Tena koe is a formal Maori greeting used when addressing a single person — think of it as the te reo equivalent of 'greetings to you.' In New Zealand it appears in schools, workplaces, and official settings as part of the country's biculturalism.
Tena koe is a formal Maori greeting used when addressing a single person — think of it as the te reo equivalent of 'greetings to you.' In New Zealand it appears in schools, workplaces, and official settings as part of the country's biculturalism. It's respectful and warm, marking the speaker as someone who honours Maori language and custom.
She opened the presentation with tena koe and the whole room felt a little more connected.
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
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(NZ, as a form of address) Mate, friend.
(New Zealand) A greeting, in Maori culture.
(New Zealand) The Māori language.
A New Zealand term for a species of kiwi (Apteryx australis), native to the South Island and Stewart Island of New Zealand. Borrowed from Maori, the word is the standard common name for this species in New Zealand English. Not slang; a legitimate species name used in wildlife and conservation contexts.
(New Zealand) A greeting (to a single person).
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