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Vocabulary for a lesson

Māori Flash Cards

Click the card to reveal the translation, then click again for the next word.

Lessons 1–109 · 578 unique words · Alphabetical order

1. a — [a name follows] | Not translatable into an English word; nominal particle, used before names and pronouns: a Mere, a kōrua, a ia.
2. aha — what
3. ahakoa — although
4. ahatia — what happened to (pass of aha)
5. ahau — I, me
6. ahi — fire
7. ahiahi — early evening, afternoon
8. ai — Not translatable into an English word; verbal particle; used in various subordinate structures, for example relative clauses, adverbials, ...ai
9. ake — up, upwards (Various uses and meanings, eg upwards, as in: piki ake, titiro ake; comparative as in: nui ake; own, as in: tōku whānau ake)
10. ake, ake, ake — for ever and ever
11. ako — to learn, to teach
12. aku — my, mine (plural form of taku, neutral for possession category)
13. ana — indeed, when, if
14. anake — only, just, alone
15. anei — here, by me
16. anō — again, also (Various meanings, eg again; also, too; self [reflexive] as in: ki a ia anō)
17. ao — world, dawn, cloud
18. Aotearoa — New Zealand
19. ara — to rise (v); path (n)
20. aroha — love, sympathy, compassion
21. arā — over there, away from us both; that is, namely
22. ata — morning, shadow
23. atu — away from current orientation (often not translatable by a separate English word)
24. atua — god
25. au — I, me
26. aua — those (previously mentioned, plural of taua)
27. auau — to bark, howl
28. auē — alas! (an expression of woe, sadness)
29. awa — river, stream
30. e — by; of course; a term of address follows; [in the future]; particle used in a negation
31. ehara — exclamation: sure enough, without a doubt; not
32. eke — to embark, get onto; riding
33. engari — but
34. haere — go, come
35. haerenga — journey (n); travel (v)
36. haka — to perform traditional dance; haka, a traditional dance, war dance
37. hanga — to build, erect, make (v); construction, practice (n)
38. hapa — mistake; supper, dinner
39. hari — to feel happy; to take or carry
40. haria — to be carried (hari + passive suffix -a)
41. harikoa — happy, joyful, euphoric
42. hau — wind, air, breath
43. he — a, some; in the category of
44. hea — where?
45. hei — at, in, with, for, to, as a; hay; necklace (Various meanings, eg future preposition)
46. heihei — chicken
47. heke — rafter (n); to descend, get off (v)
48. heoi — however; and so
49. here — to tie, to bind (v0: dog lead (n)
50. hia — how many?
51. hiahia — to want
52. hiainu — thirst, thirsty
53. hiakai — hungry
54. hiamoe — sleepy
55. hine — term of address for a girl: E hine!
56. hinga — to fall from an upright position; to fall (and not be able to get up again)
57. hipi — sheep
58. hoa — friend; partner; spouse
59. hoatu — to give (away from speaker)
60. hoki — to go back, return; also, indeed
61. hoko — to buy, sell, purchase
62. hokomaha — supermarket
63. hokona — sold (hoko + passive suffix -na)
64. homai — give (to the speaker)
65. hone — to plunder, acquire wrongfully (v); ocean swell (n)
66. hopu — to catch
67. horoi — to wash, to clean
68. horoia — washed (pass of horoi)
69. hou — new, modern; feather
70. hua — product, fruit
71. huarahi — street, path, road
72. hui — meeting; gathered
73. huka — sugar
74. hāte — shirt
75. hē — wrong; error, mistake
76. hēki — egg
77. hī — to catch fish with a line
78. hīkoi — to walk, step, tread
79. hōhā — annoyed, bored (adj), a nuisance (n)
80. hōiho — horse
81. hū — shoe
82. i — object of the sentence, from; concerning; in; in the past; on; → | Several uses; not always translatable with a specific English word. Past tense verb particle: I haere ia ... She went Past time marker: I tērā wiki ... Last week Direct object marker: Ka kai ia i te āporo. Source marker (from): Kua hoki mai au i te kura.
83. ia — he, she, him, her
84. iho — downwards
85. ihu — nose
86. ika — fish
87. ina — if, when
88. inanahi — yesterday
89. ingoa — name
90. inu — to drink (v); drink (n)
91. inumia — [the liquid was] drunk (inu + mia; pass)
92. ināianei — now
93. irāmutu — niece, nephew
94. iti — small, little
95. iwa — nine
96. iwi — tribe
97. ka — will happen | Verbal particle with a range of meanings; not directly translated with an English word
98. kaha — strong, able
99. kai — eat (v); food (n)
100. kaiako — teacher (kai- + ako)
101. kaikōrero — speaker, orator (kai- + kōrero)
102. kaimahi — worker, employee (kai- + mahi)
103. kainga — (pass) be eaten
104. kanikani — dance, to dance
105. kapa — group, row of people, as in: kapa haka
106. kapu — cup
107. karaka — orange (colour)
108. karakia — prayer, to pray
109. karanga — to call
110. karangatia — (pass) be called; be welcomed
111. kata — to laugh
112. kato — pluck
113. katoa — all
114. kau — swim; cow
115. kaua — negative word, do not, eg: Kaua e tangi
116. kauhoe — to swim
117. kaukau — to bathe
118. kaumātua — elder; elderly
119. kaupapa — topic, theme, plan, subject
120. kawa — sour, yuck
121. kawe — to carry, convey
122. kei — Various uses, meanings, eg: preposition, present time and place location; at the moment; it might be that...
123. kei te — at the moment; now
124. keke — cake
125. kete — basket, kit
126. ki — to, at, →; | Has various uses and meanings
127. kia — may you be; may we be; let it be that; | Various uses, meanings. Often not translatable by an English word.
128. kimi — to look for, seek
129. kimihia — sought; look for! (kimi + passive suffix -hia)
130. kino — bad
131. kiore — rat
132. kiri — skin
133. kiriata — movie, film
134. Kirikiriroa — Hamilton
135. kite — to see
136. kitea — seen (kite + passive suffix -a)
137. ko — is, are (Various uses; not usually translatable with an English word), [equals], [topic marker]
138. koa — happy
139. koe — you, one person
140. koha — gift
141. kohi — to collect, gather together
142. koi — sharp
143. koia — it is, so
144. konei — here, by speaker
145. konā — there, by listener
146. kore — zero, nothing
147. koretake — useless
148. koro — term of address for an elderly man, grandfather (E koro)
149. koroua — elderly man, grandfather
150. korā — over there
151. kotahi — one
152. koti — coat, jacket
153. koutou — you, three or more people
154. kua — then; have; has; had | Verbal particle; indicating completed action or movement into a state
155. kuhu — to enter, to go or come in
156. kuia — elderly woman, grandmother
157. kupu — word
158. kura — school; treasured item
159. kuri — Kuri, n. 1. Dog. Ka rongo te kuri ra i…
160. kurī — dog
161. kāhore — Negative used for verb sentences
162. kāinga — home
163. kākahu — clothing, garment
164. kākāriki — green
165. kāo — no!
166. kāore — negative used for verb sentences
167. kāpata — cupboard
168. kāretu — Kāretu, n. Hierochloe antarctica, a sweetscented grass. Homai ki au…
169. kātahi — then
170. kāti — stop! (as in: kāti te tangi)
171. kē — already; different; other; differently; rather; strange; actually
172. kēkē — armpit
173. kēmu — game
174. kī — to be full
175. kīhai — Negative word
176. kō — at a distance, yonder; shovel
177. kōhatu — stone
178. kōrero — to talk, speak
179. kōrerotia — spoken (kōrero + passive suffix -tia)
180. kōrua — you, two people
181. kōtiro — girl
182. kūaha — door
183. kūmara — kūmara, sweet potato
184. mahana — to be warm, warm
185. mahi — to do, work, make
186. mahia — worked (mahi + passive suffix -a)
187. mahue — to be left behind (trans)
188. mai — towards the speaker in space or in orientation; to here
189. makariri — cold
190. makawe — hair of the head (human, used in plural: ngā makawe)
191. mamae — hurt, sore, pain
192. mana — prestige, authority
193. Mane — Monday
194. mano — thousand
195. manu — bird
196. manuhiri — guest
197. marae — traditional Māori gathering place
198. marama — month, moon
199. mataku — scared, afraid
200. matapihi — window
201. mate — to be sick, ill, dead
202. matekai — hungry, starving
203. matua — parent, father
204. mau — to wear clothes
205. maumahara — to remember, remember
206. maunga — mountain
207. mauria — to be carried (mau + passive suffix -ria)
208. me — and, should, with (various meanings, uses, eg with, like, should)
209. mea — a thing (n); to say (v)
210. mehemea — if (presuming not; cf. ki te, if, expressing simple uncertainty)
211. mere — bush, shrub
212. mihi — to greet; thank; acknowledge
213. miraka — milk
214. moana — sea
215. moe — sleep; to marry
216. moenga — bed
217. mokemoke — lonely
218. mokopuna — grandchild
219. momo — type, kind
220. moni — money
221. motokā — car, motorcar
222. motu — island (n); cut (v), cut off (adj)
223. motukā — car
224. mua — front, before
225. muri — behind, after
226. mutu — be ended, finished (but not necessarily completed)
227. mutunga — end (mutu + noun ending -nga)
228. mā — clean, white, and others
229. māharahara — worry (n); anxious (adj)
230. māia — capable, brave, bold
231. māku — for me, by me
232. mākū — to be saturated, wet, damp
233. māmā — mother (n); easy, simple (adj)
234. māna — for him, her, by him, her
235. māngere — lazy
236. Māori — indigenous people of Aotearoa/New Zealand
237. māra — garden
238. mārama — clear, understand
239. mātakitaki — to watch, to observe, examine, inspect
240. mātau — to know, understand
241. mātou — we, us (three or more people, excluding the person/ people addressed)
242. mātua — parents, fathers (plural form of matua)
243. mātāmua — eldest; first; main
244. māu — for you, by you; ā category possession
245. māua — we, us (two people, excluding addressee)
246. māui — on the left hand, left side
247. māuiui — sick
248. mīti — meat
249. mō — for, unrealised, ō category possession, about
250. mōhio — to know
251. mōku — for me, unrealised, o category possession
252. mōna — for him, her, unrealised, o category possession
253. mōu — for you
254. na — Na (i), pronominal suffix of the 3rd pers. sing., which…
255. nama — number
256. nei — here, by speaker
257. ngahere — forest, bush
258. ngaro — to be lost, missing, gone, hidden (trans)
259. ngenge — tired
260. ngeru — cat
261. ngā — the, plural
262. ngākau — heart, as in seat of the affections and feelings
263. Ngāti — tribal name prefix (as in: Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungunu)
264. niho — tooth
265. no — No. 1. prep. From, of, belonging to. (a) As part…
266. noa — free from tapu; only, just, merely
267. noho — to live; sit
268. nui — big, great, many
269. nā — Various meanings, eg by, belonging to (ā category), by way of
270. nāku — mine, realised possession, it was done by me (ā category)
271. nāna — by him, her, belonging to him, her
272. nāu — you (past tense); yours (singular)
273. nē — tag question, translated variously depending on the English structure; eh?
274. nō — from
275. nōku — mine, realised possession, ō category
276. nōna — belongs to him or her (ō catergory), his, hers
277. nōu — yours
278. o — of, belonging to | Has several uses
279. oho — to wake up
280. oma — to run, escape
281. one — beach, sand
282. ono — six
283. ope — group travelling together
284. ora — alive, well, healthy, safe
285. oti — to be completed
286. pahi — bus
287. pai — good (adj); to like (v); good
288. pakaru — broken (applied to a thing not a body part) (trans)
289. pakeke — hard, stiff (adj); to grow up (v); age, adult, elder (n)
290. paki — to slap, to pat; to be fine; a fine day
291. paku — small
292. pango — black
293. pani — orphan (n); to be orphaned (v): to smear, spread out (v)
294. papa — floor, ground, flat surface
295. parakuihi — breakfast
296. paru — dirt, mud, dirty
297. parāoa — bread, flour
298. pata — butter
299. patu — to strike, hit; to kill
300. patua — hit/killed (patu + passive suffix -a)
301. pau — to be consumed, used up completely, all gone (trans)
302. pea — pair; pear
303. pene — pen
304. pepa — paper; pepper
305. pereti — plate
306. piki — to increase
307. pikitia — picture, film
308. pirihimana — police officer
309. poaka — pig
310. ponga — Ponga. 1. n. Cyathea dealbata, a tree-fern. 2. A method…
311. poto — short
312. pouaka — box
313. pounamu — greenstone
314. pukapuka — book, lungs
315. puku — stomach, belly
316. pukumahi — hard-working, industrious
317. pukuriri — fury; furious; grumpy
318. pupuhi — to shoot
319. puta — to appear, to come out
320. putiputi — flower
321. pā — a fortified settlement (n); to touch (v)
322. pānui — to read; to publish, advertise; notice, advertisement
323. pāpā — father, uncle
324. pātai — question; to ask a question
325. pāua — abalone
326. pēhea — how?
327. pēke — bag
328. pēnei — like this, near speaker
329. pēnā — like that, near listener
330. pēpi — baby
331. pērā — like that, yonder
332. pēwhea — how? (variant of pēhea)
333. pīrangi — to want, desire
334. pō — night
335. Pōneke — Wellington [Port Nicholson]
336. pōro — ball (also 'paoro')
337. pōtae — hat
338. pōtiki — child; youngest child
339. pōuri — sad, dark
340. pōwhiri — welcome
341. pū — to blow gently
342. pūhā — green spinach-like vegetable
343. ra — Ra (i), ad. 1. There, yonder. “Keiwhea a Whakatau?” “Ra,…
344. rangatira — chief, leader, boss
345. rangi — sky, day
346. rapu — to look for
347. rare — lolly
348. raro — under, below; time
349. raruraru — trouble, problem; be in difficulty, in trouble
350. rata — friendly, at ease (adj); calm (n); to like (v)
351. rau — to put into; leaf
352. raumati — summer
353. rawa — Various meanings, eg too, quite, very; really
354. rawe — lovely, excellent
355. reira — there (previously mentioned)
356. reka — sweet
357. reo — language, voice
358. rere — to escape; to fly
359. reta — letter
360. rima — five
361. ringa — hand, arm
362. ringaringa — hand, arm
363. riri — anger, angry
364. riro — gone away; to be awarded: acquired, obtained
365. rite — to be ready, like, similar
366. roa — long
367. rongo — to hear, perceive, feel
368. rorohiko — computer
369. roto — in, inside, within; lake
370. rua — two; grave, hole, storage pit
371. runga — on
372. rā — day; the sun; over there
373. Rāhoroi — Saturday
374. rākau — tree; timber
375. rānei — or
376. Rātapu — Sunday
377. rātou — they, them, three or more people
378. rāua — them; they (two people)
379. rīhi — dish; dishes; lease
380. rīwai — potato
381. rōpū — group
382. rūma — room
383. tae — to reach, arrive (v); colour (n)
384. taea — to be able, to be achieved (tae + passive suffix -a)
385. taenga — arrival (tae + nominal suffix -nga)
386. taha — to pass by; side
387. tahi — one, single
388. tahu — burn; cook; light (set on fire); husband, wife; lover
389. tai — tide; coast
390. taihoa — wait
391. taka — to come around in a cycle; to fall from a height
392. take — beginning, cause, origin
393. taki — to lead, to bring along
394. takoto — to lie down
395. taku — my (singular); edge
396. tama — son, nephew (term of address for a boy, son: tama)
397. tamaiti — child
398. tamariki — children
399. tamāhine — daughter
400. tana — his/her (neutral category); ton
401. tangata — person
402. tangi — to cry; to make a sound
403. tangohia — pick up! (command); taken away (tango + passive suffix -hia)
404. taniwha — monster, traditional guardian of bodies of water
405. taonga — property, possession
406. tapahi — to cut up, chop
407. tapahia — cut! to be cut (tapahi + passive suffix -a)
408. taputapu — gear, equipment
409. taraiwa — to drive; driver
410. tarau — trousers
411. tari — government department; office
412. tata — near, close
413. tatari — to wait
414. tatau — to count
415. tau — to land, settle; be calm; to attack; lover; handsome; year; age; number
416. taua — that, previously mentioned (singular)
417. tauira — student; example
418. taupō — Taupō, n. 1. A ferruginous earth or stone. 2. A…
419. taura — rope, cable
420. tawhiti — distant, a distant place
421. te — the, singular definite article
422. teina — younger sibling, same sex
423. tekau — ten
424. tere — to flow, float, move quickly; fast
425. tia — to steer, adorned
426. tiaki — to look after, to care for
427. tika — to be right, correct, straight, in order
428. tikanga — reason, meaning, right way of doing things, custom (tika + nominal suffix -nga)
429. tiki — to fetch
430. tinana — body, trunk, torso
431. tino — very
432. tipu — to grow (v); a plant, shoot
433. titiro — to look at
434. toa — shop; male animal; expert; to be strong
435. tohu — a qualification, eg degree
436. tohunga — expert, priest
437. tohutohu — to instruct; to guide, direct; instructions, directions
438. toki — adze, axe; champion
439. tokohia — how many people?
440. tokorua — two (of people)
441. tokotoru — three (people)
442. tono — to apply for, to order (v): an application (n)
443. tonu — still
444. toro — to visit
445. toru — three
446. tua — beyond
447. tuahine — sister, of a male
448. tuakana — older sibling of the same sex
449. tuarua — second
450. tuatahi — first
451. tuhi — to write; to indicate, point out
452. tuhinga — writing, text (tuhi + nominal suffix -nga)
453. tuhituhi — to write, draw
454. tuku — to put off, to leave aside
455. tukua — let go! to be released (tuku + passive suffix -a)
456. tungāne — brother, of a female
457. tunu — to cook, roast
458. tupu — to grow, develop; a plant, shoot (variant of tipu)
459. tuākana — older brothers of a male; older sisters of a female
460. tā — print, draw
461. tākaro — to play
462. tāku — my, ā category possession, singular
463. tāmaki — omen, portent
464. tāna — his, her, ā category possession, singular
465. tāne — man, male
466. tāngata — people (plural of tangata)
467. tāone — town
468. tāria — (pass) be waited for; be expected; after a time
469. tātahi — seaside, beach
470. tātau — we; us; everyone
471. tātou — we, us, inclusive, three or more people
472. tāu — your (singular + one item)
473. tāua — we, us, you and I, inclusive, dual
474. tāwāhi — overseas
475. tē — Tē (i), particle used with verbs to make an emphatic…
476. tēhea — which, singular
477. tēnei — this (by speaker); this is; this
478. tēnā — that, by the listener
479. tēpu — table
480. tērā — that over there, that
481. tētahi — a, one specific thing
482. tētehi — a, one specific thing (variant of tētahi)
483. tī — cabbage tree; tea
484. tīkina — be fetched (tiki + passive suffix -na (note the first i is lengthened)
485. tīmata — to begin, to start
486. tītī — muttonbird
487. tō — your (singular); to drag
488. tōkena — stockings, socks
489. tōku — my (singular)
490. tōmuri — to be late
491. tōna — his, her
492. tōu — your, ō category possession, singular
493. tū — stand; to be wounded; a wound
494. tūpato — to be careful; caution, cautious
495. tūpuna — grandparents (plural form of tupuna; variant of tīpuna)
496. tūru — chair, seat, stool
497. tūtaki — to meet; to close up, to block (v); meeting (n)
498. ua — to rain; rain
499. uaua — difficult (adj); muscle, vein, artery (n)
500. uru — join; enter; participate, go in; west
501. uta — to load; shore; inland; the land; to load
502. utu — cost, price; to pay for
503. waea — wire; phone
504. waenganui — middle, centre, between
505. waewae — foot, leg
506. waha — load, burden; to carry on the back; mouth
507. wahine — woman, wife
508. waho — out, outside, the outside
509. wai — water; who
510. waiata — to sing (v); song (n)
511. waiatatia — sung (pass. of waiata)
512. waiho — to remain, rest; to leave behind
513. waka — vehicle (land, air and sea)
514. wareware — to forget; forgetful (trans)
515. waru — eight; to scrape, to peel
516. wehe — to depart, leave; to separate, divide
517. wera — to burn; burnt; hot, heat
518. whaea — mother, aunt
519. whai — to follow, to chase; to have, to acquire
520. whakaae — to agree
521. whakaahua — to take photos; photograph
522. whakaako — teach
523. whakaaro — to think; thought, idea
524. whakaata — mirror
525. whakahoki — to return something, to reply
526. whakamaua — be fixed; put on (pass of whakamauto)
527. whakapai — to improve, to fix up, bless, cleaning
528. whakarite — to compare; arrange, organise
529. whakarongo — to listen
530. whakatika — to straighten, to correct, to fix
531. whakatā — to rest (v); relaxed (adj)
532. whakautu — to reply, to respond, answer
533. whara — to be injured
534. whare — house, building
535. wharepaku — toilet
536. whea — where? (variant of hea)
537. whenua — land
538. whero — red
539. whiti — to cross; shine, rise
540. whitu — seven
541. whā — four
542. whānau — family; to be born, be born
543. whāngai — to feed, to foster (v); fostered child (n)
544. wiki — week
545. wini — window
546. wā — time, times
547. wāhi — part, portion; place
548. wāhine — women, wives (plural form of wahine)
549. wānanga — study, analyze; seminar, a place of learning
550. ā — and; and then
551. āe — yes
552. āhea — Āhea = awhea, a hea, ad. interrogative, of future time.…
553. āhei — Āhei (i), pt. 1. Able. Mo te whai rawa ake…
554. āhua — shape, form, appearance
555. Ākarana — Auckland
556. ākonga — student
557. āku — my, mine (pl, for ā category items, plural form of tāku)
558. ākuanei — Ākuanei, ad. of time following. Presently, today. Akuanei u tonu…
559. āna — his, her, plural, for ā category items
560. ānō — as though; as if
561. āporo — apple
562. āpōpō — tomorrow
563. āta — gently, carefully, deliberately
564. ātaahua — beautiful, well formed
565. āu — your, ā category possession (plural form of tāu)
566. āwangawanga — worried
567. āwhea — Āwhea = ahea. ‖ hea.
568. āwhina — to help
569. āwhinatia — helped (pass of āwhina)
570. ēnei — these, near me (plural of tēnei)
571. ēnā — those, near you (plural of tēnā)
572. ērā — those (over there)
573. ētahi — some, a few (plural of tētahi)
574. ētehi — some (plural of tētehi, variant of ētahi)
575. ō — your, one person, neutral category possession, plural
576. ōku — mine, plural, ō category possession
577. ōna — his, her, plural, ō category possession
578. ōu — yours, one person, ō category possession, plural