Nowadays it is not so prominent in the kiwi psyche. The phrase is often said as 'she'll be right mate', a term kiwis tend to say when they are talking to others, whether they are a mate or not. The mate just signifies a friendly conversation with someone, even if they haven't met them before.
Bro. Used in place of mate, man, or dude, you'll hear Kiwis pepper their sentences with this word. As in: " Hey bro, how are you?" "I'm good, bro!"
The phrase 'Good on ya, mate' was popularised by a series of commercials for the New Zealand beer Speight's. It means 'well done' or 'I approve'. The word 'mate' is like 'bro' in that it is used mostly by males to describe other males even if they've never met them before, except 'mate' is more used by white guys.
Common in many parts of the UK and Australia, 'mate' is a friendly way to address a person informally. 'Alright, mate? ' is a casual way to ask how someone is.
What does it mean? Another word for friend. Common in Britain as well, but used even more enthusiastically by Aussies, who pepper the ends of their sentences with a longer, stretched out “maaaaate” that conveys friendliness and establishes a relaxed bond between the speakers.
“Mate” is a popular word for friend. And while it's used in other English-speaking countries around the world, it has a special connection to Australia.
The Australian National Dictionary explains that the Australian usages of mate derive from the British word 'mate' meaning 'a habitual companion, an associate, fellow, comrade; a fellow-worker or partner', and that in British English it is now only in working-class use.
It surely sounds strange to those who are familiar with American or British English, but it is a very common expression in Australia. G'day is a shortened form of 'Good Day' and it is the equivalent of 'Hello. ' Mate means friend or buddy and it can be used to address your friend or a total stranger.
How did mate leap from the old world to a new Australia? In the years before British lawmakers began sending convicts to the new colony of Australia, Britons – mainly those of the working class in the cities – were commonly using the word mate. It meant friends of all types and included both men and women.
The term "mate" is essentially gender neutral in Australia. This applies almost in all cases except perhaps if you're a male and bump into a woman who is 'generationally' older than you. In that case, just 'Sorry' or 'Excuse me' is fine.
What do New Zealanders call friends? Kiwis in New Zealand are most likely to refer to their friends as “mate” or “bro”. Both of these terms are largely considered to be gender-neutral, so it doesn't matter whether you're referring to a male or female friend.
Māori Greetings
The Māori phrase, “Kia ora”, is the informal greeting for 'Hello'. It can also mean 'Thank you' or be said as a form of acknowledgement.
New Zealanders (Māori: Tāngata Aotearoa), colloquially known as Kiwis (/kiːwiː/), are people associated with New Zealand, sharing a common history, culture, and language (New Zealand English).
The term mate is used for both sickness and death, with the context and the tense (the past tense indicates death and the present tense sickness). Te Rangi Hiroa distinguishes between sickness due to accidents – mate aitu; and mate atua – sickness due to malignant spirits.
Bro – ah, an absolute Kiwi staple. Bro is short for brother and is used to describe your best mates (as well as your actual brother). Probably one of the most used Kiwi slang terms and one of our favourites.
Māori have always called European New Zealanders 'Pākehā', but they are also sometimes colonialists, imperialists and tauiwi (strangers).
In Australia, a 'mate' is more than just a friend and is a term that implies a sense of shared experience, mutual respect and unconditional assistance.
A mate is a usually a co-worker, buddy or a spouse or lover, but sometimes it might be used to refer to recent acquaintance or even a stranger. But it implies some connection to you, and with that at least a modicum of respect. By itself, it is not disrespectful.
Oi /ɔɪ/ is an interjection used in various varieties of the English language, particularly Australian English, British English, Indian English, Irish English, New Zealand English, and South African English, as well as non-English languages such as Chinese, Tagalog, Tamil, Hindi/Urdu, Japanese, and Portuguese to get the ...
Contributor's comments: "But" at the end of a sentence is used in Sydney where it is the same as putting "but" at the beginning of a sentence. Thus "But I didn't do it!" is the same as saying "I didn't do it, but!"
Ask an Aussie to name a truly Australian word, and they might yell "Bonzer!" Bonzer, sometimes also spelled bonza, means "first-rate" or "excellent," and it is the Australian equivalent of the American "awesome": "It's a good clean game ... and the standard is red hot," Thies said.
While some Australian speakers would pronounce “no” as a diphthong, starting on “oh” as in dog and ending on “oo” as in put, others begin with an unstressed “a” (the sound at the end of the word “sofa”), then move to the “oh” and then “oo”.
In Australia, the term mate is used a lot. There is a code of ethics in using it correctly, however. These are some guidelines to assist you: Men use mate, women NEVER do.
It is similar to the American English "no problem". The phrase is widely used in Australian speech and represents a feeling of friendliness, good humour, optimism and "mateship" in Australian culture. The phrase has been referred to as the national motto of Australia.
Bunji: Aboriginal English for mate. Eg. “How're you doing bunji?” Corroboree: An assembly of sacred, festive or warlike character.