New Zealand Language | Maori Words & New Zealand Slang

Te Reo Maori — the Maori Language

Any visitor to New Zealand will become immediately aware of the Maori language as the vast majority of place names are of Maori origin. At first, visitors may be puzzled by the seemingly impossible- to-pronounce names. In fact, Maori language has a logical structure, and, unlike English, has very consistent rules of pronunciation.

The Maori language consists of five vowel sounds: a e i o u (‘a’ as in ‘car’, ‘e’ as in ‘egg’, ‘i’ like the ‘ee’ in ‘tee’, ‘o’ as in ‘four’, ‘u’ like an ‘o’ in ‘to’). There are eight consonants in Maori similar to those in English — ‘h’, ‘k’, ‘m’, ‘n’, ‘p’, ‘r’, ‘t’, and ‘w’. There are also two different consonants — ‘wh’ and ‘ng’.

Many Maori pronounce the ‘wh’ sound similar to our ‘f’. The ‘ng’ is similar to our own ‘ng’ sound in a word like ‘sing’, except that in the Maori language, words can start with ‘ng’.

Maori Language -Useful Words

An attempt by a visitor to use Maori greetings will almost certainly elicit a delighted response from both Maori and Pakeha (European) New Zealanders.

• Kia ora — Hello
• Kia ora tatou — Hello everyone
• Tena koe — Greetings to you (said to one person)
• Tena koutou — Greeting to you all
• Haere mai — Welcome
• Nau mai — Welcome
• Kei te pehea koe? — How’s it going?
• Kei te pai — Good
• Tino pai — Really good
• Haere ra — Farewell
• Ka kite ano — Until I see you again (Bye)
• Hei konei ra — See you later

New Zealand Language - Slang

The following is a list of some of New Zealand slang and their meanings.

• Awesome — Fine, Excellent
• Bach — A holiday home (also known as a crib in the South Island)
• Barbie — Barbecue (also written as BBQ)
• Beaut, beauty — Something good or outstanding.
• Bro — Term of Address for a male friend or relative
• BYO — Bring your Own (normally refers to Alcohol)
• Chocka — Full
• Choice — Fine, excellent
• Cuz — Term of address for a friend or relative
• Dairy — Corner Store or Newsagent
• Dag — An amusing person, a character
• Dork — An idiot or a physically uncoordinated person
• Dough — Money
• Drongo — A term of abuse, idiot
• Dude — A cool or good looking male
• Feed — A meal
• Flat Tack — At top speed
• Greenie — A conservationist
• Gumboots — Waterproof rubber boots
• Grog — Alcohol
• Hard Case — A tough but likeable person, an eccentric person
• Head over Heels — Usually describing somebody who is very very happy
• Heart of Gold — Describing a person who is very kind
• Hook Up — Meet up or join in
• Hoon — A noisy person, a lout
• Jandals — Rubber sandals or thongs (called flip flops in Britain)
• Lolly — The usual word for a confection or sweet
• Mate — A friend
• Munted — To be broken or distorted
• Narley — Cool, good
• No worries — Common phrase of agreement
• On to it — Efficient or Intelligent
• Piker — Someone who opts out of an activity
• Smoko — Coffee or Tea Break
• Snowed Under — Usually has too much work or responsibility
• Stoked — Very excited
• Sweet As — Great
• Ta — Thanks
• Togs — Swimming Costume
• Under the Weather — Feeling off Colour, unwell, tired
• Wicked — Fine, excellent
• Wop Wops — Remote or Rural District, the countryside