Religion & Temples

1. Kei hea te whare karakia?

   kei he-a te wha-re ka-ra-ki-a

   Where is the church / place of worship?

   Usage

   Looking for a place of worship

   Grammar Note

   whare means "house/building"; whare karakia is "house of prayer"

2. He Māori Karaitiana ahau

   he Mā-o-ri Ka-rai-ti-a-na a-hau

   I am a Māori Christian

   Usage

   Expressing your faith and Māori identity

   Grammar Note

   Karaitiana is borrowed from the English word Christian

3. Ka karakia tāua

   ka ka-ra-ki-a tā-u-a

   Let us two pray together

   Usage

   Inviting someone to pray together before a meal or event

   Grammar Note

   tāua is the dual inclusive pronoun "we two"

4. Tīhei mauri ora

   tī-hei mau-ri o-ra

   The sneeze of life (Māori opening invocation)

   Usage

   Traditional opening of speeches or prayers affirming life force

   Grammar Note

   mauri is a key Māori concept meaning "life force / essence of life"

5. Ko Io te Atua nui

   ko I-o te A-tu-a nui

   Io (supreme Māori deity) is the great God

   Usage

   Talking about Māori traditional religion and its supreme deity Io

   Grammar Note

   Atua is a shared Polynesian word for "god / supernatural being"

6. He tapu tēnei wāhi

   he ta-pu tē-nei wā-hi

   This place is sacred

   Usage

   Warning visitors that this place is sacred

   Grammar Note

   tapu is the Māori word that gave rise to the English word "taboo"

7. Nau mai ki tō mātou whare karakia

   nau mai ki tō mā-tou wha-re ka-ra-ki-a

   Welcome to our church

   Usage

   Welcoming someone to your church

   Grammar Note

   mātou is the exclusive first-person plural excluding the listener

8. He aha tō karakia?

   he a-ha tō ka-ra-ki-a

   What is your prayer / religion?

   Usage

   Respectfully asking about someone's religious background

   Grammar Note

   karakia can refer to religious practices more broadly, not just prayer

9. Ko te aroha te mea nui

   ko te a-ro-ha te me-a nui

   Love / Compassion is the greatest thing

   Usage

   Expressing Māori values in religious or philosophical contexts

   Grammar Note

   ko creates an emphatic identification sentence "it is precisely..."

10. Āmine

    ā-mi-ne

    Amen

    Usage

    Used at the end of Christian prayers

    Grammar Note

    āmine is borrowed from English "amen" — widespread in Māori Christianity

Browse all TravelPhrases languages