Slang

1. Whānau

   Family

   Usage

   Safe with anyone; it stretches beyond blood relatives to any close group, and appears untranslated in workplace notices

2. Mahi

   Work

   Usage

   Safe with anyone; mixed into English as praise, as in "good mahi"

3. Kōrero

   Talk / discussion

   Usage

   Safe with anyone; "Let's have a kōrero" means "let's talk"

4. Hui

   Meeting / gathering

   Usage

   Safe with anyone; used for office meetings and community gatherings alike

5. Kaupapa

   Purpose / topic

   Usage

   Safe with anyone; "What's the kaupapa?" asks what the purpose of something is

6. Mana

   Prestige / authority

   Usage

   Safe with anyone, but not a word to joke with; it names the standing and spiritual power held by a person, place, or object

7. Tapu

   Sacred / restricted

   Usage

   Seen on signs and notices; never use it jokingly, and never enter a place described as tapu

8. Noa

   Free of restriction / ordinary

   Usage

   The counterpart of "tapu"; saying something has become noa means it is back to an everyday state

9. Marae

   Marae (meeting ground)

   Usage

   Safe with anyone; visits begin with a pōwhiri welcome, so wait to be invited on

10. Pākehā

    New Zealander of European descent

    Usage

    Not a slur but a neutral term that the people it names use of themselves; safe with anyone

11. Tangi

    Funeral / to cry

    Usage

    From "to cry", it names the funeral rite; hearing "gone to a tangi" at work means bereavement leave

12. Waiata

    Song

    Usage

    Safe with anyone; a group song traditionally follows a speech

13. Karakia

    Prayer / incantation

    Usage

    Recited before meetings and meals; the polite response is to stand quietly until it ends

14. Te motu

    The country / the island

    Usage

    Safe with anyone; news bulletins say "across the motu" to mean nationwide

15. Tino pai

    Really good

    Usage

    A compliment safe with anyone; "tino" is the intensifier "very"

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