Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

1. (verb) to be hit, wounded.

Kua nui noa atu ngā kōpere i piua mai ki a rātou, ā, tokorima ngā hēramana i . / Numerous arrows were shot at them, wounding five sailors.

Show example

Hide example


2. (noun) wound, injury.

Ko te hōia Māori e kōrerotia ake nei i taotū, ko tōna i tōna pokohiwi (TKO 7/1915:8). / The Māori soldier that we spoke about above who was wounded, his injury was to his shoulder.

Show example

Hide example

See also tūnga

1. (noun) belt, girdle (to which a maro is attached).

Kātahi ia ka maranga ake; anana, kua noho tahanga ia, ka rapurapu noa ia i tētahi maro, i tētahi mōna, nōwhea hoki i kitea? (NM 1928:8). / Then she got up and behold she was still naked, so she searched about for a 'maro' and a girdle for herself, but she couldn't find them anywhere.

Show example

Hide example

1. (verb) (-ria) to stand, take place, set in place, establish, hold, convene.

Ka te purei hōiho i Te Pakipaki i te 24 o Tīhema 1878 (TW 19/10/1878:524). / Horse races will take place at Pakipaki on 24th December, 1878.
Kāti, i tēnei ata kāore i te rore (HP 1991:22). / Well, this particular morning the lorry didn't stop.

Show example

Hide example

See also tūria

Synonyms: whakatakoto


2. (verb) to remain, placed.

Ko te punga anake o Horouta e ana, me te tatā, me te māhē, me te kūmara mō Waiapu (TWMNT 11/9/1872:114). / Only the Horouta canoe's anchor, bailer, and the kūmara for Waiapu remained there.

Show example

Hide example

Synonyms: noho, rarau, nonoho, whakanōhia


3. (verb) to turn up (of the nose, often indicating disdain), sniff, smell.

kē ana te ihu i te rerenga mai o te piro i ngā wai whakamate (KO 13/12/1882:6). / Smelling the stench of the contaminated water.

Show example

Hide example

See also tū te ihu


4. (verb) to be erect, raised.

Kei te pēhea te tangata hara ki ēnei kupu aroha? Kāore i te whakarongo, engari kei te whawharo haere te ihu pēnei i te hōiho matakana kei te te waero ki runga (TP 7/1909:7). / What does the sinful person think about these words of concern? He does not listen, but snorts like a distrustful horse with its tail raised.

Show example

Hide example

Synonyms: hītengitengi, rāngai, pūwhata, rāngaingai


5. (verb) to stop, halt.

I te heke i Hawaiki ki Aotearoa, ka te waka ki Rangitāhua ka patu a Turi i ngā kurī e rua hei whakanui i te atua a Maru (Te Ara 2013). / On the migration from Hawaiki to New Zealand, the canoe stopped at the Kermadecs and Turi killed two dogs as a sacrifice to the god Maru.

Show example

Hide example


6. (verb) (-ria) to be appointed.

I haere atu ahau ki a ia, ka kī atu ko te mea tika me ia hei Minita mō te taha Māori, ina hoki ko ia te tangata pai hei rīwhi mō Te Mākarini (RT 2013:86). / I went to him and said that the right thing was that he should be appointed as Minister of Māori affairs, because he was the right person to replace Mr McLean.

Show example

Hide example


7. (verb) to be rough, high (of the sea).

Kua tangi te whatitiri, kua rū te whenua, kua pā te hauhau kino, kua te ngaru, kua tukoki te waka, kua oho ngā iwi, kua pāwera katoa, kei te tangi (TH 1/1/1861:1). / The thunder has sounded, the land has shaken, the strong wind has struck, the waves have become high, the canoe is unsteady, the people have awoken, they are all alarmed and are weeping.

Show example

Hide example

Synonyms: kōrawarawa, pohepohe, karekare, oru, whenewhene


8. (noun) position, stand, stance.

Kia ihiihi ake te mataara o te kapa (RMR 2017). / The alert stance of the group should be expressive.

Show example

Hide example

Synonyms: tūnga, nohonga, tūranga, taunga, nohoanga, takotoranga

1. (particle) manner, sort, type of.

(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 7;)

Kua waia rātou ki tēnei mahi. / They are accustomed to this type of activity.

Show example

Hide example

See also tūmomo

Synonyms: tikanga, tūmomo, momo

1. (verb) (-tia) to fight, engage, oppose.

I te rua o ngā rā, ka hoe te waka a Tātua-harakeke ki te āmene mai i ōna iwi hei i a Te Wera (JPS 1900:68). / On the second day, the canoe of Tātua-harakeke paddled off to gather his people to oppose Te Wera.

Show example

Hide example

Synonyms: tautētete, tāwari, ātete, whakatete, tātā

tū atu, tū mai

1. alternating speakers between tangata whenua and manuhiri at a pōhiri as in the system used on marae in Te Arawa and Waikato. In most other tribal areas the system called pāeke is used where all the local speakers speak first.

Ko te kawa o Tainui he tau whakautuutu, tū atu tū mai (TWK 46:8). / Tainui's protocol is for alternating speakers.

Show example

Hide example

Kā Tū Waewae o Tū

1. (location) Secretary Island (Fiordland).

tū waewae

1. (noun) war dance - haka in which the men are armed and jump up and down. Performed by the war party before going into battle, in front of elders and experienced warriors who judged by their performance whether they were ready to go into battle. Also called tūtū ngārehu, tūtū waewae and whakatū waewae.

Nō te mutunga o te tū waewae, ka mea ngā Pākehā kia whakaputaina tētahi kupu whakaaroha mā rātou ki ō rātou hoa Māori (TWM 18/11/1869:2) / When the war dance ended, the Pākehā asked to express some words of affection for their Māori companions.

Show example

Hide example

See also tūtū ngārahu

tū wahine

1. (noun) female stance - upright stance in haka with feet side by side, slightly apart.

Ko te tū kapa, te tū wahine rānei: He matika te tū, e paku pirara ana ngā waewae (RMR 2017). / The tū kapa or female stance: The stance is upright and the feet are a little apart.

Show example

Hide example

tū kōutuutu

1. (noun) haka stance with the right foot back and rocking backward and forward.

Ko te tū kōutuutu: ko te waewae matau ki muri, me te piu o te tinana ki mua ki muri (RMR 2017). / The tū kōutuutu stance: The right foot is at the back and the body sways backwards and forwards.

Show example

Hide example

tū tāne

1. (noun) male stance - upright stance in haka with the right foot back.

Ko te tū kakara, te tū tāne rānei: He matika te tū, ko te waewae matau ki muri (RMR 2017). / The tū kakara or male stance: The stance is upright and the right leg is at the back.

Show example

Hide example

tū tāneroa

1. (noun) stretching backward with the weight on the right foot haka stance.

Ko te tū tāneroa: Ka toro whakamuri (RMR 2017). / The tū tāneroa stance: Stretching backwards.

Show example

Hide example

tū whakarehu

1. (noun) upright stance in haka with the left foot back.

Ko te tū whakarehu: He matika te tū, ko te waewae mauī ki muri (RMR 2017). / The tū whakarehu stance: The stance is upright and the left foot at the back.

Show example

Hide example

tohu tū

1. (noun) stop sign.

keo tū

1. (noun) stalagmite.

pahikara tū

1. (loan) (noun) exercycle.

ihu tū

1. (noun) snob.

wāhi tū

1. (noun) (sport) position.

tū hapa

1. (verb) to be offside (sport).

tū tangetange

1. (verb) to jump up out of order in a meeting interrupting others.

I tana kaha whakahē i tā te kaikōrero o mua tata i a ia, ka tū tangetange ki te whakatika atu (HJ 2015:139). / Because he vehemently disagreed with what the previous speaker had said, he jumped up out or order to correct him.

Show example

Hide example

Te Kākano 3rd Edition

New edition of the leading Māori-language textbook out now.

More info

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