Language-wise, it wasn’t hard for us to adjust when we got here in New Zealand. It’s a mainly English-speaking country but there are some phrases and words that Kiwis use differently. Te Reo Maori is also a language that is spoken in New Zealand, and some Te Reo words will often find their way into conversations.
Here are a couple of phrases and words that you’ll most likely hear in conversations here in New Zealand.
Kia Ora
You’ll hear this very often, because it is a standard greeting used by everyone in New Zealand. It basically means “hello”, or “be well, be healthy”.
Haere Mai (hi-reh my)/Haere Ra
You will see this phrase in many town signs, in the airport, everywhere!. Haere Mai means “Welcome”. Haere Ra means “Goodbye”.
She’ll be ‘right/No worries
Kiwis are very chill and relaxed people. So these two phrases almost mean the same. In Filipino, it’s the equivalent of “okay lang yan”.
Tiki Tour
“We went right on a Tiki tour to the North island”, as my officemate once told me. A Tiki Tour means a journey with no destination in mind, or going by a long route to a destination.
Sweet As
When I first heard this spoken to me, I was waiting for what came next–sweet as….what? But no, Kiwi’s use this to mean “okay” or “cool”. For example: “I’m gonna go to the beach tomorrow”. You can respond with “Sweet As”.
Bach (pronounced as “batch”)
This refers to family vacation homes, usually near the beach.
Flick
In our office, this means “send”. For example: “I’m gonna flick an email to her right now”.
Whanau (pronounced as “fa-nau”)
This means “family”.
Ka Pai (pronounced as “ka-pie”)
This means “Well Done” or “Good Job”
Yeah, Nah
This was quite confusing when I first heard it in conversation. For example, you ask: “Do you want some ice cream?” Then someone can say “Yeah, nah. I’ll be ‘right”. Confusing, huh? Usually, this is a polite “no”.
Hokey Pokey
In the Philippines or in other English-speaking countries, this is a nursery rhyme “…you do the hokey pokey, and you turn yourself around…”. In New Zealand, hokey pokey is a honeycomb toffee, that is usually mixed into ice cream or candy. It is yummy!
‘eh?/ey
Sometimes, I find myself ending my sentences with “eh/ey”. It’s normal here in New Zealand. “The weather’s good today, ‘eh?”
Chur
This can mean “Thanks” or “Cheers”
Here are a couple more things that have a different name here in New Zealand.
Togs = Bathing Suit
Jandals =Slippers
Gumboots = Rubber boots
Dairy = Corner Store
Tomato Sauce=Ketchup
Chilly Bin = cooler
Op Shop = Thrift Shop/2nd Hand Store
Lolly = lollipop/chocolates
There’s still a lot more Kiwi expressions and words to learn, but these are some of the most commonly used. It can get confusing in the beginning, but soon you’ll learn to understand, just based on context clues, or even by asking your Kiwi friends about what they mean.
I hope you find these words useful when you visit New Zealand!
