Te Reo Māori used in HANZ

This page is for those of you who are less familiar with Te Reo Māori, the Māori language, and need an extra resource to help remember what each word means. Here you will find straight text conversions as well as short, informal audio recordings for each episode of the main show. The audio recordings also give a bit more detail and explain some nuance about them as well as about how some of the words might be used in modern Kiwi culture. This list should not be taken as an authority on the subject of Te Reo, it is only meant as a resource to help guide you through HANZ. For a proper Māori dictionary please see https://maoridictionary.co.nz/

Episode 0 – What is this?

Kia ora – Hi

Aotearoa – New Zealand (literally Land of the Long White Cloud)

Maori – Ethnicity of the indigenous population of New Zealand)

Pakeha – New Zealand European

Te Reo Maori – The Maori language

Haere tu atu, hoki tu mai – Go well and return in good health
Episode 1 – The Land Time Forgot

Weta – Native New Zealand insect

Tuatara – Native New Zealand reptile

Papatuanuku – God of the Earth (Gaia)

Moa – Extinct native New Zealand bird related to kiwi and ostriches

Huia – Extinct native New Zealand bird highly prized by pre-European Maori and European settlers

Kiore – Pacific rat
Episode 2 – Moana

Waka – Canoe

Moana – Ocean/Sea

Tangata Whenua – People of the Land (Maori)

Mana – Prestige (sort of)

Tapu – Sacred/Restricted

Kumara – Root vegetable commonly called sweet potato outside New Zealand
Episode 3 – Kupe and Te Wheke

Wheke – Octopus

Kaitiaki – Guardian

Hawaiki – Former homeland of Maori and spiritual place where dead reside (like Christian Heaven)

Tangaroa – God of the sea

Hinemoana – Female personification of the sea

Whanau – Family

Hui – Meeting

Karakia – Prayer

Mokopuna – Grandchildren
Episode 4 – Whakapapa and Oral Tradition

Whakapapa – Geneaology

Tupuna – Ancestors

Tohunga – Expert in their field

Whare – House

Whare Wananga – House of Learning (Modern university)
Episode 5 – The Great Migration

Haere atu ra – Go forth

Pohutukawa – New Zealand native tree known for its red flowers and blooming around Christmas time, giving the nickname ‘New Zealand’s Christmas Tree’
Episode 6 – I’m here to hunt moa and chew kauru, and I’m all out of moa…

Hangi – Pit oven

Kauru – Toffee type substance made from the heart of Cabbage trees

Pounamu – Greenstone/Jade
Episode 8 – In the Beginning

Rangi – God of the sky/Sky Father (Oranos)

Tanemahuta – God of the forest and father of birds

Tawhirimatea – God of the wind and storms

Rongonmatane – God of cultivated food, particularly kumara, and peace

Haumiatiketike – God of uncultivated/foraged food

Tutewehiwehi – Father of lizards

Ikatere – God of fish

Bird Species

Kawau – Shag

Pitoitoi – North Island robin

Koekoea – Long tailed cuckoo

Piwakawaka – Fantail

Tui – (No English equivalent)

Ruru – Morepork

Parera – Grey duck
Episode 9 – Becoming Maori

Weka – Native New Zealand bird

Kerereu – Native New Zealand wood pigeon

Kiwi – Native New Zealand bird, national symbol of New Zealand and term for a person from New Zealand

Kete – Basket

Hapu – Sub tribe

Iwi – Tribe

Pa – Fortified hilltop village

Paua – Sea snail (commonly called abalone outside New Zealand)
Episode 10 – Social Structure

Kainga – Village

Rangatira – Chief/Noble

Ariki – High/Paramount chief

Kaumatua – Elder

Ihi – Power/Gravitas

Wehi – Dread

Utu – Reciprocation/Revenge

Rahui – Ban

Tutua – Freeman

Tuakana – Senior/Older

Teina – Junior/Younger

Taurekareka – Slave

Mokai – Pet/Derogatory name for a slave

Ahurewa – Sacred place for rituals

Makutu – Magic/Witchcraft
Episode 11 – A Map, a Whare and a Marae

Te Wai Pounamu – The South Island (literally Place of Greenstone)

Te Ika a Maui – The North Island (literally The Fish of Maui)

Muka – processed flax fibre for weaving

Punga – The silver fern

Raupo – Cats Tail reeds

Mahana – Warmth/Heat

Pataka – Storehouse

Taonga – Treasure/Anything prized

Te Papa – The national museum of New Zealand, located in Wellington

Whare nui – The central building in a marae complex (literally Warm House)

Pou – The large foundation posts making up a house/whare nui
Episode 12 – Ladies

Ta moko – Traditional Maori tattoos/The art of tattooing

Wahine – Woman

Tane – Man

Noa – Normal/Ordinary/Not sacred
Episode 13 – Powhiri

Powhiri – Traditional Maori welcoming ceremony

Runanga – Council/Tribal council

Upoko runanga – Community head/Head of the council

Pepeha – Formal way of saying who you are and where you are from

Mihi – Traditional greeting at the start of a speech of which a pepeha makes up part of

Turangawaewae – The place where you have the right to stand and be heard

Whaikorero – Formal speech

Waiata – Song

Koha – Gift

Whare kai – Dining hall

Hikari – Feast (This may be different based on dialect)
Episode 14 – Birth of a Legend

Tikitiki – topknot

(Not really any others in this one, so I just spend most of the time talking about the interesting variations in the story as well as my own speculation!)
Episode 15 – Matariki

Matariki – Te Reo name for the Pleiades star cluster and the Maori new year

Tupuna wahine – Grandmother

Pukenga – Your strengths/what you are good at

Manu – Kite

Totoriwai/toutouwai – North/South Island robins

Kaka – Native New Zealand parrot

Kahu – Harrier hawk

Whara – to injure/do harm

Whaka – particle of a word that changes its meaning (not sure how it is used in this context though)
Episode 16 – AND MY ADZE!!!

Toki – Adze

Te Awhiorangi and Te Whironui – The first two adzes in existence according to Maori mythology

Nga Rauru and Tuhoe – Names of separate iwi

Hine-tu-hoange – Personification/ancestor of sandstone

Rakahore – Personification/ancestor of all rocks

Whatuaho – Personification/ancestor of obsidian

Poutini – Personification/ancestor of pounamu

Waiapu – Personification/ancestor of chert

Rohe – the boundaries of a hapu/iwi’s land that they have dominion over
Episode 17 – I Need to Adze You a Question

Tena koutou – Hello /thank you (to more than three people)

Toki poutangata – Ceremonial adze

Totara – Podocarp tree native to Aotearoa New Zeland

Taniwha – Mythical Maori lizard that typically lives in water

Kuri – Pacific dog

Tatua pupara – belt for valuables

Tuwiri – drill

Porotiti – revolve/spin

Pirori – to twirl around

Whakairo rakau – Wood carving

Waru – to scrape/peel/eight
Episode 18 – Bringing Art to the Surface

Ika- Fish

Kaimoana – Seafood

Hapuku – NZ species of grouper

Kahawai – NZ marine fish (also called Australian salmon in Aus)

Moki – Polyphyletic term for a couple of species of fish

Maroro – Flying fish

Whaitere/Wharepo – Stingray

Patiki – Flounder

Kokiri – Leatherjacket (fish species)

Tamure – Snapper (fish species)

Poka noa – to use something randomly and without respect

Tekoteko – 3D figure at the top of a marae but can be used to refer to any 3D carving

Tokotoko – Orators staff
Episode 19 – A Carver and His Carvings

Koruru – Owl/style of carving a face

Ruru – Morepork (a species of owl)/style of carving a face

Weku – Style of carving a face/may mean stingray

Manaia – Style of carving a person with a fish bottom half and a bird head

Taniwha – Mythological lizard

Pukana – To stick one’s tongue and widen the eyes to look scary
Episode 20 – Maui and the Sun (plus how he brought fire to the world!)

Atua – God/Diety
Episode 21 – Flax for Dummies

Harakeke – New Zealand flax ( Phormium tenax)

Wharaiki – Mountain flax ( Phormium colensoi)

Raranga – Plaiting

Whatu – Weaving

Whiri – Braiding

Rito – Centre of a flax plant

Awhi Rito – Leaves next to the rito

Haehae – Tool used to remove rib of flax leaf

Miro – Twining

Muka – Fibre made from flax leaf

Whenu – A bundle of muka

Whiri whenu – A bundle of whenu

Patu muka – Club used to beat muka

Paru – A special type of mud for dying muka black

Tatua – Belt

Kete – Basket

Rourou – Small food basket

Whakiri – Floor mat

Kakahu – Cloak

Aute – Paper mulberry

Kiekie – Freycinetia banksii

Piango – Ficinia spiralis

Karamu – Coprosma

Tanekaha – Phyllocladus trichomanoides

Makomako – Aristotelia serrata

Hinau/Whinau – Elaeocarpus dentatus

Tutu – Coriaria arborea
Episode 23 – Does This Kakahu Make My Butt Look Big?

Kakahu – Cloak

Awa – River

Poi – Item filled with sand or other filler attached to a string and swung around

Tāhuna – Sand

Kawhiu – Diving basket

Hinaki – Fishing net

Tāruke – Crayfish pot

Whakiri – Floor mat

Tukutuku – Wooden paneling in the wall of a marae with cross stitch like patterns

Kawe – Harness like item used to carry heavy loads

Taniko – Patterns at the edge of a kakahu or maro

Maro – Loincloth type item

Piupiu – Skirt made of harakeke

Huruhuru – Feathers
Episode 30 – The Māori Quill

Tā moko/moko/tatau – Tattoo

Uhi – Chisel used for tattooing

Toroa – Albatross

Ngārahu – Ink used for tattooing

Tohunga tā moko – Skilled tattooist

Āwheto – Vegetable catepillar

Whakatauāki – Proverb/Saying
Episode 31 – Artist and Canvas

Tikanga – ‘The Māori way of doing things’

Kuia – Elderly woman of great respect

Kupu – Words
Episode 33 – Meaning Behind the Moko

Ure – Penis
Episode 34 – Preserving the Past

Toi Moko – Preserved heads (literally ‘preserved works of art’)

Mokomokai – Preserved heads (probably closer to ‘preserved slave’)

Kākaho – stalk/stem of the toetoe plant
Episode 39 – Slice of Heaven

Taonga Pūoro – Māori Musical Instruments

Te Ao Māori – The Māori world/Māori worldview

Āwhiowhio – Whirlwind

Karanga manu – Bird caller

Tuarōria – Whistle made of leaves

Rōria – Jew’s harp/Māori instrument similar to the Jew’s harp

Pūtātara – Shell trumpet
Episode 40 – Let Me See Your Hips SWING

Tohu – A spiritual or religious sign

Pūpū Harakeke – Flax snail

Pūpūrangi – Giant kauri snail

Kauri – Agathis australis endemic NZ tree

Rangitoto ki te Tonga – D’Urville Island

‘gārara – South Island specifc name for a bullroarer
Episode 41 – Why Does Love do This to Me?

Kōauau – A type of flute

Pōrutu – Another type of flute, like a longer kōauau

Rehu – A transitional instrument closer to a Western flute

Whio – A flute similar to the rehu (also means ‘to whistle’ as well as the name for the endemic blue duck)

Tautoru – Orion’s Belt

Pōneke – Wellington (transliteration of Port Nicholson)
Episode 42 – For Today

Nguru – Nose flute

Pūkāea – A type of Māori trumpet

Tētere – Temporary trumpet

Whara – Mouth part of a pūkāea

Pūtōrino – Unique type of Māori flute

Pū – Generic term for flute/to blow

Tohetohe – Tonsils part of the pūkāea/uvula

Pūtohe – Another name for tonsils part of pūkāea

Kaiwhiria – NZ jasmine ( Parsonsia capsularis)

Hoe – Canoe paddle

Pakipaki – Clap or round of applause

Matakite – Prophecy
Episode 50 – Kūmara Comes from the Freezer!

Kai – Food

Marama – The Moon

Tahā – Container

Wai – Water

Uhikāho – Yam

Rimu – Endemic tree to NZ
52 – Foraging

Aruhe – Fern root (Pteridium esculentum)

Tī – Cabbage tree

Tamariki – Children
59 – Fish and Chips, Yeah!

Taunga ika – Fishing ground

Hāpuku – Polyprion oxygeneios

Tāmure – Pagrus auratus
60 – Captain Hook

Tāruru – Fishing bait

Tarakihi – Nemadactylus macropterus

Mangemange – Lygodium articulatum

Tānekaha – Phyllocladus trichomanoides

Episode 63 – Casting a Wide Net

Mātauranga – Knowledge (Specifically Māori knowledge)

Kupenga – Net

Kūware – Ignorant or naive

Kōrapa – Scoop nets
Episode 64 – Oh Yea, We Still Talking About Nets!

Tāngahangaha – Banded Wrasse (Notolabrus fucicola)

Upokororo – NZ Grayling (Prototroctes oxyrhynchus)
Episode 68 – Feast for the Mouth

Manaakitanga – Hospitality

Pipi – Paphies australis (cockles)

Kuku – Perna canaliculus (green lipped mussel)

Rangatahi – Young people
Episode 69 – Nice

Kōura – Crayfish/lobster

Kānga – Corn/maize

Tītī – Muttonbird/sooty shearwater

Tuna – Eel

Episode 77 – Working Up a Sweat

Kī – Ball (like a sports ball)

Manu tukutuku – Kite

There is also an explanation on the change of pronunciation for Tumatauenga