Kiwi words
New Zealand glossary
The Māori words and Kiwi English you'll hear in New Zealand, from Aotearoa to yeah, nah. Search or filter the list.
A
- AotearoaMāori
- The Māori name for New Zealand, often translated as “Land of the Long White Cloud,” reflecting the country’s bicultural heritage.
- ArohanuiMāori
- “Lots of love.” Often used to sign off a letter or message.
B
- BachKiwi English
- A modest holiday home or beach house in New Zealand, reflecting the Kiwi love for relaxation and the outdoors. In Otago and Southland it’s called a crib.
- Bro / cuzKiwi English
- Friendly ways to address a friend (or a stranger).
- BushKiwi English
- Native forest. “Going bush” means heading into the forest, or off the grid.
C
- Chilly binKiwi English
- A portable cooler box for food and drinks. Essential for a day at the beach.
- ChoiceKiwi English
- Great, excellent. “That’s choice!”
- ChurKiwi English
- Thanks, or cheers. Also a general sign of approval.
- CribKiwi English
- The southern South Island word for a bach (holiday home).
D
- DagKiwi English
- A funny, entertaining person. “He’s a real dag.”
- DairyKiwi English
- A small local convenience store in New Zealand, selling everyday essentials and snacks, rooted in community culture.
E
- EhKiwi English
- Added to the end of a sentence to invite agreement: “Good day for it, eh.”
F
- Fush and chupsKiwi English
- How Australians tease New Zealanders about the way they say “fish and chips”. Still the classic Friday-night takeaway.
G
- GumbootsKiwi English
- Rubber boots (wellies). Taihape is the gumboot capital, with a giant one by the road.
H
- HakaMāori
- A traditional Māori performance of chants and movements, often associated with New Zealand’s cultural identity and sports teams.
- HāngīMāori
- A traditional Māori way of cooking food in an earth oven, using heated stones buried in a pit.
- HapūMāori
- A sub-tribe or clan, made up of several whānau; part of an iwi.
- HongiMāori
- A traditional Māori greeting in which two people press their noses and foreheads together, sharing breath.
- HuiMāori
- A meeting or gathering. Also used in everyday workplace English.
I
- IwiMāori
- The Māori term for tribe, denoting larger social groups within Māori culture with unique traditions and histories.
J
- JandalKiwi English
- The New Zealand term for flip-flops, a staple of Kiwi summer culture and casual outdoor lifestyle.
K
- Ka kite anōMāori
- “See you again.” Often shortened to “ka kite”.
- KaiMāori
- Food. “Let’s get some kai.”
- KarakiaMāori
- A Māori prayer or blessing, often said to open or close a meeting or before a meal.
- Kia oraMāori
- Hello, thank you, or good health. The most common Māori greeting, used by everyone.
- KiwiKiwi English
- A colloquial nickname for New Zealanders, derived from the native kiwi bird, symbolizing national identity and pride. Never shorthand for the fruit, which is a kiwifruit.
- KiwifruitKiwi English
- The fuzzy green (or gold) fruit. Always “kiwifruit” in New Zealand; a “kiwi” is a bird or a person.
- KohaMāori
- A gift or donation, often given when visiting a marae or attending an event.
- KōreroMāori
- To talk, or a conversation. “Let’s have a kōrero.”
- KūmaraMāori
- Sweet potato, brought to New Zealand by Māori settlers. Roast kūmara is a favourite side dish.
L
- LolliesKiwi English
- Sweets or candy.
M
- MahiMāori
- Work. “Good mahi” means good work.
- ManaMāori
- A Māori concept representing authority, prestige, and spiritual power, integral to social and cultural interactions.
- MaraeMāori
- A Māori meeting ground, with a meeting house (wharenui), at the centre of community life. Visitors need to be invited or join an organised visit.
- MateKiwi English
- Friend. Can be warm or, said a certain way, a warning.
- MihiMāori
- A greeting or speech of acknowledgement, often at the start of a meeting.
- MuntedKiwi English
- Broken, wrecked.
N
- New ZealandianKiwi English
- An informal and uncommon term occasionally used to describe people or things associated with New Zealand, though the correct term is “New Zealander.”
P
- PākehāMāori
- A Māori term for New Zealanders of European descent, widely used in cultural and historical contexts.
- PavlovaKiwi English
- A meringue dessert topped with cream and fruit. Whether New Zealand or Australia invented it is a long-running argument.
- PounamuMāori
- Greenstone (New Zealand jade), a taonga for Māori. Traditionally given as a gift.
- PukuMāori
- Stomach, belly.
R
- Rattle your dagsKiwi English
- Hurry up.
S
- She’ll be rightKiwi English
- It’ll be fine. A relaxed (sometimes too relaxed) Kiwi attitude.
- SmokoKiwi English
- A tea or coffee break at work.
- StokedKiwi English
- Very happy.
- Sweet asKiwi English
- Fine, no problem, great.
T
- Tangata whenuaMāori
- A Māori phrase meaning “people of the land,” referring to the indigenous Māori population of New Zealand.
- TaongaMāori
- A treasure: anything precious, from heirlooms to language and the natural world.
- TapuMāori
- Sacred or forbidden. Some places and objects are tapu and should be treated with respect.
- Te reo MāoriMāori
- The Māori language, one of New Zealand’s official languages. Often just “te reo”.
- TogsKiwi English
- The New Zealand word for swimwear, commonly used for trips to the beach or pool.
- TrampingKiwi English
- Hiking, especially multi-day walks with a pack. A tramper is a hiker.
- Tu mekeMāori
- Too much, awesome. “That was tu meke!”
W
- WāhineMāori
- Women (singular: wahine).
- WakaMāori
- A canoe. Also used to mean any vehicle, or a group working together.
- WhānauMāori
- A Māori word for family, encompassing extended family and community connections central to Māori culture.
- WhareMāori
- A house or building.
- Wop-wopsKiwi English
- The middle of nowhere. “They live out in the wop-wops.”
Y
- Yeah, nahKiwi English
- No (politely). “Yeah, nah, I’m good thanks.”
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Want the slang in context? Read Kiwi slang: 30 words and phrases you'll hear in New Zealand.