Aotearoa
/aoˈtearoa/
The Maori word for New Zealand is Aotearoa.
Aotearoa is used to refer to the country of New Zealand.
Meaning: country in Oceania (name)
How do you pronounce it?
/aoˈtearoa/
When do people say it?
Aotearoa translates to 'Land of the Long White Cloud'.
Did you know?
- Before Aotearoa became the common name, the indigenous population referred to the land as Te Ika-nui-a-Māui, which means 'The great fish of Māui'.
- The descriptive nature of Aotearoa follows a common Polynesian naming tradition of naming lands based on visual landmarks seen during navigation.
- In modern New Zealand, Aotearoa is often used alongside 'New Zealand' in official documents and signs to honor the country's bicultural identity.
Examples in context
- He noho pai i Aotearoa!Living in New Zealand is great!
- E noho ana au i Aotearoa.I am living in Aotearoa.
- Ko Aotearoa te whenua e noho ana au.Aotearoa is the country where I live.
Example conversation
Tane and Anahera are talking about their hometowns.
- TaneNō hea koe, Anahera?Where are you from, Anahera?
- AnaheraNō Aotearoa au.I am from New Zealand.
- TaneHe wāhi pai tēnā.That is a good place.
- AnaheraĀe, he tino pai Aotearoa.Yes, New Zealand is very good.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “new zealand” translations and entries Aotearoa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Aotearoa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
