te wāhi e noho nei koe
The Maori phrase for "where you live" is te wāhi e noho nei koe.
This phrase refers to the place or address where a person currently resides.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Maori place names vary by region. In the South Island, Invercargill is called Waihōpai, Nelson is called Whakatū and Dunedin is called Ōtepoti. In the North Island, Gisborne is called Tūranga, Napier is called Ahuriri and New Plymouth is called Ngāmotu.
Did you know?
- In Maori culture, describing te wāhi e noho nei koe often involves mentioning your ancestral mountains and rivers rather than just a street address.
- The verb noho actually means 'to sit' in many Polynesian languages, suggesting that 'living' is conceptually linked to the act of sitting or staying put.
- The word noho is related to the Tagalog word luklok and the Malay word duduk, both of which mean 'to sit'.
Examples in context
- Kei Hāmilton ahau e noho ana.I live in Hamilton.
- Ko te wāhi e noho nei koe he tino ataahua.The place where you live is very beautiful.
Example conversation
Kahu and Manaia are discussing their homes.
- KahuKahu, he aha te wāhi e noho nei koe?Kahu, where do you live?
- ManaiaE noho nei au ki te tāone.I live in the city.
- KahuHe wāhi ataahua tēnā e noho nei koe.That is a beautiful place where you live.
- ManaiaĀe, he pai tonu te wāhi.Yes, the place is very good.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries koe, noho, te, CC BY-SA 4.0.
