Māori · B2 · Unit 20
Idioms and sayings
Ngā whakataukī me ngā kīwaha
By the end you can
- Use common idioms naturally
- Explain what a saying means
- Understand idioms in speech
Words and phrases
| Māori | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| whakataukī | a proverb, a saying | He whakataukī tāna mō ngā mea katoa. |
| kupu whakarite | a metaphor, a figure of speech | He kupu whakarite tēnā. |
| ahakoa he iti, he pounamu | it's small but precious (literally 'though small, it's greenstone') | Kia ora mō te koha. Ahakoa he iti, he pounamu. |
| e kore au e ngaro | I will never be lost (from 'I am a seed sown from Rangiātea') | E kore au e ngaro, he kākano i ruia mai i Rangiātea. |
| kua takoto te mānuka | the challenge has been laid down | Kua takoto te mānuka, ā, me whakautu tātou. |
| mā te huruhuru ka rere te manu | with feathers the bird flies (with support you succeed) | Mā te huruhuru ka rere te manu. Me āwhina tātou i a ia. |
| he kōrero tawhito | an old saying, an old story | He kōrero tawhito tēnā nō ō tātou tūpuna. |
| nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou | with your basket and my basket (the people will thrive) | Nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi. |
| kāore te kūmara e kōrero mō tōna reka | the kūmara doesn't speak of its own sweetness (be modest) | Kāore ia e whakamanamana. Kāore te kūmara e kōrero mō tōna reka. |
| he aha te tikanga? | what does it mean? | He aha te tikanga o tēnā whakataukī? |
| ka mahi te tītī! | well done!, good on you! (informal) | Kua oti i a koe? Ka mahi te tītī! |
| ka pū te ruha, ka hao te rangatahi | the old net is laid aside, the new net goes fishing (the young take over) | Kua reti te koroua. Ka pū te ruha, ka hao te rangatahi. |
Then talk it through
A friend uses a saying you don't know and explains it. In the app you have this conversation out loud or typed, with the unit's goals to tick off and corrections at the end.