Common kupu (words)
Below is a table showing some of the common te reo Māori words you might see while browsing the site, along with their English definitions.
Did you know: Māori has been an official language of New Zealand since 1987?
| Kupu (word) | Meaning |
| Aotearoa | New Zealand |
| aroha | love |
| awhi/awhinā | help |
| hapori | community |
| hapū | pregnant |
| harakeke | flax |
| hīkoi | walk, march |
| hui | meeting |
| iwi | tribe |
| kai | food |
| karakia | prayer |
| Kaumātua | elder |
| Kia ora | Hello, thank you |
| Kōhanga Reo | Māori language preschool |
| mahi | work |
| māmā | mother |
| mana | authority, power, prestige |
| Pākehā | person of European descent |
| pēpi/pēpē | baby |
| tamariki | child/children |
| tāngata whenua | indigenous people - people of the land |
| taonga | treasure, prized, valued |
| te Reo Māori | the Māori language |
| tīpuna/tupuna | ancestor(s) |
| wahakura | woven baby basket |
| wahine, wāhine | woman, women |
| waka | canoe, vehicle |
| whakapapa | history, especially ancestral lineage |
| whānau | family |
Useful links
Te Aka Māori dictionary