Māori Word Lists
Most common 100 words | Most common 500 words | Most common 1,000 words
Most common 2,000 words | Most common 4,000 words
1. Aotearoa - New Zealand
2. Haere mai! - Welcome! Come here!
3. Māori - indigenous people of Aotearoa/New Zealand
4. Pākehā - New Zealander of European descent
5. Rātapu - Sunday
6. Taihoa! - Hang on!
7. ahau - I, me
8. ahi - fire
9. ahiahi - early evening, afternoon
10. aihikirīmi - icecream
11. ako - to learn, to teach
12. akoranga - thing that is taught or learnt; lesson
13. anā - there, by you
14. arero - tongue; point of taiaha
15. ariki - chief, leader
16. aroha - love, sympathy, compassion
17. ata - morning, shadow
18. atawhai - to show kindness towards
19. atu - away from current orientation
(often not translatable by a separate English word)
20. au - I, me; cloud, smoke; current (of river or sea)
21. aua - those (previously mentioned, plural of taua)
22. awa - river, stream
23. awhi - to hug, embrace
24. e noho - sit down
25. e tū - Stand up!
26. ehara - exclamation: sure enough, without a doubt; not
27. haere rā - goodbye to people going
28. haere - go, come
29. haerenga - journey (n); travel (v)
30. haka - to perform traditional dance; haka, a traditional dance, war dance
31. hanga - to build, erect, make (v); construction, practice (n)
32. hapa - mistake; supper, dinner
33. hapū - subtribe; to be pregnant
34. hararei - holiday
35. hari - to feel happy; to take or carry
36. harore - mushroom
37. hau - wind, air, breath
38. haurua - half
39. hea? - where?
40. hei konei rā - goodbye (said by those leaving)
41. heihei - chicken
42. heke - rafter (n); to descend, get off (v)
43. here - to tie, to bind (v0: dog lead (n)
44. hia? - how many?
45. hiahia - to want
46. hiakai - hungry
47. hiawai - thirsty
48. hipi - sheep
49. hoa - friend; partner; spouse
50. hoatu - to give (away from speaker)
51. hoki - to go back, return; also, indeed
52. hoko - to buy, sell, purchase
53. hokomaha - supermarket
54. homai - give (to the speaker)
55. hopu - to catch
56. horoi - to wash, to clean
57. hui - meeting; gathered
58. huka - sugar
59. huri - to turn
60. hākari - feast
61. hāngi - traditional earth oven
62. hāte - shirt
63. hēki - egg
64. hīkoi - to walk, step, tread
65. hōhonu - deep (adj); depth (n)
66. hōhā - annoyed, bored (adj), a nuisance (n)
67. hōiho - horse
68. hū - shoe
69. ia - he, she, him, her
70. ihi - power, essential force
71. ihu - nose
72. ika - fish
73. ingoa - name
74. inu - to drink (v); drink (n)
75. ināianei - now
76. iti - small, little
77. iwa - nine
78. iwi - tribe
79. kaha - strong, able
80. kai - eat (v); food (n)
81. kaiako - teacher (kai- + ako)
82. kaihana - cousin
83. kaikōrero - speaker, orator (kai- + kōrero)
84. kaimoana - seafood
85. kake - to climb
86. kakī - neck
87. kamo - eye; eyelashes
88. kamupūtu - gumboot
89. kanikani - dance, to dance
90. kapu - cup
91. kapua - cloud
92. kaputī - cup of tea
93. karaka - orange (colour)
94. karakia - prayer, to pray
95. karanga - to call
96. karani - granny, grandmother
97. kararehe - animal
98. karu - eye
99. kata - to laugh
100. katakata - to laugh and laugh, laughter
101. kau - swim; cow
102. kauae - chin
103. kauhoe - to swim
104. kaukau - to bathe
105. kaumātua - elder; elderly
106. kaupapa - topic, theme, plan, subject
107. kaute - to count
108. kawa - sour, yuck
109. kawhe - coffee
110. kei hea? - where is?
111. kei te pai - it's okay; I'm fine
112. keke - cake
113. kete - basket, kit
114. ki - to
115. kia ora - hello; thank you; be well
116. kihi - kiss (v); key (n)
117. kiki - kick
118. kino - bad
119. kiore - rat
120. kirīmi - cream
121. kite - to see
122. kitea - seen (kite + passive suffix -a)
123. kiwi - native bird of Aotearoa
124. kiwikiwi - grey
125. koe - you, one person
126. koha - gift
127. kohi - to collect, gather together
128. konei - here, by speaker
129. konā - there, by listener
130. kore - zero, nothing
131. koretake - useless
132. koro - term of address for an elderly man, grandfather (E koro)
133. koroua - elderly man, grandfather
134. korā - over there
135. kotahi - one
136. koti - coat, jacket
137. koutou - you, three or more people
138. kuhu - to enter, to go or come in
139. kui - Term of address for an elderly woman (eg 'E kui'.)
140. kuia - elderly woman, grandmother
141. kumu - buttocks, bottom
142. kupu - word
143. kura - school; treasured item
144. kurī - dog
145. kā - to burn, be alight
146. kāinga - home
147. kākahu - clothing, garment
148. kākāriki - green
149. kānga - corn
150. kāo - no!
151. kāore - negative used for verb sentences
152. kāpata - cupboard
153. kāreti - carrot
154. kāti - stop! (as in: kāti te tangi)
155. kēmu - game
156. kī - to be full
157. kīhini - kitchen
158. kōhanga reo - Māori language preschool
159. kōhanga - nest, preschool, nursery
160. kōpū - belly, womb
161. kōrero - to talk, speak
162. kōrua - you, two people
163. kōtiro - girl
164. kōwhai - yellow; a native tree
165. kūaha - door
166. mahi - to do, work, make
167. mai - towards the speaker in space or in orientation; to here
168. makariri - cold
169. makawe - hair of the head (human, used in plural: ngā makawe)
170. mamae - hurt, sore, pain
171. mana - prestige, authority
172. manaaki - to look after, to show hospitality towards
173. manaakitanga - hospitality, kindness, generosity
174. manawa - heart
175. manga - branch; stream
176. mangu - black
177. mano - thousand
178. manu - bird
179. manuhiri - guest
180. marae - traditional Māori gathering place
181. marama - month, moon
182. maroke - dry
183. mataku - scared, afraid
184. matapihi - window
185. matau - fish hook; right side
186. mate - to be sick, ill, dead
187. matekai - hungry, starving
188. matewai - thirst; thirsty
189. matimati - finger, toe
190. matua - parent, father
191. mau - to wear clothes
192. maunga - mountain
193. mauri - life spirit
194. mauī - left (direction)
195. mea - a thing (n); to say (v)
196. mehemea - if (presuming not; cf. ki te, if, expressing simple uncertainty)
197. meneti - minute
198. mihi - to greet; thank; acknowledge
199. miraka - milk
200. moana - sea
201. moe - sleep; to marry
202. moenga - bed
203. moeroa - sleepyhead; to sleep in
204. mokemoke - lonely
205. mokopuna - grandchild
206. momo - type, kind
207. moni - money
208. motokā - car, motorcar
209. motu - island (n); cut (v), cut off (adj)
210. motukā - car
211. motupaika - motorbike
212. moutere - island
213. mua - front, before
214. muri - behind, after
215. mutu - be ended, finished (but not necessarily completed)
216. mā - clean, white
217. māhanga - twin(s)
218. māharahara - worry (n); anxious (adj)
219. māhunga - head
220. māmā - mother (n); easy, simple (adj)
221. mānia - plains
222. māra - garden
223. māripi - knife
224. mātakitaki - to watch, to observe, examine, inspect
225. mātua - parents, fathers (plural form of matua)
226. māua - we, us (two people, excluding addressee)
227. māwhero - pink
228. mīere - honey
229. mīharo - to wonder at; amazing
230. mīti - meat
231. mōhio - to know
232. mōhiti - glasses
233. mōkai - pet
234. mōrena - good morning
235. mōwhiti - glasses
236. nau mai! - welcome!
237. ngahere - forest, bush
238. ngaru - wave
239. ngaruiti - microwave
240. ngenge - tired
241. ngeru - cat
242. ngutu - lip, lips
243. niho - tooth
244. noho taratahi - self-isolation
245. noho - to live; sit
246. nui - big, great, many
247. oho - to wake up
248. oma - to run, escape
249. one - beach, sand
250. ono - six
251. ora - alive, well, healthy, safe
252. oranga - health, life
(ora + nominal suffix -nga)
253. pae - ridge
254. pahi - bus
255. pai - good (adj); to like (v); good
256. paihikara - bike
257. pakaru - broken (applied to a thing not a body part) (trans)
258. panana - banana
259. panekoti - skirt, dress
260. pango - black
261. paoka - fork; pierce; stab
262. paoro - ball
263. papa - floor, ground, flat surface
264. parakuihi - breakfast
265. parauri - brown
266. parehe - pizza; flattened
267. paru - dirt, mud, dirty
268. parāoa - bread, flour
269. pata - butter
270. patu - to strike, hit; to kill
271. patua - hit/killed (patu + passive suffix -a)
272. pene rākau - pencil
273. pene - pen
274. pepa - paper; pepper
275. pere - bell
276. pereti - plate
277. pikiniki - picnic
278. pikitia - picture, film
279. poaka - pig
280. poho - chest
281. pokohiwi - shoulder
282. pono - true, faithful
283. poraka - jersey
284. poto - short
285. pouaka whakaata - television
286. pounamu - greenstone
287. pukapuka - book, lungs
288. puke - hill
289. puku - stomach, belly
290. pukumahi - hard-working, industrious
291. puna - pool, spring
292. pune - spoon
293. pupuhi - to shoot
294. putiputi - flower
295. pā - a fortified settlement (n); to touch (v)
296. pākete - bucket
297. pānui - to read; to publish, advertise; notice, advertisement
298. pāpā - father, uncle
299. pātai - question; to ask a question
300. pātītī - grass
301. pēpe - baby
302. pēpi - baby
303. pīnati pata - peanut butter
304. pīrangi - to want, desire
305. pō mārie - good night
306. pō - night
307. pōtae - hat
308. pōuri - sad, dark
309. pūtu - boot
310. rahi - large, numerous, great, big
311. raihi - rice
312. rangatahi - youth, younger generation
313. rangatira - chief, leader, boss
314. rangi - sky, day
315. rango - fly, blowfly (n); to hear (v)
316. rare - lolly
317. raro - under, below; time
318. raupatu - conquest; confiscate; take by force
319. rawa - Various meanings, eg too, quite, very; really
320. rawe - lovely, excellent
321. reira - there (previously mentioned)
322. reka - sweet
323. reo - language, voice
324. rere ā-hapori - community transmission
325. rere - to escape; to fly
326. rima - five
327. ringa - hand, arm
328. ringaringa - hand, arm
329. riri - anger, angry
330. roa - long
331. rohe - district, area, boundary, territory
332. rongo - to hear, perceive, feel
333. roto - in, inside, within; lake
334. ruku - to dive
335. runga - on
336. rā - day; the sun; over there
337. rākau - tree; timber
338. rāpeti - rabbit
339. rīwai - potato
340. rōpū - group
341. rūma kaukau - bathroom
342. rūma moe - bedroom
343. rūma noho - living room
344. rūma - room
345. tae - to reach, arrive (v); colour (n)
346. taha - to pass by; side
347. tahi - one, single
348. tai - tide; coast
349. taka - to come around in a cycle; to fall from a height
350. takoto - to lie down
351. takurua - winter
352. tama - son, nephew (term of address for a boy, son: tama)
353. tamaiti - child
354. tamariki - children (plural form of tamaiti)
355. tamāhine - daughter
356. tangata whenua - people of the land, home crowd
357. tangata - person
358. tangi - to cry; to make a sound
359. tangihanga - funeral
360. tango - to take hold of
361. tangohia - pick up! (command); taken away (tango + passive suffix -hia)
362. taokete - brother-in-law (of a male), sister-in-law (of a female)
363. taonga - property, possession
364. tapu - sacred, holy, under ritual restriction
365. taraka - truck
366. tarau poto - shorts
367. tarau - trousers
368. tari - government department; office
369. taringa - ear
370. tau - to land, settle; be calm; to attack; lover; handsome; year; age; number
371. tauira - student; example
372. tautoko - to support
373. teina - younger sibling, same sex
374. teitei - tall, high, lofty; height (object)
375. tekau - ten
376. tenetene - vagina
377. tere - to flow, float, move quickly; fast
378. terēina - train
379. tiaki - to look after, to care for
380. tika - to be right, correct, straight, in order
381. tiki - to fetch
382. tina - dinner, lunch
383. tinana - body, trunk, torso
384. tino pai! - very good!
385. tino rangatiratanga - sovereignty
386. tino - very
387. tipuna - grandparent, ancestor
388. titiro - to look at
389. toa - shop; male animal; expert; to be strong
390. tohunga - expert, priest
391. toka - rock
392. tonu - still
393. toru - three
394. tote - salt
395. toto - blood
396. tou - dip; plant; set on fire; buttocks, bottom, anus
397. tuahine - sister, of a male
398. tuakana - older sibling of the same sex
399. tuarā - back [body]
400. tuhituhi - to write, draw
401. tukemata - eyebrow
402. tuki - to hit, to knock, to beat, to pound; crash
403. tuku - to put off, to leave aside
404. tungāne - brother, of a female
405. tunu - to cook, roast
406. tupuna - ancestor; grandparent
407. turi - deaf; knee; disobedient
408. turituri - be quiet! noisy
409. tuāhine - female cousins or sisters of a male
410. tākaro - to play
411. tāna - his, her, ā category possession, singular
412. tāne - man, male
413. tāngata - people (plural of tangata)
414. tāone - town
415. tātahi - seaside, beach
416. tātou - we, us, inclusive, three or more people
417. tēina - younger brothers of a male, younger sisters of a female
418. tēnei - this (by speaker); this is; this
419. tēnā koe! - hello! (to one person); thank you
420. tēnā koutou! - hello! (to three or more people); thank you
421. tēnā kōrua! - hello! (to two people); thank you
422. tēnā - that, by the listener
423. tēpu - table
424. tērā - that over there, that
425. tīma - team
426. tīmata - to begin, to start
427. tīpuna - grandparents (plural form of tipuna)
428. tō - your (singular); to drag
429. tōhi - toast
430. tōkena - stockings, socks
431. tōku - my (singular)
432. tū tirara - social distancing
433. tū - stand; to be wounded; a wound
434. tūpuna - grandparents (plural form of tupuna; variant of tīpuna)
435. tūrangawaewae - place to stand
436. tūru - chair, seat, stool
437. tūtae - excrement
438. ua - to rain; rain
439. uaua - difficult (adj); muscle, vein, artery (n)
440. uma - chest
441. umu - earth oven
442. upoko - head; verse of a song; paragraph; chapter
443. ure - penis
444. utu - cost, price; to pay for
445. wae - foot; leg; separate
446. waea - wire; phone
447. waenganui - middle, centre, between
448. waewae - foot, leg
449. waha - load, burden; to carry on the back; mouth
450. wahine - woman, wife
451. waho - out, outside, the outside
452. wai - water; who
453. waiata - to sing (v); song (n)
454. waiho - to remain, rest; to leave behind
455. waka - vehicle (land, air and sea)
456. wehi - terrible (adj); to be afraid (v)
457. wera - to burn; burnt; hot, heat
458. whaea - mother, aunt
459. whai - to follow, to chase; to have, to acquire
460. whaikōrero - oratory
461. whakaaro - to think; thought, idea
462. whakahoki - to return something, to reply
463. whakanui - to enlarge; celebrate
464. whakaoti - complete
465. whakapapa - genealogy
466. whakarongo - to listen
467. whakatika - to straighten, to correct, to fix
468. whakautu - to reply, to respond, answer
469. whanaunga - relative, relation (whānau + nominal suffix -nga - note the short first vowel)
470. whare horoi - ablution block
471. whare kai - dining hall
472. whare whakairo - carved house
473. whare - house, building
474. wharekai - restaurant
475. wharenui - meeting house; hall
476. wharepaku - toilet
477. whenua - land
478. whero - red
479. whetū - star
480. whiti - to cross; shine, rise
481. whitu - seven
482. whiu - to be satisfied; to throw; to be filled
483. whiwhi - to be in possession of; acquire, obtain, to get
484. whā - four
485. whānau - family; to be born, be born
486. whāngai - to feed, to foster (v); fostered child (n)
487. wiki - week
488. wā - time, times
489. wāhine - women, wives (plural form of wahine)
490. ākonga - student
491. āku - my, mine (pl, for ā category items, plural form of tāku)
492. āna - his, her, plural, for ā category items
493. āporo - apple
494. āpōpō - tomorrow
495. ārai - curtain; to screen off, block
496. āta - gently, carefully, deliberately
497. ātaahua - beautiful, well formed
498. āwhina - to help
499. ēnei - these, near me (plural of tēnei)
500. ū - breast, udder (n); to be devoted (v)