ka mutu pea
1. how great, how marvellous, how wonderful - an idiom used to praise a person or something.
Ka rawe kē te māra a Te Rauhina. Āe tonu. Ka mutu pea. / How wonderful Te Rauhina's garden is. Yes, indeed. It's great.
Mō te hōhonu o ngā whakaaro, me te mārama o te reo, ka mutu pea i tēnā tangata (HJ 2012:28). / For the depth of ideas and the clarity of the language, that man is marvelous.
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.
koia anō
1. no wonder, exactly, that's it.
(Te Pihinga Textbook (Ed. 2): 8, 106; Te Pihinga Audio Tapes/CDs (Ed. 2): exercise 40;)
Kua pakū rawa ngā pū, kua karanga a Te Mānga, “Ha! E Hiko! Kua takahi ō whanaunga i tā koutou rongo!” Ka mea a Te Hihiko, “Ākuanei ia aha ai; ka takahi anō ia i tāna kupu. Koia anō!” (JPS 1900:66). / The guns had gone off and Te Mānga exclaimed, “Ha! Hiko! Your relations have broken the peace you made with them!” Te Hihiko said, “What will he do next? He has trodden on his own word! It is exactly so!”
mīharo
1. (verb) (-tia) to wonder at, admire.
Ko te tangata e tino mīharotia ana e te iwi Pākehā, ko taua momo tangata mātau, e hoki nei ōna whakaaro ki te hāpai i te iwi nui tonu (TTT 1/7/1927:615). / The person who is really admired by the Pākehā people is the type of expert who uses his ideas to the benefit of the general population.
2. (modifier) marvellous, amazing.
Ko te mea mīharo o roto i tēnei karaunatanga a te tangata Māori i tō tāua nei kīngi, kāore i whakawahia ki te hinu, engari he mea hoatu he Paipera ki runga i tōna māhunga (TP 11/1912:6). / The amazing thing of this coronation of a Māori of our king was that he wasn't anointed with oil but a Bible was placed on his head.
Synonyms: ka kino te haere, kātuarehe, pai mutunga, māharo, whakaharahara
3. (noun) amazement, astonishment, admiration.
Uru rawa atu Kuki ki te mātakitaki i taua pā whawhai, me tōna mīharo ki te mātauranga o te Māori ki te hanga i ōna pā whawhai (TWK 19:22). / Cook went right inside to inspect that fighting pā and he was amazed at the knowledge Māori had in building their forts.
nā whai anō ...
1. so that's the reason, so that's why, it's no wonder, it's not surprising, that'll be why, well that explains it - an idiom used when someone has had something explained to them and they finally realise the reason. Similar to 'the penny's dropped'. Also as inā whai anō.
He whaiāipo tā Ngāhuia. Nā whai anō ia i kore ai e haramai i taku taha ki te pikitia. / Ngāhuia has a boyfriend. So that's the reason she won't come to the movies with me.
Ko te āhua nei e rangirua tonu ana ngā whakaaro o te kāhui ariki tae noa ki te pōtitanga o 1931, ā, nā whai anō rā i tarea tonutia ai e Piupiu a Eketone te tautoko (TTR 1996:254). / It would seem that the King's family were quite ambivalent extending into the 1931 election, and it's no wonder Piupiu was able to support Eketone.
Tau: I tae atu a Tama Purotu ki te pō kanikani. Ira: Inā whai anō i hiahia ai a Hinerera ki te haere (HJ 2012:48). / Tau: Tama Purotu arrived at the dance. Ira: So that's why Hinerera wanted to go.
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
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
2. (modifier) great, highly important, magnificent, wonderful, inspiring.
Takoto mai, e koro, kia tangihia koe e ō iwi. Auē! Ka mau te punga here o te waka nei. Ka ngaro koe, te kaihautū, te kākākura o roto i te pōkai, te puhi o Aotearoa, te kura whakahirahira o Te Waipounamu, te mauri o te whenua, te mauri o te tangata, haere! Haere rā! (TP 7/1906:9) / Lie in state, sir, to be wept over by your people. Oh, dear! The anchor of this canoe is taken. You are gone, the fugleman, the leader of the flock, the adored one of the North Island, the important treasure of the South Island, the life force of the land and the people. Depart! Farewell!
3. (noun) grandeur, influence, prominence, greatness, importance, reputation, standing, eminence.
I rongo katoa te motu i ngā kōrero mō Mananui – i tōna toa, i tōna whakahirahira, i ōna whakaaro rangatira (TTR 1990:187). / The whole country heard the accounts about Mananui - of his courage, of his influence and his noble ideas.
whakamīharo
1. (verb) (-tia) to admire, wonder at.
Ko te wahine tēnei i whakamīharotia nuitia e ngā Pākehā katoa o te tāone, he ngāwari nōna, he pai, he aroha ki te hunga rawa kore (TWM 10/6/1865:1). / This woman was admired greatly by all the Pākehā of the town because she was pleasant, kind and compassionate to the poor.
2. (modifier) be amazing, astonishing, wonderful, surprising.
He kararehe whakamīharo te raiona, te arewhana, te ēkara (TTT 1/8/1925:272). / The lion, elephant and eagle are amazing animals.
3. (noun) admiration, wonderment.
I te karangatanga o tētehi hui i Te Kūiti hei whiriwhiri i te tautohenga o Ngāti Maniapoto me tētehi mana whakahaere ā-rohe mō ngā rēti, nui ana te whakamīharo o Āpirana Ngata ki te pai o te āhua o Pei (TTR 1998:70). / At a meeting at Te Kuiti called to discuss a rating dispute that had arisen between Ngāti Maniapoto and a local body, Pei Te Hurinui made a considerable impression on Āpirana Ngata.
rā
1. (particle) over there, there, yonder - used after nouns, location words, pronouns and personal names to indicate position or connection not near or connected with the speaker or listener or the principal characters in a narrative. It may indicate a spacial distance, or a distance in past or future time as discussed below. Like the other two locative particles, nā and nei, it follows manner particles (i.e. kau, kē, noa, rawa and tonu) and directional particles (i.e. mai, atu, iho and ake) in the phrase, if they are present.
(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 44;)
Kātahi anō te tangata rā ka puta mai. / The man over there has just appeared.
2. (particle) Used to imply distance from the present time, either in the past or future.
Ka mahi rātou i runga anō i ngā tikanga o mua rā. / They worked in accordance with the customs of earlier times.
Tēnei ka rongo au kua whakaae a Tā Hōri Kerei kia tū tēnei Pire i tēnei tau anō, engari hei tērā tau rā anō whakatūturutia ai hei Ture (TWMNT 2/11/1875:260). / I heard that Sir George Grey has agreed that this Bill should be passed this year, but that its final passing into law should be next year.
3. (particle) that, which, who - when used in relative clauses after the verb. The verb will be preceded by i or e.
(Te Kākano Textbook (Ed. 2): 120;)
Kei te tika tonu ngā kōrero mō ngā tohorā i ārahi atu rā i te waka, i a Tākitimu. / The narratives about the whales that guided the Tākitimu canoe there are quite correct.
4. (particle) I wonder - an intensifier especially used with questions.
5. (particle) Sometimes used in close association with the same locative particle, or another, for emphasis e.g. rā rā.
Mutu rawa tōna waiata, ka whakatarunatia kia titiro te iwi nei ki te moana, ka karanga, “Ka puta rā rā! Ka puta rā rā!” (M 2004:160). / After singing her song, she enticed the people to look towards the sea, calling out, “There it goes! There it goes!”
6. (particle) Used as an intensive in greetings and requests.
māharo
1. (verb) (-tia) to wonder at, admire.
See also mīharo
2. (modifier) marvellous, amazing.
Synonyms: ka kino te haere, kātuarehe, mīharo, pai mutunga, whakaharahara
3. (noun) amazement, astonishment, admiration.
Ka nui te māharo o ngā iwi nā rātou nei i patu a Ureia (JPS 1946:34). / Great was the amazement of the people who had killed Ureia.
whakahira
1. (verb) extol, exalt, glorify, honour, hail, laud, highlight.
E whakahira ana ēnei kōrero i te mana o te wahine inā hoki tā rātou ako i a Māui ki te mātauranga e tutuki i a ia ngā mahi (Te Ara 2015). / These traditions extol the mana of women, because they taught Māui the knowledge to achieve his deeds.
2. (modifier) great, highly important, magnificent, wonderful, inspiring.
Ko te ingoa i tohua mōna ko te poutikanga, he tohu whakahira i a ia hei kaitiaki i te whakapono o ngā Ringatū (TTR 1998:26). / The title bestowed on him was poutikanga (main pillar), an important indication of his importance as a guardian of the Ringatū faith.
Synonyms: tau kē (nei)
ka kino te haere
1. how excellent, how wonderful, marvellous - an idiom to exclaim about how good something is.
I tukua mai taua kōrero e tētahi mīhini i te whenua o te Wīwī, whakawhiti mai i te moana, ka hopukia atu e te mīhini i Ingarangi. Ka kino te haere a te Pākehā! (HKW 1/4/1899:8). / That story was sent from France, across the ocean and received by a machine in England. The Pākehā are amazing!
Ka pā te pōhiri a te kōkō nei, kai te rarangi tuatahi o te pānui nei, kātahi ka kī te waha o te tangata whenua ki te pōhiri, ka kino tā rātau nei haere (TPH 31/7/1900:5). / When the welcome call of this sweet voice went out, in the first line of this call, then the host began the welcome haka, and it was awesome.
Synonyms: kātuarehe, mīharo, pai mutunga, māharo, whakaharahara
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
aeha
1. (interjection) bah! blast! damn! gosh! gee whiz! heavens above! amazing! good grief! goodness gracious! - an exclamation denoting contempt, wonder, annoyance, etc.
Kātahi ka rere taua autaia nei. Aeha! Me te aha? Me te uira ka hiko i te rangi tōna rite o te haere. Kīhai i mau i te kanohi te hopu te āhua o ngā otaota me ngā rākau o taua whenua i te tere o te haere o taua rerewē (TWMNT 19/5/1874:138). / Then that amazing contraption sped on. Amazing! What was it like? It travelled like the lightning in the heavens. The eye could not catch the appearance of the vegetation and the trees of the land, such was the speed of the train.
2. (verb) to be a new moon.
Heoi anō hekenga o tōu rā, e kore anō tōu marama e pewa (PT Ihaia 60:20). / Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself.
3. (noun) eyebrow, anything arched, arc.
Ka moe ngā kanohi, ka hī ngā pewa, ka tau ngā pane, ka whakatau te reo katoa i te rōreka e whakahaua rā e te waiata (M 2006:42). / The eyes close, the eyebrows are raised, the heads are bowed and they all join in sweet music as directed by the song.
4. (noun) perch for a bird snare.
He rite te mahi a te pewa ki tā te mutu me te tumu (Te Ara 2012). / The pewa was used in a similar way to the mutu and tumu.
5. (noun) roe (of fish and marine creatures).
Ka noho ki te kaiota i ngā pewa o ngā pāua (PK 2008:191). / They sat down to eat the uncooked roe of the pāua.
