Help and emergencies in Maori
The words you hope to never need. Play the ten Maori words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 10 Maori phrases in this lesson
- Āwhina mai!AH-fee-na MY
- Help!
- Waea atu ki te tākuta!WY-a A-too kee teh TAH-koo-ta
- Call a doctor
- Pirihimanapee-ree-hee-MA-na
- Police
- Whare rongoāFAH-reh ROH-ngor-ah
- Pharmacy
- HōhiperaHOR-hee-peh-ra
- Hospital
- Kua ngaro auKOO-a NGA-roh OH
- I'm lost
- Kei te māuiui aukay teh MAH-oo-ee-oo-ee OH
- I don't feel well
- I tāhaetiaee TAH-high-tee-a
- It was stolen
- He ohotata tēneiheh or-hor-TA-ta TAY-nay
- It's an emergency
- Waiho auWHY-hor OH
- Leave me alone
Āwhina is help, and mai points it toward you. The emergency number is 111.
Waea is to phone and tākuta is doctor. For health advice day or night, Healthline is 0800 611 116.
From English policeman. The non-emergency number is 105.
Literally medicine house. Rongoā also means traditional Māori healing.
From English hospital. Accident care is covered for visitors too, through the ACC scheme.
Ngaro means lost or missing. Kua marks something that has happened.
Māuiui means sick or unwell. Kei te mamae tōku upoko is my head hurts.
The passive of tāhae, to steal. I tāhaetia taku pēke, my bag was stolen.
The emergency number is 111.
Literally "leave me".