Body Parts

1. Te māhunga

   Head

   Usage

   Show this at a clinic for a headache; "upoko" is an equally common word

   Grammar Note

   In Māori culture the head is especially tapu (sacred). Do not touch another person's head.

2. Te makawe

   Hair

   Usage

   The hair of the head; normally used as a collective plural

3. Te kanohi

   Face

   Usage

   Means both face and eye; "kanohi ki te kanohi" is "face to face"

4. Te karu

   Eye

   Usage

   For buying eye drops; the same form as in the nouns card

5. Te taringa

   Ear

   Usage

   Use it to report ear trouble

6. Te ihu

   Nose

   Usage

   In the traditional hongi greeting, noses and foreheads are pressed together

7. Te waha

   Mouth

   Usage

   Use it at the dentist; it also works as a verb meaning to speak

8. Te ngutu

   Lip

   Usage

   For asking a pharmacist about dry or cracked lips

9. Te niho

   Tooth

   Usage

   Show it and point at the tooth that hurts

10. Te arero

    Tongue

    Usage

    The word behind "whetero", the tongue-protruding gesture of the haka

11. Te kakī

    Neck

    Usage

    The neck itself; use "korokoro" for the throat

12. Te korokoro

    Throat

    Usage

    For a sore throat; the same form as in the nouns card

13. Te pokohiwi

    Shoulder

    Usage

    Handy for reporting soreness after carrying a heavy pack

14. Te ringaringa

    Hand / arm

    Usage

    One word for hand and arm; the short form "ringa" is equally common

15. Te tuke

    Elbow

    Usage

    It was also a traditional unit of length, from elbow to fingertip

16. Te matimati

    Finger / toe

    Usage

    Covers fingers and toes alike; "maihao" narrows it to fingers

17. Te maikuku

    Nail

    Usage

    Both finger- and toenails, and also an animal's claw or hoof

18. Te uma

    Chest

    Usage

    For chest pain; note that Tongan "uma" means shoulder, not chest

19. Te puku

    Belly / stomach

    Usage

    One word for belly and stomach; the same word as in "mate puku" (stomach ache) in the health set

20. Te tuarā

    Back

    Usage

    For reporting back pain

21. Te hope

    Waist / hip

    Usage

    For lower-back pain; the same form as in the nouns card

22. Te waewae

    Leg / foot

    Usage

    One word for leg and foot; "raparapa" narrows it to the sole

23. Te turi

    Knee

    Usage

    For a knee gone sore on a long tramp

24. Te pona

    Joint / ankle

    Usage

    Any joint — ankle, elbow, or knee; "pungapunga" means specifically the ankle

25. Te kiri

    Skin

    Usage

    New Zealand's UV is fierce, so this comes up when asking about sunburn

26. Te kōiwi

    Bone

    Usage

    The same word as in "kōiwi whati" (broken bone); ancestral remains are also kōiwi and are deeply tapu

27. Te toto

    Blood

    Usage

    For bleeding or a blood draw; the same word as in "Kei te rere te toto" in the health set

28. Te manawa

    Heart

    Usage

    Also means breath; the same word as in "mate manawa" (heart disease)

29. Te whēkau

    Internal organs / intestines

    Usage

    Covers the organs of the abdomen as a group; organ donation is "tuku whēkau"

30. Te pūkahukahu

    Lungs

    Usage

    Use it when explaining asthma; "pukapuka" is a synonym

31. Te ate

    Liver

    Usage

    The liver; figuratively it can also stand for the seat of the emotions

32. Te whatukuhu

    Kidney

    Usage

    Show the word itself when explaining a kidney condition or dialysis

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