Te Kupu o Te Wiki – Mahana (warm)

Kia ora. To encourage the use of Te Reo Māori we are publishing weekly kupu (words) and phrases that can be used with children.

Whakatauki

Tā te tamaiti mahi, he wawāhi tahā

It is the job of the children to smash the calabash

This proverb is similar to “boys will be boys”. The calabash was a valuable tool for the transportation of food and water and was also used to heat water. A child who has clumsy and of a playful nature has no idea of the importance of this tool and through neglect may accidentally break it. This is not the fault of the child and they should not be punished for what is their nature.

Kīwaha (idiom)

Koia kei a koe
What a sad guy

Kupu (word)

mahana
warm

Kei te mahana te wai?
Is the water warm?

• Hear the Ngā Rerenga Kōrero o te Wiki – Phrase of the week.
• Browse our Te Reo Māori resources.
• Previous Te Kupu o te reo Māori posts.