ia te mahi rā - engari e kore e pahure i a au! (PK 2008:3) / She is allowed to do that - but I'm not permitted to!
3. (noun) ability, opportunity, access.
Hei tāna, mā tēnei e ōrite ai te āhei atu o te Māori ki ngā mahi kei ngā tari kāwanatanga (TTR 1994:36). / He argued that the Māori should be given equal opportunity of employment in government departments.
Synonyms: āheitanga, tomonga, whakatapoko, āheinga, kaha, angitu, kōwhiringa
tū ngā pihi
1. become angry, raise the heckles, get one's dander up, lose one's cool - an idiom.
I te wā i puta ai ngā kōrero mō te whakamātautau, ka tū ko ngā ihu o ētahi, ka tū ko ngā pihi o ētahi atu, ā , tata tonu ētahi ka pōkai anō i ō rātou tueke, ka takahi i te huarahi (HM 4/1996:3). / At the time that the discussions about the test were raised, some put their noses in the air, others became angry and some were on the verge of packing their bags and heading for the road.
mātangata
1. (noun) winkle, common cat's eye, cat's eye turban shell, Turbo smaragdus - a univalve mollusc common on rocks between tides, the shell is dark, heavy and smooth, and has an eye-like operculum. Lives on the tiny young seaweeds on the rocks. A favourite traditional food of Māori.
See also pūpū
matatangata
1. (noun) winkle, common cat's eye, cat's eye turban shell, Turbo smaragdus - a univalve mollusc common on rocks between tides, the shell is dark, heavy and smooth, and has an eye-like operculum. Lives on the tiny young seaweeds on the rocks. A favourite traditional food of Māori.
See also pūpū
kōramu
1. (noun) winkle, common cat's eye, cat's eye turban shell, Turbo smaragdus - a univalve mollusc common on rocks between tides, the shell is dark, heavy and smooth, and has an eye-like operculum. Lives on the tiny young seaweeds on the rocks. A favourite traditional food of Māori.
See also pūpū
