rawe
The Maori word for awesome is rawe.
rawe is an adjective used to describe something as excellent or exciting.
Meaning: excellent, exciting (adj)
Which one should you use?
While rawe is the standard adjective for awesome, other phrases offer different nuances. Pai rawa! is used to mean something is really good or very cool, Tino pai! is a friendly and enthusiastic way to say awesome and Tino whakmiharo! is used to express utter amazement or awe.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say "It is awesome" or to describe "An awesome [thing]", you often place the particle he before rawe, as in He rawe.
Did you know?
- The word rawe shares a common ancestor with the Samoan word lave, making it part of a larger linguistic family across the Pacific.
- In Maori, the word rawa can mean 'too much' or 'extreme', which is why pai rawa translates to 'really good'.
- A person might use rawe to describe a person's performance or a piece of art, but it is less common to use it to describe a person's character itself.
Examples in context
- He rawe te kaupapa!The project is awesome!
- Rawe tō mahi.Your work is awesome.
- He kaupapa rawe tēnei.This is an exciting project.
Example conversation
Anahera and Rawiri are looking at a painting.
- AnaheraTitiro, he rawe tēnei toi!Look, this art is awesome!
- RawiriĀe, he rawe tonu.Yes, it really is awesome.
- AnaheraKo wai te kaitohi?Who is the artist?
- RawiriEhara i a au e mōhi ana.I don't know.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry rawe, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries rawe, CC BY-SA 4.0.
