This post may contain affiliate links to tours and hotels. These help us earn a small commission at no additional charge to you.
Heading out to New Zealand soon? Or already living here and confused by the locals own set of unique slang? Well fear not – here is my essential beginners guide to ‘kiwispeak’ – the words and phrases that make no sense at all and will probably come up in conversation.
Aotearoa: Maori name for ‘New Zealand’ (meaning land of the long white cloud)
Bach: (pronounced ‘batch’) Holiday home usually by the sea
Bro: Mate
Bubbles: Prosecco/champagne
Chilly bin: Cool box
Chips: Crisps
Choice: Good/cool
Chook: Chicken
Churs: Thanks
Dairy: Newsagents/small supermarket
Eh? A word used at the end of a sentence – don’t you agree?
Far out! Wow – excitement or disappointment
Gumboots: Wellington boots
Haere man: Welcome (in Maori)
Haka: A Maori ceremonial war dance
Hangi: Traditional Maori cooking method using an underground earth oven
Heaps: Lots of
Hokey pokey: Vanilla ice cream with honeycomb toffee pieces
Hot chips: Chips (pronounced ‘hot chups’)
Jafa: Abbreviation for ‘Just another f**king Aucklander’ (a derogatory term!)
Jandals: Flip flops
Keen: Used when someone is enthusiastic about something
Kia Ora: Hello (in Maori)
Kiwi: A flightless bird or a person from New Zealand
Lollies: Sweets
Motu: Island
Not even: No way
OE: Overseas experience
Op shop: Charity/vintage shop
Pom or Pommie: Someone from the UK
Puke: Hill
Stoked: Happy
Stubbies: Short shorts!
Sweet as: No worries
Tiki Tour: To take the long route
Togs: Swimsuit
Tramping: Hiking
Wop wops: In the middle of nowhere
Yeah, nah: A polite no
Another note – Kiwi’s province the vowel ‘e’ as an ‘i’ – so if someone invites you have a beer and sit on their ‘dick’….they mean their ‘deck’ hehe 🙂
Have I missed anything out? Leave me a message in the comments!
More New Zealand blog posts
Things to do in Queenstown, New Zealand
A day trip to Milford Sound, New Zealand
A Guide to Arrowtown, New Zealand
Wine Tasting at Gibbston Valley, Queenstown
Visiting the Monteith’s brewery in Greymouth
20 New Zealand food and drinks items you need to try
Steampunk HQ Gallery in Oamaru
Delivering post on the Picton Mail Boat Cruise, New Zealand
More New Zealand blog posts by other bloggers
Things to do in Tongariro National Park
Fun family activites in Taupo New Zealand
No Comments