Loving words and phrases you can tell your partner in te reo Māori

You may have heard that French is the language of love … but you will find that it's ACTUALLY New Zealand’s native language te reo Māori!

And as it is Māori Language Week, Te Wiki o te Reo Māori 2024 we've decided to prove it by sharing some ātaahua (beautiful) words that you can say in te reo to the one you aroha (love) – or anyone really!

So if you want to show someone you care, why not try out one of these five romantic phrases?

Ka nui taku aroha ki a koe 

Which means: "I love you so much"

E mutunga kore ana taku aroha ki a koe 

Which means: "My love for you is endless"

Taku kuru pounamu 

Which means: "My precious one"

E te tau 

Which means: "My darling"

Kare

Which means: "Honey/darling"

Mō ngā waiata reo Māori, whakarongo mai ki a ZM

For songs in te reo Māori, listen to ZM