haere mai
/ˈhaere ˈmai/word by word
In Maori, the English phrase "welcome" is expressed as haere mai. Wiktionary also lists nau mai and tautimai.
Meaning: greeting given upon someone's arrival (intj)
Ways to say it
| Maori | IPA |
|---|---|
| haere mai | /ˈhaere ˈmai/ (word by word) |
| nau mai | |
| tautimai | |
| tahuti mai. |
These terms are used as a greeting given upon someone's arrival. While haere mai is a common way to welcome someone, you can also use nau mai or tautimai depending on the context and tahuti mai. is also a form of welcome.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase haere mai is composed of haere (to go or come) and the particle mai, which indicates movement towards the speaker.
Which one should you use?
Nau mai is often used in more formal or ceremonial contexts, such as welcoming a group to a marae or a formal event.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The direction of movement is indicated by particles. Changing the particle mai (towards the speaker) to atu (away from the speaker) changes the meaning from "welcome/come here" to "go away" (as in haere atu).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈhaere ˈmai/
Did you know?
- In formal welcomes, speakers may use nau mai alongside a hongi, a traditional greeting where two people press their noses and foreheads together.
- In Māori culture, the act of welcoming guests involves the concept of manaakitanga, which emphasizes the sacred duty of the host to care for and protect the visitor.
- The particle mai links Maori to a vast linguistic family, sharing the same ancestral root as the Hawaiian word mai.
Examples in context
- Kia ora, nau mai ki Aotearoa!Welcome to New Zealand!
- Nau mai ki te whare! Haere mai!Welcome to the house! Come on in!
- Haere mai ki te kura, e hoa! He pai ki te kite i a koe!Welcome to school, my friend! It's good to see you!
- Haere mai ki tōku kāinga.Welcome to my home.
- Haere mai ki te hui.Welcome to the meeting.
- Haere mai ki te pā.Welcome to the village.
Example conversation
Tane welcomes Anahera to a community gathering.
- TaneHaere mai, Anahera!Welcome, Anahera!
- AnaheraNgā mihi nui ki a koe, Tane.Thank you very much, Tane.
- TaneKei te pai te hui?Is the meeting good?
- AnaheraAe, he pai rawa.Yes, it is very good.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “welcome” translations and entries haere mai, nau mai, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (haere, mai) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mai, CC BY-SA 4.0.
