Laundry

10 phrases · Māori with romanization, English and audio

  1. Kei hea te toa horoi kākahu tata rawa atu?

    kei he-a te to-a ho-roi kā-ka-hu ta-ta ra-wa a-tu

    Where is the nearest laundromat / laundry service?

    Usage

    Used to ask the location of the nearest laundry

    Grammar Note

    "kei hea" asks "where is it?" in Māori. "tata rawa atu" is the superlative adverbial phrase.

  2. E hia te utu mō te horoi me te whakamaroke?

    e hi-a te u-tu mō te ho-roi me te wha-ka-ma-ro-ke

    How much does it cost to wash and dry?

    Usage

    Used to ask the price for washing and drying

    Grammar Note

    "e hia" asks about quantity/amount. "whakamaroke" = "whaka-" (causative) + "maroke" (dry).

  3. E hia te roa o te horoi kākahu?

    e hi-a te ro-a o te ho-roi kā-ka-hu

    How long does the laundry take?

    Usage

    Used to ask how long laundry takes

    Grammar Note

    Duration is asked with "E hia te roa …?"; "e hia" is the quantity question word. ⚠ "Mārama" means clear/bright and "marama" is the moon or a calendar month — neither is a unit for elapsed time.

  4. Ka oti te horoi kākahu i tēnei rā anō?

    ka o-ti te ho-roi kā-ka-hu i tē-nei rā a-nō

    Do you offer same-day laundry service?

    Usage

    Used to ask about same-day laundry service

    Grammar Note

    "I tēnei rā anō" = "within this very day"; "anō" emphasises sameness. ⚠ "He rite tonu" means "constantly the same" and does not express a same-day service.

  5. Ka taea e koe te horoi i tēnei kākahu me te tūpato?

    ka tae-a e koe te ho-roi i tē-nei kā-ka-hu me te tū-pa-to

    Can you wash this garment carefully?

    Usage

    Used to request careful washing of a garment

    Grammar Note

    "ka taea e koe" means "can you?" in Māori — a standard ability question. "kākahu" is clothing and "me te tūpato" means "with care", which carries the request for careful handling

  6. Me akuaku tēnei hāte

    me a-ku-a-ku tē-nei hā-te

    This shirt needs to be dry-cleaned

    Usage

    Used when a garment requires dry cleaning

    Grammar Note

    "Me" is the non-past modal "should". Dry-cleaning is "akuaku". "Hāte" is a shirt; "koti" is a coat/jacket. ⚠ "Kēmikara" is not a Māori word (the word for a chemical is "matū").

  7. He hopi horoi, he whakauru kākahu rānei kei a koe?

    he ho-pi ho-roi, he wha-kau-ru kā-ka-hu rā-nei kei a koe

    Do you have detergent / fabric softener?

    Usage

    Used to ask if detergent or fabric softener is available

    Grammar Note

    "rānei" means "or" in Māori. "kei a koe" means "you have / is there with you."

  8. Kāore i mā ōku kākahu — ka taea te horoi anō?

    kā-o-re i mā ō-ku kā-ka-hu — ka tae-a te ho-roi a-nō

    My laundry is not clean — can you rewash it?

    Usage

    Used to request a rewash when laundry is not clean

    Grammar Note

    "kāore" is the strong negation in Māori. "anō" means "again."

  9. Ka taea e ahau te whakamahi i te mīhini horoi kākahu?

    ka tae-a e a-hau te wha-ka-ma-hi i te mī-hi-ni ho-roi kā-ka-hu

    Can I use the washing machine myself?

    Usage

    Used to ask if self-service washing machines are available

    Grammar Note

    "ka taea e ahau" means "can I?" "e" is the agent marker in Māori.

  10. He ratonga haeana kākahu kei konei?

    he ra-to-nga hae-a-na kā-ka-hu kei ko-nei

    Is there an ironing service available?

    Usage

    Used to ask if ironing service is offered

    Grammar Note

    "haeana" is the Māori loan from English "iron" (both the appliance and the verb). "kei konei" is the locative predicate "is here."

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