kei whea mai
1. it was outstanding, terrific, that's wonderful - an eastern dialect idiom exclaiming about the outstanding quality of something or someone, or his/her work. Sometimes it is used to compliment the thought, rather than the actual contribution. In this idiom, atu can replace mai.
(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 106; Te Pihinga Audio Tapes/CDs (Ed. 2): exercise 40; Te Kōhure Textbook (Ed. 2): 76-77;)
Kei whea mai te ātaahua o ngā maunga o Te Tiritiri-o-te-moana! / How outstandingly beautiful the mountains of the Southern Alps are!
Kei whea atu i a Hirini mō te tito waiata Māori pārekareka nei (HJ 2012:27). / Hirini was outstanding at composing entertaining Māori songs.
kei runga noa atu!
1. top-notch! great! too much! outstanding! on to it! - an idiom praising someone for his/her outstanding work.
(Te Kōhure Textbook (Ed. 2): 196;)
Kei runga noa atu rāua ki te tiaki i ō rāua mātua. / They are so good at caring for their parents.
See also kei runga noa atu [koe]
kei runga noa atu [koe]
1. [you're] top-notch! [you're] great! [you're] too much! [you're] outstanding! [you're] on to it! [you're] the bomb! - an idiom praising someone for his/her outstanding work.
(Te Kōhure Textbook (Ed. 2): 196;)
Kei runga noa atu rāua ki te poapoa i ngā tāngata ki te whakauru mai ki Te Wānanga Aronui o Tāmaki Makau Rau. / They're so good at enticing people to enrol in the Auckland University of Technology.
kei hea mai
1. it was outstanding, terrific, that's wonderful, choice - an eastern dialect idiom exclaiming about the outstanding quality of something or someone, or his/her work. Sometimes it is used to compliment the thought, rather than the actual contribution. In this idiom, atu can replace mai.
See also kei whea mai
tapatapahi ana
1. flash, stylie, stylish, smart, with-it, outstanding, remarkable, inspired, creative, primo - an idiom to express appreciation of attractiveness of something that has been created.
E hoa, kua kite koe i te kaka hou o Te Hererīpene - tapatapahi ana! / Mate, have you seen Te Hererīpene's new dress - it's stylie!
Synonyms: inati, hautupua, hautipua, kōhure, whakaharahara, ka mahi ..., kātuarehe, te kino kē hoki, ahurei, taiea, taumata rau
kātuarehe
1. (verb) to be outstanding, marvellous - used as an idiom at the start of a sentence to express how good something is.
Kātuarehe te whakaari hou a Tānemahuta Kerei. / Tānemahuta Grey's new drama is outstanding.
Synonyms: ka kino te haere, mīharo, pai mutunga, māharo, whakaharahara, ka mahi ..., taiea, taumata rau, tapatapahi ana, kōhure, ahurei, te kino kē hoki
2. (noun) crafty devil, cunning devil, clever dick, talented person, skilful person, famous person, expert, a gun, a star - used as an idiom to express how talented, skilled or famous someone is. It can also be used in a derogatory sense.
Ko te kātuarehe nāna katoa ēnei whakairo ko Pakaariki Harrison. / The expert who did all these carvings is Pakaariki Harrison.
2. (verb) (-a,-tia) to turn inside out.
He mea kōhure tōna poraka e ia, arā, ko waho ki roto, ko roto ki waho. / He turned his sweater inside out, that is the outside in and the inside out.
3. (verb) to be full, overflowing.
Takihakohako te kete ka kōhure (W 1971:127). / The basket is heaped up and overflowing.
Synonyms: puhake, pūhakehake, puha, kōrengarenga
4. (verb) to emphasise, stand out, be conspicuous, be distinctive, be prominant.
Ka kōhure a Pāoa, me te turuturu pourewa te āhua e haere atu ana (NM 1928:161). / Pāoa was conspicuous, looking like a pied stilt walking along.
5. (modifier) outstanding, conspicuous, distinctive, prominent.
He tangata kōhure a Erihana i te mahi whakahaere, tino kaha anō hoki ōna pūmanawa hei kaihautū (TTR 1998:41). / Ellison was an outstanding administrator with strong leadership qualities (DNZB 1998:159).
Synonyms: whakaharahara, ahurei, kātuarehe, te kino kē hoki, ka mahi ..., taiea, taumata rau, tapatapahi ana, matararahi, koutu, tāpua, koure, whakaea, whakarae, whakahī, hōhō, tutū
6. (noun) development of a tree or plant to maturity.
whakaharahara
1. (modifier) extraordinary, marvellous, remarkable, wonderful, outstanding, phenomenal,exceedingly, exceptionally, terrible, shocking, horrible - an intensifier that follows adjectives, often nui, kino and pai.
He tino nui te mihi ki a ia mō tōna toa nui whakaharahara ki te purei whutupōro mō te tino tīma o Aotearoa (HP 1991:34). / There is great praise for his outstanding skill at playing rugby for New Zealand's top team.
Kua mate noa atu te kaiwhakaako o Sir Ernest Rutherford, tēnā pea ia kei te titiro iho i te rangi ki tana tamaiti nui whakaharahara i raupī ai (TTT 1/10/1927:702). / Sir Ernest Rutherford's teacher died some time ago, but he is probably looking down from heaven at his prodigy who he cherished.
Tēnei te Kāwanatanga o Atareiria te noho tūpato nei, kei te whakatakoto ture ināianei hei ārai atu i te mate kino whakaharahara nei, kāhore hoki pea he mate o te ao i rite ki tēnei te tino kino rawa (MM.TKM 18/5/1859:2). / The Australian Government are remaining cautious and are now setting out laws to protect people against this appalling disease, there is perhaps no disease in the world as bad as this.
Ko taua hoari he mea tuku mai e Te Kuīni mā Henare, he hoari pai whakaharahara (TWMNT 19/6/1872:83). / That sword was given by the Queen to Henare and it was an extraordinary sword.
He mahi taimaha tērā te kimi kōura; ahakoa uaua tonu te tangata, he iti whakaharahara te kōura e puta mai ana i taua mahi i te rā kotahi (TKP 24/9/1857:2). / Prospecting for gold is arduous work; despite how hard a person works, the gold obtained in one day is infinitesimal.
Synonyms: wetiweti, inati, hautupua, hautipua, māharo, ka mahi ..., taiea, taumata rau, ka kino te haere, kōhure, ahurei, te kino kē hoki, tapatapahi ana, kātuarehe, mīharo, pai mutunga
te kino kē hoki
1. excellent, really skilled, masterful, first-rate, top-notch, outstanding, superb, exceptional - an idiom to express praise for someone, an action or some other aspect. Both or either te and hoki may be omitted, while te may be replaced by ka or he.
(Te Kōhure Textbook (Ed. 2): 77;)
Te kino kē hoki o te tangata rā ki te whakaangi manu aute (HKK 1999:27). / That man is excellent at flying kites.
Kino kē kōrua, e hoa mā! / You two are good alright, my friends!
Ka kino kē hoki te tāhae rā ki te purei tēnehi. / That fellow is top-notch at playing tennis.
He kino kē te kuia rā ki te whatu kākahu. / That elderly lady is first-rate at weaving cloaks.
Synonyms: kaiaka, ka mahi ..., taiea, taumata rau, tapatapahi ana, kōhure, whakaharahara, ahurei, kātuarehe
2. (modifier) chief, prominent, unique, distinguished, noted, eminent, important, outstanding, distinguished, foremost.
Ahakoa i kakī mārō, i whakatenetene ētahi o ngā ngārahu ahurei o Tūhoe, nā te wahapū, nā te manawanui ka hinga mai i a ia ki tana take (TTR 1994:115). / Despite some of the prominent leaders of Tūhoe being obstinate and reluctant, he swayed them with his eloquence and determination.
Synonyms: tapatapahi ana, kōhure, whakaharahara, kātuarehe, te kino kē hoki, ka mahi ..., taiea, taumata rau, matararahi, koutu, tāpua, koure, whakaea, whakarae, whakahī, hōhō, tutū
3. (noun) prominence, splendour, uniqueness, importance.
I roto i ngā kupu whakarangatira i a ia, ka puta ngā kōrero mō tā rāua mahi tahi ko Kerei ki te whakahiato kōrero pūrākau, pakiwaitara. Me tōna ahurei hoki ki ngā mahi tōrangapū, mahi ā-iwi, whakapapa kōrero, tuhituhi hoki (TTR 1990:279). / In the eulogies for him, statements appeared about his work with Grey in compiling traditions and narratives. Also to his prominence in political, social and literary matters.
Synonyms: ngangahu, whakahirahira, hau
4. (noun) chief.
I a Ngāti Raukawa i Taupō e noho ana, ka patua mai te ahurei rā, a Te Wharerangi i te takiwā o Rotoaira e Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, o te taiwhakaroto o te awa o Whanganui (TTR 1990:333). / While Ngāti Raukawa were living at Taupō, the chief Te Wharerangi was killed in the Rotoaira district by Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi of the upper Whanganui river.
ka mahi ...
1. well done, great, outstanding - an idiom used to praise, but may also express sarcasm. Not commonly used in modern Māori but appears in a number of whakataukī.
Ka mahi te take pakiranga (HKK 1999:52). / Well done, shallow rooting tree. (A whakataukī used for a person who gives in easily or is easily discouraged.)
Synonyms: taiea, taumata rau, tapatapahi ana, kōhure, whakaharahara, ahurei, kātuarehe, te kino kē hoki
taiea
1. (modifier) distinguished, acclaimed, eminent, illustrious, notable, outstanding, honoured.
He tikanga tonu nāna te whakamau i āna manuhiri taiea ki te kahu kairangi, ki te taonga pounamu rānei, he mea tango tonu mai i te whakaputunga taonga i kaingākaunuitia e rāua ko tōna hoa (TTR 1996:20). / It was a custom of hers to present her honoured guests with fine cloaks or greenstone artefacts from her and her husband's' treasured collection.
Synonyms: taumata rau, hira, ka mahi ..., tapatapahi ana, kōhure, whakaharahara, ahurei, kātuarehe, te kino kē hoki
taumata rau
1. (modifier) remarkable, extraordinary, notable, outstanding - of people.
Ko ia tētahi o ngā tamariki o te whānau taumata rau i puta i ngā wāhine Māori tokoono a Tāme Poto (TTR 1994:83). / He was one of the children of a remarkable family resulting from the six Māori wives of Thomas Halbert.
Synonyms: taiea, hira, inati, hautupua, hautipua, whakaharahara, ahurei, kātuarehe, te kino kē hoki, ka mahi ..., tapatapahi ana, kōhure
kāore i/a kō atu, i/a kō mai ...
1. (particle) there's absolutely nobody better than, there's absolutely nothing better than - an idiom used to indicate how outstandingly good someone is at a particular activity, or how outstandingly good something is.
Kāore i kō atu, i kō mai o Temepara Hōri mō te purei poitarawhiti. / There's absolutely nobody better than Temepara George at playing netball.
pai mutunga
1. great, wonderful, marvellous - an idiom used to express how outstandingly good something is.
Synonyms: ka kino te haere, kātuarehe, mīharo, māharo, whakaharahara
