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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 1–55 · 281 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. 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. no — No. 1. prep. From, of, belonging to. (a) As part…
137. noa — free from tapu; only, just, merely
138. noho — to live; sit
139. nui — big, great, many
140. nā — Various meanings, eg by, belonging to (ā category), by way of
141. nāku — mine, realised possession, it was done by me (ā category)
142. nō — from
143. o — of, belonging to | Has several uses
144. oma — to run, escape
145. ora — alive, well, healthy, safe
146. oti — to be completed
147. pahi — bus
148. pai — good (adj); to like (v); good
149. papa — floor, ground, flat surface
150. patu — to strike, hit; to kill
151. pau — to be consumed, used up completely, all gone (trans)
152. pea — pair; pear
153. pene — pen
154. piki — to increase
155. pouaka — box
156. pukapuka — book, lungs
157. pukumahi — hard-working, industrious
158. pukuriri — fury; furious; grumpy
159. puta — to appear, to come out
160. pānui — to read; to publish, advertise; notice, advertisement
161. pāpā — father, uncle
162. pātai — question; to ask a question
163. pēhea — how?
164. pēnei — like this, near speaker
165. pēpi — baby
166. pō — night
167. pōuri — sad, dark
168. rangatira — chief, leader, boss
169. rangi — sky, day
170. raro — under, below; time
171. rawa — Various meanings, eg too, quite, very; really
172. reira — there (previously mentioned)
173. reka — sweet
174. reo — language, voice
175. rere — to escape; to fly
176. reta — letter
177. riri — anger, angry
178. rite — to be ready, like, similar
179. roa — long
180. rongo — to hear, perceive, feel
181. roto — in, inside, within; lake
182. rua — two; grave, hole, storage pit
183. runga — on
184. rā — day; the sun; over there
185. rākau — tree; timber
186. rānei — or
187. rātou — they, them, three or more people
188. rāua — them; they (two people)
189. rīhi — dish; dishes; lease
190. rūma — room
191. tae — to reach, arrive (v); colour (n)
192. taea — to be able, to be achieved (tae + passive suffix -a)
193. taha — to pass by; side
194. tahi — one, single
195. taihoa — wait
196. taku — my (singular); edge
197. tama — son, nephew (term of address for a boy, son: tama)
198. tamaiti — child
199. tamariki — children
200. tana — his/her (neutral category); ton
201. tangata — person
202. tangi — to cry; to make a sound
203. tata — near, close
204. tau — to land, settle; be calm; to attack; lover; handsome; year; age; number
205. taua — that, previously mentioned (singular)
206. tauira — student; example
207. te — the, singular definite article
208. tekau — ten
209. tere — to flow, float, move quickly; fast
210. tika — to be right, correct, straight, in order
211. tiki — to fetch
212. tino — very
213. titiro — to look at
214. toa — shop; male animal; expert; to be strong
215. tonu — still
216. toru — three
217. tunu — to cook, roast
218. tā — print, draw
219. tākaro — to play
220. tāku — my, ā category possession, singular
221. tāna — his, her, ā category possession, singular
222. tāne — man, male
223. tāngata — people (plural of tangata)
224. tāone — town
225. tātou — we, us, inclusive, three or more people
226. tāu — your (singular + one item)
227. tāua — we, us, you and I, inclusive, dual
228. tēnei — this (by speaker); this is; this
229. tēnā — that, by the listener
230. tēpu — table
231. tērā — that over there, that
232. tētahi — a, one specific thing
233. tīmata — to begin, to start
234. tō — your (singular); to drag
235. tōku — my (singular)
236. tōna — his, her
237. tōu — your, ō category possession, singular
238. tū — stand; to be wounded; a wound
239. tūru — chair, seat, stool
240. ua — to rain; rain
241. waea — wire; phone
242. wahine — woman, wife
243. waho — out, outside, the outside
244. wai — water; who
245. waiata — to sing (v); song (n)
246. waiho — to remain, rest; to leave behind
247. waka — vehicle (land, air and sea)
248. wera — to burn; burnt; hot, heat
249. whaea — mother, aunt
250. whai — to follow, to chase; to have, to acquire
251. whakaaro — to think; thought, idea
252. whakarongo — to listen
253. whakatā — to rest (v); relaxed (adj)
254. whare — house, building
255. whea — where? (variant of hea)
256. whenua — land
257. whero — red
258. whā — four
259. whānau — family; to be born, be born
260. wiki — week
261. wā — time, times
262. wāhi — part, portion; place
263. wāhine — women, wives (plural form of wahine)
264. ā — and; and then
265. āe — yes
266. āhua — shape, form, appearance
267. āku — my, mine (pl, for ā category items, plural form of tāku)
268. āna — his, her, plural, for ā category items
269. āporo — apple
270. āpōpō — tomorrow
271. āta — gently, carefully, deliberately
272. ātaahua — beautiful, well formed
273. āwangawanga — worried
274. āwhina — to help
275. ēnei — these, near me (plural of tēnei)
276. ēnā — those, near you (plural of tēnā)
277. ērā — those (over there)
278. ētahi — some, a few (plural of tētahi)
279. ō — your, one person, neutral category possession, plural
280. ōku — mine, plural, ō category possession
281. ōna — his, her, plural, ō category possession