Kia ora is a Māori-language greeting which has entered New Zealand English. It translates literally as "have life" or "be healthy", wishing the essence of life upon someone, from one speaker to the other.
Te Reo Māori Greetings
Kia ora – An informal greeting to one – hello. It can also be used to express gratitude, send love, show thanks or make a connection to someone else. Literally, it means to wish the essence of life upon someone else.
Kia Ora is a greeting many people outside of New Zealand are familiar with. It can mean a lot of things, too! Kiwis use it to say hello, good morning, good luck, and take care. It's essentially an all-encompassing way to wish someone well.
Are there any major differences between Australia and New Zealand? They're both English-speaking countries tucked way down at the bottom of the earth, where friendly people play rugby and wander around saying 'G'day mate' in Australia or 'Kia ora' in New Zealand.
The most common verbal greeting is a simple “Hey”, “Hello”, or “Hi”. Some people may use Australian slang and say “G'day” or “G'day mate”. However, this is less common in cities. Many Australians greet by saying “Hey, how are you?”.
Māori men usually greet each other with the 'hongi'. This involves two people pressing their noses and foreheads together, while clasping hands, and breathing in simultaneously to share a breath. Māori women generally greet close family and friends, as well as acquaintances, by kissing on the cheek.
Bogan (/ˈboʊɡən/ BOHG-ən) is Australian and New Zealand slang for a person whose speech, clothing, attitude and behaviour are considered unrefined or unsophisticated. Depending on the context, the term can be pejorative or self-deprecating.
Haere rā – nearly as common as 'Kia ora', Haere rā means goodbye, farewell or bye-bye and is said to someone leaving.
(good day): Used interchangeably with hello and hi, but more characteristically Australian/New Zealand, and perhaps the most informal of these options. Also used in the constructions G'day, mate (a greeting to a friend or acquaintance) and G'day, stranger (ironically, to a friend not seen in some time).
Tēnā koe (to one person), tēnā kōrua (to two people), or tēnā koutou (to three or more people) also means thank you in Māori.
In the early 1900s, cartoonists started to use images of the kiwi bird to represent New Zealand as a country. During the First World War, New Zealand soldiers were referred to as 'kiwis', and the nickname stuck. Eventually, the term Kiwi was attributed to all New Zealanders, who proudly embraced the moniker.
The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage website NZ History lists it as one of 100 Māori words every New Zealander should know, and lists the following definition: "Hi!, G'day! (general informal greeting)". Kia ora can follow a similar pattern to address different specific numbers of people.
It's not as widely spoken as English but you might hear some of these words come up in conversation. Kia ora – hello, goodbye, thank you.
How do you say thank you in Te Reo Māori? As well as being used as a greeting, kia ora is also a general expression of appreciation. Tēnā koe (to one person), tēnā kōrua (to two people), or tēnā koutou (to three or more people) also means thank you in Māori.
Ngā mihi nui! This mihi is a great way of expressing gratitude and to convey your heartfelt appreciation and say “thank you.” It's more than just words; it's a gesture of acknowledging the kindness and support we've received.
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.
The meaning of chur is essentially thank you. You can use this classic Kiwi slang to show gratitude or appreciation. As explained above, it can also mean "sweet as" or "that's awesome". As in: "I'll help you change your flat tyre." "Chur, bro."
10. 'Yeah Nah' This is a true-blue Kiwi phrase. 'Yeah nah' is simply being indecisive, but usually meaning 'no'.
fanny, slang — a crude word for female genitals, as in the UK. Although, sometimes buttocks as in the USA. Words such as "Fanny Pack" should be avoided in New Zealand (the New Zealand term is "beltbag" or "bumbag").
Following the Second World War of 1939–1945 the term gradually became attributed to all New Zealanders, and today throughout the world they are referred to as Kiwis, as well as often referring to themselves that way.
Ka kite anō
A friendly, informal way to say goodbye to someone you will see again, and sometimes shortened to just ka kite.
Definition of 'ka pai'
good! well done!
/ (təˈnɑː ˈkwɔɪ) / interjection. NZ a Māori greeting to one person.