Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

Filters

Idioms

Phrases

Proverbs

Loan words

Historical loan words

whakaaro

1. (verb) (-a,-hia,-tia) to think, plan, consider, decide.

I roto i ā koutou tākaro, i te whutupaoro, i te hōkī, i te kirikiti, kāore he painga o te tamaiti e whakaaro ana ki a ia anake (TTT 1/8/1923:10). / In your sports, rugby, hockey and cricket, there is no benefit in a child thinking only as an individual.

Show example

Hide example

Synonyms: kaupapa, tikanga, tātai, whakangārahu, mahere, whakatakoto, whakamahere, hoahoa, pēwheatanga, take, whakakaupapa, whakatakotoranga, tītakataka


2. (noun) thought, opinion, plan, understanding, idea, intention, gift, conscience.

Nō mātou tonu te whakaaro kia hoatu he karahipi e £25 i te tau hei āwhina: ā, i te mea ka kitea kei te ranea he moni mō tēnei tau ka whakawhānuitia te āwhina kia horapa atu ki ngā minita Māori katoa puta noa i Aotearoa me Te Waipounamu (TTT 1/8/1929:1036). / The idea to provide scholarships of £25 per annum as assistance was our own, and, because it has been found that there is an abundance of funding for this year, the assistance has been extended to include all Māori ministers throughout the North and South Islands.

Show example

Hide example

Synonyms: huatau, kupu tūturu

whakawhiti whakaaro

1. (intransitive verb) negotiate.

whai whakaaro

1. (verb) (-tia) to be thoughtful, considerate, attentive, mindful.

I 1853 ka inoi ki a Kāwana Hōri Kerei kia whai whakaaro te kāwana kia puritia te whenua i Ōrākei mō Ngāti Whātua (TTR 1990:210-211). / In 1853 he asked Governor George Grey to help ensure Ngāti Whātua retained ownership of Ōrākei.

Show example

Hide example

See also whaiwhakaaro


2. (verb) (-tia) to deliberate, consider.

Mō te tono kia āwhinatia atu tēnei take e te Tari, i whakaatu te tiamana, kāore he moni takoto nou a te Tari • ināianei, engari hei te wā e whiwhi moni ai te Tari, tērā e whai whakaarotia tēnei take (TTT 1/8/1927:635). / Concerning the request that this cause be helped by the Department, the chairperson indicated that the Department had no money available at present, but when the Department does obtain funds this matter will be considered.

Show example

Hide example


3. (modifier) thoughtful, considerate.

He tangata hūmārika a Rōpiha, ā, nā reira ia i kore ai i whakawhiwhia ki ētahi tūranga o runga ake ahakoa anō te pai o āna tohu me te mōhio anō o ōna hoamahi, he tangata pukumahi, tangata whai whakaaro ia (TTR 2000:185). / Because Rōpiha was an amiable person he was overlooked for promotion, although he was well graded and recognised as hard-working and thoughtful.

Show example

Hide example

See also whaiwhakaaro


4. (noun) forethought, consideration.

Anei anō tētahi āhuatanga hei komekome māku. Ko te roa ai o te wā e whakapaua ana ki ngā kupu Pākehā, kia tino tika ai te takoto mai o ērā, engari ka mahue te whai whakaaro ki te wāhi ki te reo Māori i roto i te whiriwhiringa tārai kupu (HM 2/1995:9). / Here is another aspect for me to grumble about. It's the length of time spent on English wording to ensure that it is correct grammatically, but consideration for the Māori language in word selection is disregarded.

Show example

Hide example

See also whaiwhakaaro

whakangakongako whakaaro

1. (noun) brain-pattern diagram.

whakaaro horapa

1. (noun) stereotype.

whakaaro tāpiripiri

1. (noun) additive reasoning.

E rua ngā whakautu e hāngai ana ki tēnei rapanga. Ko tētahi e whai ana i te whakaaro tāpiripiri, ko tētahi e whai ana i te whakaaro whakarea. E rua e rua, he whakaaro pānga riterite (TRP 2010:319). / There are two responses relevant to this problem. One is following additive reasoning, the other is following multiplicative reasoning. Both are proportional reasoning.

Show example

Hide example

kaiwhakatakoto whakaaro

1. (noun) counsellor, adviser.

whakaaro whakarea

1. (noun) multiplicative reasoning.

E rua ngā whakautu e hāngai ana ki tēnei rapanga. Ko tētahi e whai ana i te whakaaro tāpiripiri, ko tētahi e whai ana i te whakaaro whakarea. E rua e rua, he whakaaro pānga riterite (TRP 2010:319). / There are two responses relevant to this problem. One is following additive reasoning, the other is following multiplicative reasoning. Both are proportional reasoning.

Show example

Hide example

rapunga whakaaro

1. (noun) philosophy.

I a ia e taitama ana, arā, tekau mā waru, mā iwa kē rānei tōna pakeke i te wā haringa atu i a ia ki a Te Whiti me ērā o ngā kaumātua i Parihaka i Taranaki, ki te ako i a ia ki ngā whakaakoranga me ngā rapunga whakaaro o tōna iwi (TTR 200:164). / When he was a young man of 18 or 19, he was taken to Te Whiti and other elders of Parihaka in Taranaki to learn the teachings and philosophies of his people.

Show example

Hide example

Synonyms: kura

whakaaro kore

1. (verb) to be thoughtless, careless, unthinking.

Ko mātou ko Ngāti Maru e noho atu nei kāhore e whakaaro kore atu ana ki tā tātou take (TTT 1/1/1927:516). / Ngāti Maru and I who live here are not thoughtless about the matter.

Show example

Hide example


2. (modifier) thoughtless, unthinking.

Kaua koe e whakaae kia whai mana i a koe ngā tāngata whakaaro kore, engari, kei ngā tāngata whakaaro, kei ngā tāngata e arotau ana ki tō mātou reo (MM.TKM 3-4/1855:9). / Do not let thoughtless people be in power, but people of thought, people who look kindly on our language.

Show example

Hide example


3. (noun) thoughtlessness.

He hē nui hoki te whakaaro kore, te tikanga tūtūā (TTT 1/8/1925:284). / Thoughtlessness is a great fault, the habit of a person of low degree.

Show example

Hide example

mana whakaputa whakaaro

1. freedom of speech.

ki ōku (nei) whakaaro ...

1. I think, in my opinion - a phrase used by a speaker to introduce an idea or opinion.

Ki ōku nei whakaaro me pana tō tātou tumuaki. / I think our principal should be sacked.

Show example

Hide example

kaupapa rapunga whakaaro

1. (noun) philosophy (subject).

I hoki atu anō hoki ia i te tau 1955 ki te whai anō i te kaupapa rapunga whakaaro, ā, ka hia kē nei hoki te nui o ngā kōrero tuku iho me te mātauranga momo tangata o te Māori i oti i a ia te rangahau (TTR 2000:10). / He also returned in 1955 to pursue philosophy and did much research into Māori history and ethnography.

Show example

Hide example

rūma whakawhitiwhiti whakaaro

1. (loan) (noun) seminar room.

hangarau whakawhitiwhiti whakaaro

1. (noun) communications technology.

whakaaro-iti

1. (noun) shallow thought, shallow thinker, small-minded, superficial person.

Mōhio ai koa te mano ki ngā tautauhea, ki ngā parakūkā, ki ngā pōrangi, ki ngā whakaaro-iti, ki ngā parangetungetu, ki ngā ngākau-rahirahi, ki ngā kōpūrua, ki ngā rorirori, ki ngā heahea, ki ngā pōrewarewa (KO 14/4/1883:5). / Many people know cowards, scroungers, the mentally ill, the shallow thinkers, the corrupted, the callous people, the indecisive, the stupid ones, the idiots and the senseless ones.

Show example

Hide example

whakaaro pānga riterite

1. (noun) proportional reasoning (maths).

Ko te whakaaro pānga riterite te momo whakaaro ka hua mai i te pānga tāpiripiri, i te pānga whakarea rānei kei waenganui i ētahi rahinga e rua, ētahi taurangi e rua rānei (TRP 2010:319). / Proportional reasoning is the type of thinking that arises from seeing an additive or multiplicative relationship between two quantities or variables (TRP 2010:319).

Show example

Hide example

(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!

Show example

Hide example

Pou o Te Whakaaro Nui, Te

1. National Centre of Mental Health Research, Information and Workforce Development.

Pihi ake te whakaaro pai hauhake tonu iho

1. A good thought requires immediate action.

When a good idea arises harvest it immediately. /

Show example

Hide example

New favourites & quiz!

The Te Aka Māori Dictionary mobile app now has the ability to sort your favourite words into folders. Plus, these folders can be turned into a quiz for a fun way to learn words and definitions. Download or update the app today!

iOS Android

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