ata mārie
/ˈata ˈmaːrie/
The English phrase "good morning" is translated into Māori as ata mārie.
ata mārie is used when seeing someone for the first time in the morning, while Mōrena is also a word used to say good morning in Māori.
Meaning: when seeing someone for the first time in the morning (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ata mārie is composed of ata (morning) and mārie (peaceful, calm or good).
Which one should you use?
Mōrena is another option used to say good morning.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈata ˈmaːrie/
Did you know?
- In some contexts, the root of ata can relate to the 'soul' or 'spirit', suggesting a deeper spiritual connection than just a simple time of day.
- In Māori culture, the concept of 'peace' found in mārie is closely related to the idea of balance and harmony within a community.
- While ata mārie is a traditional construction, many modern Māori speakers use Mōrena, which is a direct transliteration of the English word 'morning'.
Examples in context
- Ata mārie ki a koe.Good morning to you.
- Ata mārie, e hoa.Good morning, friend.
Example conversation
Tane sees Maia outside her house in the early morning.
- TaneAta mārie, Maia.Good morning, Maia.
- MaiaAta mārie, Tane.Good morning, Tane.
- TaneKei te pēhea koe?How are you?
- MaiaKei te pai ahau.I am well.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good morning” translations and entries ata mārie, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ata, ata mārie, mārie, CC BY-SA 4.0.
