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Haerenga: Journeys Home and Finding the Way
Ngā Haerenga
Going home to the marae and your tūrangawaewae, visiting whānau near and far, and giving directions with locatives, compass points and ngā hau e whā.
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the journey / trip
Refers to a journey, trip, voyage, or travel experience from one destination to another.
I tīmata tā mātou haerenga ki te kāinga i te ata.
Our journey home began in the morning.
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the path / route / way
Refers to a physical path, track, route, or way to reach a location.
Whāia te ara nei kia tae atu ai koe ki te marae.
Follow this path to get to the marae.
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directions / instructions
Refers to directions, guidance, or set instructions given to navigate to a destination.
Nā Koro i hoatu ngā tohutohu ki te marae.
It was Koro who gave the directions to the marae.
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the road / street / highway
Refers to a street, road, or thoroughfare designed for vehicles or pedestrian traffic.
Kei te taha o te huarahi te marae.
The marae is beside the road.
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the road
A common loanword used in modern spoken Māori referring to a paved road or street.
He roa te rori kōpikopiko ki te kāinga.
The winding road home is long.
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the bridge
A loanword referring to a bridge spanning a river, road, or valley.
Ka whakawhiti tātou i te piriti ki tērā taha o te awa.
We will cross the bridge to the other side of the river.
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the corner / bend
Refers to a street corner, intersection bend, or angle along a path.
Kei te kokonga o te huarahi te whare pukapuka.
The library is on the corner of the street.
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the entrance / entry point
An entrance or gateway (Te Aka), including the gateway onto a marae.
E tatari ana ngā manuhiri i te tomokanga o te marae.
The visitors are waiting at the entrance to the marae.
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the door / gate
Refers to a door, entry gate, or physical barrier that opens and closes access to a space.
Kei te tuwhera te kūaha, haere mai ki roto.
The door is open, come on in.
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the port / harbor / anchorage
A landing place for canoes and boats, or a harbour or anchorage (Te Aka). Tauranga is also the name of a city.
Kua ū te waka ki te tauranga.
The canoe has come ashore at the landing place.
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the bus
A loanword referring to a public or private bus used for passenger transit.
Ka eke te kapa haka ki runga i te pahi ki te whakataetae.
The kapa haka group will get on the bus to go to the competition.
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the vehicle / car / canoe
A canoe, and by extension any vehicle: car, bus, plane (waka rererangi). Waka also names the ancestral canoes that people trace their descent from.
Kua kī te waka i te whānau e hoki ana ki te marae.
The car is full of whānau heading back to the marae.
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the map / diagram
Refers to a geographical map, plan, or spatial diagram used for navigation and locating destinations.
Tirohia te mahere kia kitea ai te ara ki te marae.
Look at the map to find the way to the marae.
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the place / location / spot
Refers broadly to a specific place, location, site, or area along a journey or in a town.
He wāhi ātaahua tēnei mō te whakatā me te inu wai.
This is a beautiful spot to rest and drink water.
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place to stay
A place to stay or live. When a group stays at a marae for a hui, the wharenui is often where everyone sleeps.
Ko te wharenui te wāhi noho mō te whānau i te pō.
The wharenui is where the whānau stay at night.
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the side / edge
Refers to the side, margin, or edge of an object, road, or location.
Noho mai ki tōku taha.
Come and sit beside me.
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the left side
Refers specifically to the left-hand side or left direction during navigation.
Huri ki te taha mauī i te pūtahitanga tuatahi.
Turn to the left side at the first intersection.
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the right side
Refers specifically to the right-hand side or right direction during navigation.
Kei te taha matau o te wharenui te wharekai.
The dining hall is on the right side of the meeting house.
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forward / ahead / to the front
A directional phrase indicating movement toward the front, continuing forward, or ahead.
Haere tonu ki mua, ka kite koe i te marae.
Keep going forward and you'll see the marae.
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backward / to the rear / behind
A directional phrase indicating movement toward the back, rear, or behind an object.
Nekehia te tūru ki muri.
Move the chair back.
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upwards / on top / above
A directional phrase meaning upwards, to the top, onto, or above a surface or elevation.
E piki ana mātou ki runga i te maunga i te ata nei.
We are climbing up the mountain this morning.
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downwards / below / underneath
A directional phrase meaning downwards, to the bottom, under, or lower than a given reference point.
Ka heke mātou ki raro ki te takutai.
We'll go down to the beach.
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here / to this place
A locative phrase directing someone to come or look toward the speaker's current location.
Haere mai ki konei, e moko.
Come here, grandchild.
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there / to that place
A directional phrase indicating movement toward a specific place previously mentioned or near the listener.
Ka haere mātou ki reira hei te mutunga o te wiki.
We will go there at the end of the week.
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to the other side / across
A directional phrase used to instruct movement across a street, river, or open space to the opposite side.
Ka whakawhiti mātou i te awa ki tērā taha.
We'll cross the river to the other side.
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here / at this place
A locative phrase indicating present or past position at the speaker's location.
I whānau mai a Kui i konei.
Nan was born here.
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there / at that place
A locative phrase denoting position or presence at a place previously specified or near the listener.
I tupu ake a Koro i reira.
Koro grew up there.
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where is / where are
An interrogative phrase used to ask about the present location of a person, place, or object.
Kei hea te wharekai?
Where is the dining hall?
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how to travel / how do we get there
An interrogative phrase asking for directions or guidance on the mode or path of travel.
Me pēhea te haere ki te marae?
How do we get to the marae?
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where is the road
An everyday navigational phrase used to ask for the location of a specific street, road, or pathway.
Tēnā koe, kei hea te huarahi ki te marae?
Excuse me, where is the road to the marae?
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it is close / nearby
A descriptive statement indicating that a destination or landmark is near.
He tata te marae ki te kāinga o Kui.
The marae is close to Nan's home.
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it is far / distant
A descriptive phrase indicating that a place requires significant travel to reach.
He tawhiti te marae i konei.
The marae is far from here.
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close to here
A locative phrase used to describe a location situated near the speaker's current position.
He tata ki konei te kura o ngā tamariki.
The children's school is close to here.
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go straight ahead
An imperative or instructional phrase telling someone to continue moving directly forward without turning.
Haere tōtika i tēnei huarahi, ka tae atu koe ki te marae.
Go straight along this road and you'll reach the marae.
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move forward / proceed
Directs someone to move or travel in a forward direction toward a destination ahead.
E haere whakamua ana te rōpū ki te tomokanga.
The group is moving forward to the entrance.
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turn left
A standard directional instruction instructing a driver or pedestrian to execute a left turn.
Huri ki mauī i te kokonga.
Turn left at the corner.
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turn right
A standard directional instruction instructing a driver or pedestrian to execute a right turn.
Kia tae koe ki te pūtahitanga, huri ki matau.
When you reach the junction, turn right.
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go back / turn around
Instructs someone to double back, turn around, or reverse direction along a route.
Kua ngaro tātou, me hoki whakamuri.
We're lost, so we should go back.
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arriving there / reach there
Refers to reaching or arriving at a specified distant location or targeted travel destination.
Ka tae atu mātou ki reira i mua i te pō.
We will reach there before nightfall.
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this way / via here
By way of here, this way. Mā marks the route taken.
Haere mai mā konei.
Come this way.
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should wait / must wait
Instructs someone to wait for transport, arrival, or clearance before proceeding further.
Me tatari tātou kia karangatia mai.
We should wait until we are called on.
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has arrived / have arrived
A completed aspect phrase indicating that a vehicle, passenger, or traveler has arrived at the present location.
Kua tae mai te whānau i Ahitereiria.
The whānau have arrived from Australia.
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place to stand / place of belonging
A place where one has the right to stand: where a person belongs through kinship and whakapapa, often their marae or ancestral land (Te Aka). Only those who belong there can call a place their tūrangawaewae.
Ko te marae nei tōna tūrangawaewae.
This marae is her tūrangawaewae.
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home / true home
Home, one's true home, especially a distant one that people return to (Te Aka).
Ka hoki ia ki te wā kāinga ā te raumati.
She'll go back home in the summer.
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home base / communal land
Original home or home base; communal Māori land, often around a marae (Te Aka; also written papakāinga).
Kei te hanga whare hou te whānau ki te papa kāinga.
The whānau are building new houses on the papa kāinga.
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home / village
Home, a village or settlement.
Kua hoki mai ia ki te kāinga.
She has come back home.
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the four winds / all directions
The four winds: the four directions, and figuratively people from everywhere.
I tae mai te iwi mai i ngā hau e whā.
People came from the four winds, from everywhere.
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the north
The north (Te Aka lists raki as "northern"). Raki also means "dry".
Kei te raki te kāinga o Koro.
Koro's home is in the north.
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the south
The south, and the south wind (Te Aka).
Ka hoki mātou ki te tonga ā tērā wiki.
We'll go back south next week.
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the east
The east (Te Aka), where the sun rises.
Ka whiti mai te rā i te rāwhiti.
The sun shines out from the east.
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the west / west wind
The west, and the west wind (Te Aka).
E puhi mai ana te hau i te hauāuru.
The wind is blowing from the west.
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the village
A village; historically a fortified village (Te Aka).
E noho ana te whānau o Kui ki te pā.
Nan's family lives at the pā.
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the district / region
A district, region or territory, or its boundary (Te Aka).
He maha ngā marae i tēnei rohe.
There are many marae in this district.
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the town / city
Town or city (a loanword). Many whānau live in town and travel home to the marae for hui.
E noho ana te nuinga o te whānau ki te tāone.
Most of the whānau live in town.
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to visit
To visit, go to see someone (Te Aka). Toro atu ki: go and visit.
Ka toro atu mātou ki a Kui ā te Rāhoroi.
We'll go and visit Nan on Saturday.
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inland / ashore
Inland, or ashore (Te Aka: uta, the shore from the sea, inland from the coast). The opposite of ki tai.
Kua hoki ngā waka ki uta.
The canoes have come back ashore.
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seaward / towards the coast
Towards the sea or coast (Te Aka: tai). The opposite of ki uta.
Ka heke mātou ki tai ki te hī ika.
We'll go down to the coast to fish.
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inside / into
Into, inside. "I roto i" is the location: inside something.
Kuhu atu ki roto i te wharenui.
Go inside the meeting house.
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outside / out
Out, outside. "I waho" is the location: outside.
Haere ki waho ki te tākaro.
Go outside to play.
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in front of / before
In front of (place) or before (time). With kei for present location: kei mua i.
Kei mua i te wharenui te marae ātea.
The marae ātea is in front of the meeting house.
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behind / after
Behind (place) or after (time).
I muri i te hui, ka hoki mātou ki te kāinga.
After the hui, we'll go home.
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between / among
Between, among, in the middle of (Te Aka: waenganui).
Kei waenganui i ngā maunga e rua te awaawa.
The valley is between the two mountains.
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beyond / to the other side
Beyond, to the far side (Te Aka: tua). Ki tua o: beyond something.
Kei tua o te puke te marae.
The marae is beyond the hill.
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there (near you)
There, near the person spoken to (Te Aka: konā). Compare konei (near me) and korā (over there).
Kei konā tō pukapuka, kei tō taha.
Your book is there, beside you.
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over there
Over there, at a distance from both speakers (Te Aka: korā).
Kei korā te kāinga o Koro.
Koro's house is over there.
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from
From a place or time. Mai i … ki: from … to.
He roa te haerenga mai i te tāone ki te marae.
The trip from town to the marae is long.
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where are you from?
Where are you from? Answered with nō and a place: "Nō Ōtaki au." People may give their home town or where their whānau is from.
Nō hea koe? Nō Ōtaki au.
Where are you from? I'm from Ōtaki.
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where do you live?
Where is your home? Asks where someone lives now, whereas "nō hea koe?" asks where they are from.
Kei hea tō kāinga? Kei Ōtautahi.
Where do you live? In Christchurch.
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pepeha / tribal saying
A tribal saying or set form of words (Te Aka). In introductions, a pepeha names the mountain, river, waka and people a person belongs to. Each pepeha belongs to its people; non-Māori introduce themselves through their own ancestry instead.
I kōrero a Aroha i tana pepeha i te hui.
Aroha gave her pepeha at the hui.
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the walk / trek / march
A walk, trek or journey; also a protest march (Te Aka).
He roa te hīkoi ki te marae.
It is a long walk to the marae.
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go away / go off
Go away from the speaker. Atu marks movement away; mai marks movement towards (mi.md §4.15).
Kua haere atu rātou ki te tāone.
They have gone off to town.
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let's go (you and I)
Let's go, you and I. Tāua is inclusive: the listener and the speaker.
Me haere tāua ki te toro i a Koro.
Let's go and visit Koro, you and me.
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be careful / take care
Be careful, take care. Often said to someone setting off on a journey (Te Aka: tūpato).
Kia tūpato i te huarahi, e hoa.
Take care on the road, friend.
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by car / by vehicle
By car or vehicle. Mā runga marks how you travel: mā runga pahi, by bus.
I haere mātou mā runga waka ki te marae.
We went to the marae by car.
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New Zealand
The Māori name now used for New Zealand. Te Aka notes it originally named the North Island.
Nau mai, hoki mai ki Aotearoa.
Welcome back home to Aotearoa.
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the North Island
The North Island: the fish of Māui, from the widely known story of Māui fishing up the land. The story is told differently by different iwi.
Kei Te Ika-a-Māui te kāinga o tōku whānau.
My whānau's home is in the North Island.
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the South Island
The South Island, named for pounamu (greenstone). It is also called Te Waka-a-Māui.
Ka rere mātou ki Te Waipounamu ā tērā marama.
We'll fly to the South Island next month.
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the return / homecoming
The return, the coming back (Te Aka: hokinga, return).
I koa a Kui i te hokinga mai o tana mokopuna.
Nan was happy that her grandchild came back.
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the voyaging canoe
A double-hulled voyaging canoe (Te Aka). Voyaging on waka hourua has been revived in recent decades.
E rere ana te waka hourua i te moana nui.
The voyaging canoe is sailing on the open ocean.
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from afar
From far away (Te Aka: tawhiti, the distance).
Kua tae mai ngā whanaunga i tawhiti.
Relatives have come from far away.
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come back
Come back, return towards the speaker.
Hoki mai ki te kāinga ā te Kirihimete.
Come back home at Christmas.
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the arrival
Arrival, the coming of someone (Te Aka: taenga).
Ka tīmata te pōwhiri i te taenga mai o ngā manuhiri.
The pōwhiri will begin when the visitors arrive.
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to leave / set off
To leave or depart (Te Aka: wehe, to separate).
Ka wehe atu mātou i te ata āpōpō.
We'll leave tomorrow morning.
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overseas / abroad
Overseas, abroad; the other side of the sea (Te Aka). A locative, so it takes no article: ki tāwāhi.
E noho ana tōku tuakana ki tāwāhi.
My older sibling lives overseas.
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come closer
Come closer, approach the speaker (Te Aka: whakatata).
Whakatata mai ki te ahi.
Come closer to the fire.
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move over / move along
Move over, move along, away from the speaker (Te Aka: neke, to move).
Neke atu, kia noho mai a Koro.
Move over so Koro can sit down.
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go together
Go together, travel together.
Ka haere tahi tātou ki te marae.
We'll all go to the marae together.
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the direction
Direction of movement, bearing (Te Aka).
Kua huri te ahunga o te hau.
The wind has changed direction.
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the home fires / those who keep the home place
The burning fires of occupation (Te Aka): the people who stay on and keep a home place and its marae alive. It also refers to rights to land through long occupation.
Ko ngā kaumātua o te kāinga te ahi kā.
The elders at home are the ones keeping the home fires burning.
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