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Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

kōrero

1. (verb) (-hia,-ngia,-tia) to tell, say, speak, read, talk, address.

Ko tētahi o ngā take nui o te Pāremata ināia tata nei, ko te tautohetohe o ngā mema mō te Paipera kia whakaaetia kia kōrerotia i roto i ngā kura Kāwanatanga o te motu (TTT 1/10/1927:695). / One of the important topics of Parliament recently was the members' debate concerning the Bible that it be allowed to be read in the public schools of the country.

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2. (noun) speech, narrative, story, news, account, discussion, conversation, discourse, statement, information.

Ko tētahi kōrero i rongo anō mātou i te hui, ko te kōrero mō tētahi tikanga o nehe (HM 2/2009:10). / An account we heard at the conference was about a custom from ancient times.
Tā te rangatira tāna kai he kōrero, tā te ware he muhukai (NP 2001:362). / The chief's sustenance is discussion, but that of the commoner is inattention.

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Synonyms: pakiwaitara, whakamārama, pūtea moni, pire, kaute, rongo, kawepūrongo, rongorongo, pitopito kōrero

kōrero pono

1. (verb) (-hia,-ngia,-tia) to tell the truth, be honest, be truthful, speak the truth.

E kōrero pono ana au ki te aroaro o Te Atua (HP 1991:188). / I am telling the truth before God.

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2. (noun) true story, non-fiction writing, factual text.

Ko tēnei kōrero he kōrero pono kāore e taea te whakahē (HTK 5/8/1893:9). / This account is a true story that can't be contradicted.

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Synonyms: pono

taumata kōrero

1. (noun) distinguished orators, speakers' bench.


2. (noun) standards of speech.

Tae noa hoki tōna pai ki te purei i te piana i ngā hui whānau me tana kaha ki te pupuri i te taumata kōrero i te reo Māori me te reo Pākehā (TTR 2000:65). / Her attributes included playing the piano at family gatherings and maintaining standards of speech in both Māori and English.

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waea kōrero

1. (loan) (noun) telephone wire, cable.

E 60,000 māero waea kōrero kei te moana (TP 12/1901:9). / There are 60,000 miles of telephone cable in the sea.

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Synonyms: taura, waea

kōrero tene

1. (noun) impromptu speech, unrehearsed speech, spontaneous speech.

Ko tētahi o ngā koronga i auau tonu te puta ake, kia whakaritea he wāhanga mō te taukumekume, kōrero tene rānei hei kīnaki i ngā mahi tuhi (HM 4/1994:6). / One of the desires that quite frequently emerges is that a section should be organised for debates or impromptu speeches to complement the writing activities.

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tumu kōrero

1. (noun) historian.

E tamariki tonu ana a Makitānara ka tīmata te puta haere o tōna rongo hei tumu kōrero mō Rangitāne, ā, riro ana nāna i āwhina a Te Peehi rāua ko W. J. Elvy ki te kohi haere i ngā kōrero tuku iho o te wā kāinga (TTR 1998:99). / When Makitānara was still young he began to became known as a Rangitāne historian, assisting Elsdon Best and W. J. Elvy to gather local history.

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ipu kōrero

1. (noun) rattle-type objects - poi or other objects made from dried flax leaves that have curled into straw-like tubes with handles woven from muka (flax fibre).

tuku kōrero

1. (verb) to make a submission, submit, give evidence.

I tuku kōrero whakamārama a Te Hāpuku mō ētahi o ngā take (TTR 1990:181). / Te Hāpuku gave evidence for a few cases.

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kōrero tohutohu

1. (verb) to give instruction, advise.

Ka kōrero tohutohu au i ngā hōia nei, kia tūpato i ngā wā katoa (HP 1991:147). / I advised these soldiers to be cautious at all times.

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2. (noun) instruction, advice.

Māku hei whakamutu aku kōrero tohutohu i muri o te kai (TTT 1/11/1926:498). / I will finish my instructions after the meal.

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kōrero teka

1. (verb) to tell lies, perjure.

Ki te makere mai ēnei kupu i te waha o te tangata, e whakaatu ana i te whakaaro o taua tangata kei te kōrero teka, kei te rūkahu tētahi atu (HKK 1999:64). / If these words are uttered by someone, it reveals that person's opinion that someone else is telling lies.

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2. (noun) perjury, falsehood, untruth, lie, fabrication.

He tangata au e hurahura ana i ngā pukapuka o te kōti whenua, ā, kua kitea e au ngā kōrero teka a ngā tāngata kua riro noa atu ki te kōpū o te whenua. Kua ngaro atu rātou ko ā rātou kōrero teka ia kei te ora tonu (TTT 1/8/1925:278). / I am someone who delves into the books of the land court and I have discovered the lies of the people who have been buried a long time ago. They have gone but their falsehoods continue to live.

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Synonyms: oati teka, papahu, tahupera, rūkahu, whakateka, teka, tito, tipatipa, tīpapa, kōrero parau, kēā, hori, pūkei, rūpahu, takoto, hāwatewate, pūkai, paraparau, patu taringa, horihori

whānako kōrero

1. (verb) to plagiarise.

Ki te whānako kōrero koe i ngā tuhituhinga a tētahi atu tangata, he hara nui tēnā. Ki te hiahia koe ki te unu i te whakaaro, i ngā kupu rānei a tētahi atu, me mātua whakamōhio atu nā wai aua kōrero i tuhituhi. / If you plagiarise the writings of someone else that is a major sin. If you wish to take an idea or the words of someone else, it must be acknowledged who wrote those words.

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2. (noun) plagarism.

He ture tā te whare wānanga mō te whānako kōrero, arā te tāhae i ngā whakaaro, i ngā kupu rānei, mai i te ipurangi, i ngā tuhinga rānei ā tētahi atu tangata. / The university has rules for plagarism, that is the theft of ideas or words from the Internet or writings of someone else.

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putunga kōrero

1. (noun) corpus - collection of writings, texts, spoken material, etc.

Kua kohikohia he putunga kōrero reo Māori e Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori. / The Māori Language Commission has collected a corpus of Māori language texts.

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kōrero takuahi

1. (noun) statement lacking authority, rumour, speculation.

He kōrero takuahi noa rā pea - kaua e whakapono mārire atu (HJ 2015:37). / It's probably just speculation - don't actually believe it.

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whakamōmona kōrero

1. (verb) to exaggerate, embellish (a story, etc.).

He tino kē hoki te koroua rā ki te whakamōmona kōrero (HJ 2012:38). / That elderly man is really great at exaggerating stories.

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whakahoki kōrero

1. (verb) to answer back, backchat.

E tama, kāti te whakahoki kōrero. / Son, stop answering back.

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2. (verb) to provide feedback.

Ka pōtingia a Te Keepa ki tētehi kaunihera Māori kia riro māna hei āta tirotiro ngā ture e pā ana ki te Māori, hei kawe whakaaro ki te kāwanatanga, hei whakahoki kōrero mai ki ngā iwi (TTR 1990:274). / Te Keepa was elected to a Māori council, and it was for him to scrutinise legislation affecting Māori, to influence the government, and to provide feedback to tribes.

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whakarongo kōrero

1. (verb) to listen in on someone else's conversation, eavesdrop.

E hine, kāti te whakarongo kōrero. / Girl, stop eavesdropping.

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kōrero koremana

1. (noun) invalid statement.

kōrero tōtika

1. (noun) accurate statement.

kōrero whaitake

1. (noun) sensible statement, valid statement.

tāiringa kōrero

1. (noun) conjecture.

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