Whakataukī are short, concise statements that use symbolism and metaphor to convey key messages.
They embody the values, wisdom, wit, and common-sense of tāngata whenua.
| id | whakataukī | saying |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | he pā whakaruru hau | a shelter from the storm |
| 2 | he rau ringa e oti ai | many hands make light work |
| 3 | he waka eke noa | a shared resource |
| 4 | ko te kai rapu ko ia te kite | those who seek will find |
| 5 | nā te waewae i kimi | those who seek will find |
| 6 | he pai rangi tahi | the beauty of a single day |
| 7 | ka mate koe i te kai hikareti | smoking kills you |
| 8 | he ihu kurī, he tangata haere | as a dog follows a scent, a wayfarer looks for an open door |
| 9 | te amorangi ki mua, te hāpai ō ki muri | the priest leads while the food carrier follows |
| 10 | waikato taniwha rau: he piko, he taniwha, he piko he taniwha | waikato of a hundred taniwhaa |
| 11 | waikato horo pounamu | waikato that swallows greenstone |
| 12 | e kore te pātiki e hoki ki tōna puehu | the flounder does not go back to the mud it has stirred |
| 13 | he urunga tangata he urunga pāhekeheke, he urunga oneone, mau tonu | to rest on human support is unreliable, to rest on terra-firma is sure |
| 14 | he wāhine, he whenua, ka ngaro te tangata | for a woman and land, men perish |
| 15 | he kokonga whare e kitea, he kokonga ngākau e kore e kitea | you may detect a flaw in a house, you cannot a flaw in the human heart |
| 16 | totohu ahiahi, whakarere harata | beastful in the evening, reticent in the morning |
| 17 | he kai kei aku ringa | there’s plenty with my hands |
| 18 | ma whero, ma pango, ka oti te mahi | by red and black a job is finished |
| 19 | ka mate kāinga tahi ka ora kāinga rua | when one home fails, have another to go to |
| 20 | kua āta haere, muri tata kino | to start early is leisurely, but to race against time is desperate |
| 21 | e mua kaikai, e muri kai huare | early arrivals have the pick, but late comers may only get spittal |
| 22 | ngaro atu he tētēkura, whakaeke mai he tētēkura | when one chief disappears another is ready to appear |
| 23 | moe ana te mata hī tuna, ara ana te kitaua | eel catchers may sleep but sentries do not |
| 24 | te ai he ata kē | not a morning passes but he appears |
| 25 | he pai aha to te tutua? | can any good be expected from the low-born |
| 26 | he kai tangata he kai titonga kaki; | deep at eating but shallow at work |
| 27 | hōhonu kaki, pāpaku nana | deep at eating but shallow at work |
| 28 | he kōrero ahiahi na tiketikeirangi | it’s an overnight boast off blow-hard |
| 29 | he kai iti ma tangata kotahi e kai kia rangona ai te reka | if there is little of food, let one eat it so that it can be enjoyed |
| 30 | he tangata takahi manuhiri, he marae puehu | the marae is disreputable when guests are not respected |
| 31 | te kaihoki i waiaua rā | here we starve when there is abundance at waiaua |
| 32 | haere maha mahue maha | mutually satisfied |
| 33 | e tama, tangata i akona i te whare, te tūranga ki te marae tau ana | because you were taught at home, you shape well in public |
| 34 | e, kaua e ako marae | don’t begin to learn in public |
| 35 | te anga karaka, te anga koura, kei kitea ki te marae | don’t leave about your place, shells of karaka berries and of crayfish |
| 36 | ka ngaro te reo tangata, kiiki o manu | human voices are silent except the twittering of birds |
| 37 | he kai titowera rawa hoki nāu te wai? | is it much trouble to prepare a drink of water? |
| 38 | he huahua te kai? a, he wai te kai | are preserved pigeons the chief food? no, its water |
| 39 | he iti hōpua wai ka hē te manawa | it may be a shallow pool, yet it may drown |
| 40 | toitū he kāinga, whatu ngarongaro he tangata | while the land remains the inhabitants are gone |
| 41 | he manako te koura i kore ai | crayfish are scarce when they are expected |
| 42 | he aha ta te rora? | what can be expected from a common person? |
| 43 | he mahi ta te āta noho, e kii ana wheke | to sit still is to do something, so says wheke |
| 44 | waiho ma te tangata e mihi, kia tau ai | it would be better to let others praise |
| 45 | he harore rangi tahi | it’s like a mushroom that lives but a day |
| 46 | tāu kai te rangatira he kōrero, ta te ware he muhukai | the rangatira relishes talk while the nobody is inattentive |
| 47 | he taonga tonu te wareware | forgetfulness is to be reckoned with always |
| 48 | he maroro kokati ihu waka | the flying-fish that cuts across the bow of the canoe |
| 49 | he ngaro tangata ora | it’s the absence of one livingnot one dead |
| 50 | he tāne māu hei te ringa raupo | marry a man with blistered handsa worker |
| 51 | he tangi to te tamariki, he whakamā to te pakeke | when the impudent child cries, the elder blushes |
| 52 | kia mate ururoa, kei mate wheke | fight like a shark, don’t give in like an octopus |
| 53 | ruia taitea kia tū ko taikaka anake | cast off the sap, leave only the heart |
| 54 | kia āta akiaki i au, he kai ka mate kai te hara o te kaki | don’t hurry me, there is something that tickles my palate |
| 55 | take kōanga, whakapiri ngahuru | aloof at planting time, friendly at harvest |
| 56 | ngahuru, kai hāngai, kōanga kai anga kē | at harvest time one eats openly, at spring time one eats in a corner |
| 57 | tukuna mai ki a au ki hikurangi, ki te maunga e tauria ana e te huka | let him come to me, to hikurangi, the mountain covered with snow |
| 58 | he au kei uta e taea te karo, he au kei te moana e kore e taea | you may dodge smoke on land, but you cannot dodge current at sea |
| 59 | ka kō nga kopara a rongomaitapui | the bell-birds of rongomaitapui do chirp |
| 60 | nga paniwhaniwha ngau pūraho a te aotauru | te aotautu’s biting snappers |
| 61 | arā te rongo kōrero e pihi rā i tawhiti a pawa, takoto noa waimahuru | while tidings go over tawhiti a pawa, waimahuru remains solitary |
| 62 | patua i tahatu o te rangi, waiho tangata haere wā, kia haere na, kia rongo ai i te kōrero | strike at distance, leave alone the casual way-farer so that you may hear news |
| 63 | ngāti nua hiku potakataka | ngāti nua of the plump tail |
| 64 | ngai tāne ngau pūtahi | ngai tāne heart-eating |
| 65 | hei ahau tonu koe waru ai? | a nuisance |
| 66 | he oma a tawhata i ora ai | discretion is the better part of valour |
| 67 | ka pū te ruha, ka hao te rangatahi | the old net is cast aside, while the new net goes a-catching |
| 68 | titiro ki opou, ki te pā o kaitoa | look at opou where kaitoa lives |
| 69 | werohia ki te poho o huatare | appeal to huatore’s stomach |
| 70 | ka whanga te kai ki tua o toka 0rurunga | why wait for food beyond tokararangi? |
| 71 | haere tāua ki waiapu, ki tatara e maru ana | let us go to waiapu, the sheltering cape |
| 72 | puraho māku, kei ngaure o mahi | to catch fish you must place your basket in the water |
| 73 | e mate ana i a au, e ora ana i a te waranga | though i perish,te waranga lives |
| 74 | e tū, e tū, te rangona hoki te reka o te kai | how can i taste the sweetness of your food? |