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Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

iāianā

1. (location) now.

Pare: Kua mau tō rātou iro iāianā. Rangi: Te āhua nei. Inā te anahera o ō rātou āhua (HKK 1999:97). / Pare: They've learnt their lesson now. Rangi: It would seem so. They are like angels now.
Kei a rātou te mahi nui iāianā (HM 1/1997:2). / They've got a big job now.

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Synonyms: ināianei, i nāia nei, , nāianei, i nāianei, āianei, e

tēnā koa

1. let me see it, let me see now, well then, now then, very well then, please - placed at the beginning of a request.

Tēnā koa neke mai ki konei. / Move over here, please
Tēnā koa, kia kite ahau. / Well then, let me see.

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Synonyms: koa, whakawaireka, , tēnā, tēnā ina

o nāianei

1. (location) present, of now, of the present time, contemporary.

Kua tīmata anō te wahine ki te mau roroa i te panekoti. E tika ana anō, i te mea kua tae kē ngā panekoti o nāianei ki runga ake i ngā turi (TTT 1/9/1929:1064). / Women have again started wearing longer skirts. And that's appropriate because currently skirts are above the knees.

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See also onāianei

Synonyms: onāianei

1. (interjection) now, now then - used at the beginning of a particular stage of a narrative to call attention, to explain what has been said previously, etc. May also be pronounced with a short vowel, i.e. na.

(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 127-128;)

, whakarongo ki te Pirimia. / Now, listen to the Prime Minister.

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Synonyms: tēnā, tēnā ina, tēnā koa, i nāianei, āianei, ināianei, iāianā, e, i nāia nei, nāianei

ka/kua mate

1. now there's the problem, now I've got the problem, it can't be avoided - expressing the problem of having to do something unpleasant, difficult or boring.

I te ngaromanga o taku kete, ka mate au ki te whakakore i aku kāri moni. Hōhā ana (HJ 2012:49). / When I lost my kit I had the problem of cancelling my bank cards. It was a bother.
Kua mate a Tāhu mā ki te hanga anō i tō rātou whare karakia i pau i te ahi (HKK 1999:193). / Tāhu and the others have the problem of rebuilding their church destroyed by fire.

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ināianei

1. (location) now, at present, presently - normally written as one word but when tonu, tata, noa or ake are inserted the expression is broken into its parts, i.e. ināia tonu nei, ināia tata nei, ināia noa nei, ināia ake nei.

Ko ēnei wāhi mōmona atu ināianei mō ngā mahi a te Pākehā, arā mō te mahi witi, pārei, ōti me ngā kai katoa a te Pākehā (TP 9/1900:10). / These rich lands are now used for the activities of the Pākehā, that is for growing wheat, barley, oats and all the foods of the Pākehā.

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See also i nāianei, i nāia nei

Synonyms: i nāia nei, , nāianei, i nāianei, āianei, e, iāianā, hai kō ake nei, taro, taro ake, taro kau iho, nāwai, nāwai, (ā), ka ..., karo, nāwai, ākuanei, ā kō kō ake nei, ā kō ake nei, ākuara, nāwai (rā) (ā), ka ..., ā muri ake nei, tākaro

i nāianei

1. (location) now, at present, presently, currently.

I nāianei ki te whakaritea ngā kawenga a te ture i whakaae ai ki runga ki ō tātau whenua, kāore rawa e tata atu ki te taimaha o ngā kawenga kei runga i ngā whenua Pākehā. Ko ngā whenua papatipu kāore e eketia e te reiti (TTT 1/7/1922:8). / Currently, if the legal liabilities that are authorised on our lands are compared, the burden is nowhere near as heavy as it is on Pākehā properties. Māori land held under customary title is not subject to rates.

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See also ināianei, i nāia nei

Synonyms: ināianei, i nāia nei, , nāianei, āianei, e, iāianā, hai kō ake nei, taro, taro ake, taro kau iho, nāwai, nāwai, (ā), ka ..., karo, nāwai, ākuanei, ā kō kō ake nei, ā kō ake nei, ākuara, nāwai (rā) (ā), ka ..., ā muri ake nei, tākaro

ināianei tonu

1. (particle) right now, instantly.

ināia tonu nei

1. (particle) right now, instantly, this instant.

Tukua mai ō koutou ingoa, me te āhua o ō koutou kākahu ināia tonu nei (TJ 17/11/1898:8). / Send your names with the size of your clothes right now.

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Synonyms: nōnāiakenei, ināianei tonu, nō nāia ake nei, i āia tonu nei

kāhi

1. then, only just, now for the first time - shortened form of kātahi commonly used in the northern dialect.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 74;)

Kaikārae

1. (location) estuary and stream near Dunedin now known as the Kaikorai Valley.

(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 18;)

kātahi anō ... ka ...

1. (particle) then, only just, now for the first time, finally.

(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 74;)

Kātahi anō a Poia ka maranga. / Poia has just got up.

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Synonyms: kāhi, anō, kātahi tonu ... ka ...

kātahi (nā) ka ...

1. that's better, now you're talking, I'm glad to hear it, that's terrible - an idiom used to show agreement or support, or sometimes disapproval, for a comment about a change to what is considered to be the correct course of action.

E pā, kua whakaaro ake ahau me tuhi tāku tuhinga whakapae ki te reo Māori kē. Kātahi nā ka tika! / Sir, I am now considering writing my thesis in Māori instead. Now you're on the right track.

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kua kore

1. no longer - a negative used to express the loss, absence, destruction or departure of something. It is usually used to mean that something is no longer the case. Often followed by he or a possessive.

(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 89-90; Te Pihinga Study Guide (Ed. 1): 55;)

Kua kore he ika i konei ināianei. / There are no fish here now.

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See also kua

Synonyms: kore


2. (particle) will not now be, will no longer, not anymore, won't be - also used for the future to say that something is not going to happen as expected with the implication that there has been a change of mind.

(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 89-90;)

Kua kore au e pōti mō Te Rōpū Reipa i tēnei tau. / I will not now be voting for the Labour Party this year.

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[kua] taka te kapa

1. (loan) the penny has dropped, I should have realised, I get it now, I get the picture - an idiom adopted from English to indicate that someone has just realised something that should have been obvious from earlier signs.

Kātahi anō ka taka te kapa, kua hapū a Hēni. / The penny has just dropped, Jane is pregnant.

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nāianei

1. (location) immediately, today, now - usually prefixed with i-, nō-, or o-.

Nō konei mātau i whakaaro ai, kīhei rawa i āwhiwhiwhi ngā mahi ahuwhenua o nāianei ki ngā mahi ahuwhenua o mua (PKH 18/5/1906:2). / Consequently, we think that agricultural tasks of today are nothing like those of the past.

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See also onāianei, o nāianei

Synonyms: ināianei, i nāia nei, , i nāianei, āianei, e, iāianā

nā wai hoki [tāua] i a [koe]

1. what did you do that for! now look what you've done! what a bummer! - an idiom used to complain about someone's action done in error.

Kua pakaru tētahi pereti i a au. Ai, nā wai hoki tātou i a koe. / I've broken a plate. Oh dear, what a bummer.

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nō nā noa nei

1. just recently, just now.

Whai wāhi atu hoki a ia ki te whakaū i ōna kaha ki ngā mahi whakahaere, ki ngā mahi toko i te ora me te tautāwhi hoki i te tokomaha o ngā Māori, nō nā noa nei i nuku mai ai ki Ōtautahi (TTR 2000:183). / She also found time to develop her administrative and welfare skills in support of many Māori who had recently moved to Christchurch.

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Synonyms: inakuanei, nōnāianei, nō nāia nei, inā tata nei, inā noa ake nei, ināia tata ake nei, ina noa nei, nō nakua tonu nei, inātata nei, nō nā tata nei, nō nāia tata ake nei

āianei

1. (location) now, today, at present, soon.

Māu hoki mātou e manaaki āianei ā āke tonu atu (TTT 1/4/1923:4). / And you will protect us now and forever more.

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Synonyms: ināianei, i nāia nei, , nāianei, i nāianei, e, iāianā

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