Ōtautahi
Ōtautahi is the Māori name for the city of Christchurch in New Zealand.
Ōtautahi is used to refer to the city of Christchurch.
Meaning: a city in New Zealand (name)
Did you know?
- The name Ōtautahi refers to the 'place of the establishing of a camp', reflecting the site's history as a strategic settlement before European arrival.
- In official New Zealand government documents and signage, the city is often referred to by both names as Ōtautahi Christchurch.
- The name Ōtautahi contains a double vowel sound at the start, where the 'ō' is held slightly longer than a standard English 'o'.
Examples in context
- Kia ora, e haere ana ahau ki Ōtautahi i te wā nei.Hello, I am going to Christchurch right now.
- Ko wai e noho ana i Te Whenua o ngā Tūāhuriri?Who lives in Christchurch?
- Kei Ōtautahi tōku whanaunga.My relative is in Ōtautahi.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about travel plans over the phone.
- ArohaKa haere koe ki Ōtautahi?Are you going to Ōtautahi?
- ManaiaAe, ka haere au ki Ōtautahi.Yes, I am going to Ōtautahi.
- ArohaKei te pai tēnā!That is good!
- ManaiaKa kite i a koe.See you later.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “christchurch” translations and entries Ōtautahi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
