Whakataukī Flashcards
Let someone else extol your virtues
Waiho mā te tangata e mihi
The food of chiefs is language
Ko te kai a te rangatira, he kōrero
Man disappears, but the land remains
Whatu ngarongaro he tangata, toitū te whenua
Before you set forth on a journey, be sure you know the stars
Me mātau ki te whetū, i mua i te kōkiri o te haere
Hold fast to the words of our ancestors
Kia mau koe iki ngā kupu a ō tātou tīpuna
Seek that treasure that you value most dearly; if you bow your head, let it be to a lofty mountain
Whāia e koe te iti kahurangi; ki te tuohu koe, me maunga teitei
Fight like a shark. Be tenacious in your pursuit of your goals, never give up.
Okea ururoatia
A split totara is food for the fire. Division and a lack of unity, lead to failure.
Tōtara wāhirua, he kai nā te ahi
The bird that partakes the miro berry reigns in the forest; the bird that partakes of the power of knowledge has access to the world.
Ko te manu e kai ana i te miro, nōna te ngahere; ko te manu e kai ana i te mātauranga, nōna te ao.
Big ideas create the house; knowledge maintains it.
Mā te whakaaro nui e hanga te whare; mā te mātauranga e whakaū.
Seek knowledge for the sake of your wellbeing.
Whāia te mātauranga hei oranga mōu.
Fill the basket of knowledge.
Whaowhia te kete mātauranga.
Hold fast to the words of your ancestors.
Kia mau koe ki ngā kupu a ō tūpuna.
Let us keep close together not far apart.
Waiho i te toipoto, kaua i te toiroa.
As humans disappear from sight, the land remains.
Whakangarongaro te tangata, toi tū te whenu.
Not to turn back through stumbling of feet, but only by a broken head.
Kaua e hoki i te waewae tūtuki, ā āpā anō hei ūpoko pakaru.
May the language be correct, may the language flow, may the language be Māori.
Ko te reo kia tika, ko te reo kia rere, ko te reo kia Māori.
My language is my greatness, my inspiration, that which I hold precious.
Ko tōku nui, tōku wehi, tōku whakatiketike, tōku reo.
Māori language is the cloak of thought and the pathway to this natural world.
Ko te reo Māori te kākahu o te whakaaro, te huarahi ki te ao tūroa.
Language is the life force of Māori.
Ko te reo te mauri o te mana Māori.
Your voice and my voice are expressions of identity. May our descendants live on and our hopes be fulfilled.
Ko tōu reo, ko tōku reo, te tuakiri tangata. Tīhei uriuri, tīhei nakonako.
My language is my awakening, my language is the window to my soul.
Ko tōku reo tōku ohooho, ko tōku reo tōku māpihi maurea.
In spring, only one comes to plant, in autumn (at harvest time), the masses are seen
Kōanga takitahi, Ngahuru puta noa
Regarding late arrival to a meal - “first in, first served”
E mua kai kai, e muri kai huare.
Someone is growing older
Ka eke anō i te puke ki Ruahine.
A little basket of food for the travelers
Ko te rourou iti a haere
Your hospitality can’t be matched
Kāore i kō atu i a koutou mō te manaaki manuhiri
A person who is taught well at home and then stands on the marae, will be adept.
Tangata i ākona i te kāina, tū ana i te marae, tau ana.
Expresses inappropriacy of arriving at a marae at night
Ko te ure anake te mea haere i te pō.
My achievement is not that of an individual but is that of many (we can achieve much together)
Ehara taku toa i te toa takitihi, engari tōku toa he toa takitini
With your food basket and my food basket the people will thrive
Nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi
With red and black the work will be complete
Mā whero, mā pango ka oti ai te mahi
Those who lead give sight to those who follow, those who follow give life to those who lead
Ma mua ka kite a muri, mā muri ka ora a mua
Many hands make light work
He rau ringa e oti ai
The tears of Rangi are falling down to me
Kei te heke mai ngā roimata o Ranginui ki tōna whaiāipo e takoto nei
May the language be correct, may the language flow, ay the language be Māori
Ko te reo kia tika, ko te reo kia rere, ko te reo kia Māori
My language is my greatness, my inspiration, that which I hold precious
Ko tōku nui, tōku wehi, tōku whakatiketike, tōku reo
Māori language is the cloak of through and the pathway to the natural world.
Ko te reo Māori te kākahu o te whakaara, te huarahi ki te ao tūroa.
Language is the life force of Māori
Ko te reo te mauri o te mana Māori
Your voice and my voice are expressions of identity. May our descendants live on and our hopes be fulfilled.
Ko tōu reo, ko tōku reo, te tuakiri tangata. Tīhei uriuri, tīehi nakonako.
My language is my awakening, my language is the window to my soul.
Ko tōku reo tōku ohooho, ko tōku reo tōku māpihi maurea.
“Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you” This is about embracing a mindset where you turn negative situations into positive ones
Hurihia to aroaro ki te ra tukuna to atarangi kia taka ki muri i a koe
Let the sin of Rona be remembered; be careful of what one says or does (e.g. don’t swear at the moon)
Kia mahara ki te hē o Rona
Don’t turn back because of minor obstacles but press ahead to the desired goal
Kaua e hoki i te waewae tūtuki, ā, āpā anō hei ūpoko pakaru
From open ears come listening…from listening comes knowledge…from knowledge comes understanding…from understanding comes experiences…from experience comes prosperity!
Ma te areare o ngā taringa, ka rongo…mā te rongo, ka mōhio…mā te mōhio, ka mārama…mā te mārama, ka mātau…mā te mātau, ka ora!
Language is the key to understanding
Ko te reo te taikura o te whakaao mārama
With your food basket and my food basket, the people will thrive
Mā tāu rourou, mā tāku rourou, ka ora ai te iwi
Leave it to the people to sing your praises
Waiho mā te tangata hei mihi
To see a face is to stir the memory
He kitenga kanohi, he hokinga whakaaro
Return to your ancestral mountains to be cleansed by the winds of Tāwhirimātea
Hokia o maunga kia pūhia koe e ngā hau ā Tawhirimātea
From the older sibling the younger one is taught the right way to do things, from the younger sibling the older one learns new things
Mā te tuakana ka tōtika te teina, mā te teina ka tōtika te tuākana
Eat the bountiful food of Rongo and Haumia
Kainga te tahua a Rongo rāua ko Haumia
The treasure of land will persist but not a treasured person/attesting to how important land is
He kura kāinga e hokia; he kura tangata e kore e hokia
If the back is in order, and the front is in order, everything will go well
Ka tika a muri, ka tika a mua, ka rere pai ngā āhuatanga katoa
Even though it is small, it is precious
Ahakoa he iti, he pounamu
Let the small basket of the wayfarer be filled - said when giving food to a traveler
Ko te rourou iti a haere
Bravery has many resting places
He toa taumata rau
The kūmara doesn’t speak of its own sweetness
Kāore te kūmara e kōrero mō tōna reka
Seek the treasures of your heart, if you bow, let it be to a lofty mountain
Whāia te iti kahurangi, ki te tuohu koe, me he maunga teitei
Don’t turn back due to a stumbling foot, but a cracked head
Kaua mā te waewae tūtuki, engari mā te ūpoko pakaru
The bird that partakes of the miro berry reigns in the forest; the bird that partakes of the power of knowledge has access to the world
Ko te manu e kai ana i te miro, nōna te ngahere; Ko te manu e kai ana i te mātauranga, nōna te ao
Big ideas create the house; knowledge maintains it
Mā te whakaaro nui e hanga te whare; Mā te mātauranga e whakaū
Seek knowledge for the sake of your wellbeing
Whāia te mātauranga hei oranga mōu
Fill the basket of knowledge
Whaowhia te kete mātauranga
Hold fast to the words of your ancestors
Kia mau koe ki ngā kupu a ō tūpuna
I will not be lost, I am a seed descended from Rangiātea
E kore au e ngaro, he kākano i ruia mai i Rangiātea
Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you
Te tiro atu to kanohi ki tairawhiti ana tera whiti te ra kite ataata ka hinga ki muri kia koe
Yes, yours is the arm best suited to pull up the anchor! You have it in you!
Ehara! Ko koe te ringa e huti punga!
The flounder fish does not return to his dust. Don’t make the same mistake twice.
E kore te patiki e hoki ki tona puehu
Although the grub is but little, yet it gnaws through the big white pine tree. Even the small can make a big impact on the big.
He iti hoki te mokoroa, nāna i kakati te kahikatea
Something has completed a full cycle. This whakatauki could be used to celebrate success/a project coming to term. It can also
be used to reflect on the cyclical nature of things.
Kua hua te marama
Go wherever you like
Haere ki wīwī, ki wāwā
