Well-known Maori whakataukī (proverbs) and figurative expressions with their meanings explained. Front: the Maori idiom. Back: English meaning and usage note.
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- He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata.
- What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people.
- Nāku te rourou, nāu te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi.
- With your food basket and my food basket, the people will thrive (a proverb about cooperation)
- Ka mate kāinga tahi, ka ora kāinga rua.
- If one house fails, a second house will survive (a proverb about resilience and having options)
- E kore au e ngaro; he kākano i ruia mai i Rangiātea.
- I will never be lost; I am a seed sown from Rangiātea (a proverb about identity and heritage)
- Mā te huruhuru ka rere te manu.
- Adorned with feathers, the bird can fly (a proverb about the value of preparation and support)
- He waka eke noa
- A canoe that everyone boards, meaning a shared endeavor that includes everyone
- Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini.
- My strength is not that of one alone, but the strength of many
- Kotahi te kohao o te ngira e kuhuna ai te miro mā, te miro whero, te miro pango.
- There is but one eye of the needle through which the white, red, and black threads must pass (a proverb about unity despite differences)
- Whāia te iti kahurangi.
- Seek that which is precious, pursue your highest goals
- Ka pū te ruha, ka hao te rangatahi.
- As the old net withers, the new net goes fishing (a proverb about generational change)
- He kōkōnga whare e kitea, he kōkōnga ngākau e kore e kitea.
- A corner of a house may be seen, but a corner of the heart cannot, meaning true feelings are hidden
- Tama tū, tama ora; tama noho, tama mate.
- The person who stands and acts will thrive; the person who sits idle will fail
- Kia whakatōmuri te haere whakamua.
- I walk backward into the future (describes looking to the past to move forward)
- E tū kahikatea
- Stand like a kahikatea tree, which grows together in a grove for strength, a proverb about standing together
- Unuhia te rito o te harakeke
- Pluck out the heart of the flax bush, and where would the bellbird find rest, a proverb about protecting the young
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