Vocabulary for a lesson

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. ahau — I, me

4. ai — Not translatable into an English word; verbal particle; used in various subordinate structures, for example relative clauses, adverbials, ...ai

5. 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)

6. ake, ake, ake — for ever and ever

7. ako — to learn, to teach

8. aku — my, mine (plural form of taku, neutral for possession category)

9. ana — indeed, when, if

10. anō — again, also (Various meanings, eg again; also, too; self [reflexive] as in: ki a ia anō)

11. ara — to rise (v); path (n)

12. aroha — love, sympathy, compassion

13. ata — morning, shadow

14. atu — away from current orientation (often not translatable by a separate English word)

15. au — I, me

16. aua — those (previously mentioned, plural of taua)

17. awa — river, stream

18. e — by; of course; a term of address follows; [in the future]; particle used in a negation

19. ehara — exclamation: sure enough, without a doubt; not

20. engari — but

21. haere — go, come

22. hanga — to build, erect, make (v); construction, practice (n)

23. harikoa — happy, joyful, euphoric

24. he — a, some; in the category of

25. hea — where?

26. hei — at, in, with, for, to, as a; hay; necklace (Various meanings, eg future preposition)

27. hia — how many?

28. hiahia — to want

29. hiainu — thirst, thirsty

30. hiakai — hungry

31. hiamoe — sleepy

32. hine — term of address for a girl: E hine!

33. hipi — sheep

34. hoa — friend; partner; spouse

35. hoatu — to give (away from speaker)

36. hoki — to go back, return; also, indeed

37. hoko — to buy, sell, purchase

38. homai — give (to the speaker)

39. horoi — to wash, to clean

40. hou — new, modern; feather

41. hui — meeting; gathered

42. hīkoi — to walk, step, tread

43. hū — shoe

44. 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.

45. ia — he, she, him, her

46. iho — downwards

47. ika — fish

48. ingoa — name

49. inu — to drink (v); drink (n)

50. iti — small, little

51. iwi — tribe

52. ka — will happen | Verbal particle with a range of meanings; not directly translated with an English word

53. kaha — strong, able

54. kai — eat (v); food (n)

55. kaiako — teacher (kai- + ako)

56. kapu — cup

57. karaka — orange (colour)

58. karakia — prayer, to pray

59. karanga — to call

60. katoa — all

61. kau — swim; cow

62. kaua — negative word, do not, eg: Kaua e tangi

63. kei — Various uses, meanings, eg: preposition, present time and place location; at the moment; it might be that...

64. kei te — at the moment; now

65. keke — cake

66. ki — to, at, →; | Has various uses and meanings

67. kia — may you be; may we be; let it be that; | Various uses, meanings. Often not translatable by an English word.

68. kino — bad

69. kite — to see

70. kitea — seen (kite + passive suffix -a)

71. ko — is, are (Various uses; not usually translatable with an English word), [equals], [topic marker]

72. koe — you, one person

73. konei — here, by speaker

74. kore — zero, nothing

75. kotahi — one

76. koutou — you, three or more people

77. kua — then; have; has; had | Verbal particle; indicating completed action or movement into a state

78. kuia — elderly woman, grandmother

79. kupu — word

80. kura — school; treasured item

81. kurī — dog

82. kāhore — Negative used for verb sentences

83. kāinga — home

84. kākahu — clothing, garment

85. kāore — negative used for verb sentences

86. kātahi — then

87. kē — already; different; other; differently; rather; strange; actually

88. kēkē — armpit

89. kī — to be full

90. kōrero — to talk, speak

91. kōrua — you, two people

92. kōtiro — girl

93. mahi — to do, work, make

94. mai — towards the speaker in space or in orientation; to here

95. makariri — cold

96. manu — bird

97. manuhiri — guest

98. marae — traditional Māori gathering place

99. mate — to be sick, ill, dead

100. matekai — hungry, starving

101. matua — parent, father

102. mau — to wear clothes

103. maunga — mountain

104. me — and, should, with (various meanings, uses, eg with, like, should)

105. mea — a thing (n); to say (v)

106. mere — bush, shrub

107. mihi — to greet; thank; acknowledge

108. miraka — milk

109. moana — sea

110. moe — sleep; to marry

111. mokemoke — lonely

112. moni — money

113. motokā — car, motorcar

114. mua — front, before

115. muri — behind, after

116. mutu — be ended, finished (but not necessarily completed)

117. mā — clean, white, and others

118. māku — for me, by me

119. mākū — to be saturated, wet, damp

120. māmā — mother (n); easy, simple (adj)

121. māngere — lazy

122. Māori — indigenous people of Aotearoa/New Zealand

123. mātou — we, us (three or more people, excluding the person/ people addressed)

124. mātua — parents, fathers (plural form of matua)

125. māu — for you, by you; ā category possession

126. māua — we, us (two people, excluding addressee)

127. māuiui — sick

128. mō — for, unrealised, ō category possession, about

129. mōhio — to know

130. nei — here, by speaker

131. ngaro — to be lost, missing, gone, hidden (trans)

132. ngenge — tired

133. ngeru — cat

134. ngā — the, plural

135. Ngāti — tribal name prefix (as in: Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungunu)

136. noa — free from tapu; only, just, merely

137. noho — to live; sit

138. nui — big, great, many

139. nā — Various meanings, eg by, belonging to (ā category), by way of

140. nāku — mine, realised possession, it was done by me (ā category)

141. nō — from

142. o — of, belonging to | Has several uses

143. oma — to run, escape

144. ora — alive, well, healthy, safe

145. oti — to be completed

146. pahi — bus

147. pai — good (adj); to like (v); good

148. papa — floor, ground, flat surface

149. patu — to strike, hit; to kill

150. pau — to be consumed, used up completely, all gone (trans)

151. pea — pair; pear

152. pene — pen

153. piki — to increase

154. pouaka — box

155. pukapuka — book, lungs

156. pukumahi — hard-working, industrious

157. pukuriri — fury; furious; grumpy

158. puta — to appear, to come out

159. pānui — to read; to publish, advertise; notice, advertisement

160. pāpā — father, uncle

161. pātai — question; to ask a question

162. pēhea — how?

163. pēnei — like this, near speaker

164. pēpi — baby

165. pō — night

166. pōuri — sad, dark

167. rangatira — chief, leader, boss

168. rangi — sky, day

169. raro — under, below; time

170. rawa — Various meanings, eg too, quite, very; really

171. reira — there (previously mentioned)

172. reka — sweet

173. reo — language, voice

174. rere — to escape; to fly

175. reta — letter

176. riri — anger, angry

177. rite — to be ready, like, similar

178. roa — long

179. rongo — to hear, perceive, feel

180. roto — in, inside, within; lake

181. rua — two; grave, hole, storage pit

182. runga — on

183. rā — day; the sun; over there

184. rākau — tree; timber

185. rānei — or

186. rātou — they, them, three or more people

187. rāua — them; they (two people)

188. rīhi — dish; dishes; lease

189. rūma — room

190. tae — to reach, arrive (v); colour (n)

191. taea — to be able, to be achieved (tae + passive suffix -a)

192. taha — to pass by; side

193. tahi — one, single

194. taihoa — wait

195. taku — my (singular); edge

196. tama — son, nephew (term of address for a boy, son: tama)

197. tamaiti — child

198. tamariki — children

199. tana — his/her (neutral category); ton

200. tangata — person

201. tangi — to cry; to make a sound

202. tata — near, close

203. tau — to land, settle; be calm; to attack; lover; handsome; year; age; number

204. taua — that, previously mentioned (singular)

205. tauira — student; example

206. te — the, singular definite article

207. tekau — ten

208. tere — to flow, float, move quickly; fast

209. tika — to be right, correct, straight, in order

210. tiki — to fetch

211. tino — very

212. titiro — to look at

213. toa — shop; male animal; expert; to be strong

214. tonu — still

215. toru — three

216. tunu — to cook, roast

217. tā — print, draw

218. tākaro — to play

219. tāku — my, ā category possession, singular

220. tāna — his, her, ā category possession, singular

221. tāne — man, male

222. tāngata — people (plural of tangata)

223. tāone — town

224. tātou — we, us, inclusive, three or more people

225. tāu — your (singular + one item)

226. tāua — we, us, you and I, inclusive, dual

227. tēnei — this (by speaker); this is; this

228. tēnā — that, by the listener

229. tēpu — table

230. tērā — that over there, that

231. tētahi — a, one specific thing

232. tīmata — to begin, to start

233. tō — your (singular); to drag

234. tōku — my (singular)

235. tōna — his, her

236. tōu — your, ō category possession, singular

237. tū — stand; to be wounded; a wound

238. tūru — chair, seat, stool

239. ua — to rain; rain

240. wahine — woman, wife

241. waho — out, outside, the outside

242. wai — water; who

243. waiata — to sing (v); song (n)

244. waiho — to remain, rest; to leave behind

245. waka — vehicle (land, air and sea)

246. wera — to burn; burnt; hot, heat

247. whaea — mother, aunt

248. whai — to follow, to chase; to have, to acquire

249. whakaaro — to think; thought, idea

250. whakarongo — to listen

251. whakatā — to rest (v); relaxed (adj)

252. whare — house, building

253. whea — where? (variant of hea)

254. whenua — land

255. whero — red

256. whānau — family; to be born, be born

257. wiki — week

258. wā — time, times

259. wāhi — part, portion; place

260. wāhine — women, wives (plural form of wahine)

261. ā — and; and then

262. āe — yes

263. āhua — shape, form, appearance

264. āku — my, mine (pl, for ā category items, plural form of tāku)

265. āna — his, her, plural, for ā category items

266. āporo — apple

267. āpōpō — tomorrow

268. āta — gently, carefully, deliberately

269. ātaahua — beautiful, well formed

270. āwhina — to help

271. ēnei — these, near me (plural of tēnei)

272. ērā — those (over there)

273. ētahi — some, a few (plural of tētahi)

274. ō — your, one person, neutral category possession, plural

275. ōku — mine, plural, ō category possession

276. ōna — his, her, plural, ō category possession

Vocabulary for a lesson

Māori Flash Cards