If you want to start using te reo Māori in your everyday life and real conversation, it helps to be able to talk about dates, seasons, and daily routines. By learning the months in Māori, you'll also learn how Māori timekeeping relates to the natural world. Here, we'll learn the names of the months, their meanings, pronunciation, and how to use them in sentences.
Key Takeaways
- Māori months come from the maramataka, the Māori lunar calendar.
- Each month has a traditional meaning linked to the environment or seasonal activity.
- Loanword forms like Hanuere and Pēpuere help beginners match Māori months to the English calendar.
- Māori month names are easy to use in sentences once you learn the basic structures.
- Some iwi use slight variations of the month names, reflecting regional maramataka knowledge.
What the Māori Months Are and How They Work
The Māori months are from the maramataka, the Māori lunar calendar. This means they're based on the moon and environmental patterns. However, these months are easier to learn if you align them with the Gregorian calendar, which you can also do with the days in Māori. They still carry their original seasonal and cultural meanings, and understanding how the Māori months developed can be useful for learning the words, how to spell them, and how associations may differ across sources or iwi.
Māori month names often describe natural changes, seasonal patterns, or activities that traditionally took place at that time of year. These meanings come from the maramataka, the Māori lunar calendar, which is closely connected to the environment. Understanding this helps learners appreciate why Māori months do not always align perfectly with the modern calendar.
people now live in areas where schools offer Māori language programmes or Māori-medium education.
Why Traditional Names Differ From English Months
Different origins: Traditional Māori month names come from lunar cycles and environmental changes. In contrast, English month names come from Latin and Roman history.
Seasonal ties: Many Māori names describe weather patterns, planting times, or food cycles, giving each month a practical meaning.
Regional variations: Some iwi adapted names according to local landscapes or seasonal differences, which explains minor variations across Aotearoa.
Māori Lunar Calendar vs Modern Gregorian Calendar
Moon-based system: The maramataka follows the phases of the moon rather than fixed dates, so months traditionally shifted with the natural world.
Modern alignment: For learning purposes, today’s Māori months are matched to the 12 English months, even though this was not historically exact.
Cultural significance: Modern teaching makes the months easier to use, while the maramataka preserves deeper knowledge tied to Matariki, planting, and harvesting.
Why Māori Months Have Natural and Seasonal Meanings
Environmental markers: The names often refer to frost, warmth, sheltering, planting, or the behaviour of wind and rain.
Lifestyle clues: They reflect activities carried out at that time of year, such as harvesting or gathering kai.
Learning benefit: Knowing these meanings helps learners remember the months more easily and understand Māori views of time.
The 12 Māori Months and Their Meanings
Just like the hours on the clock when telling the time in Māori. However, that may be the case now, but the months in te reo Māori weren't based on the Gregorian calendar, so instead, they've only been aligned with them for simplicity and practicality. Nevertheless, here are the 12 to help you learn them.
| English Month | Traditional Māori Name | Loanword Form | Meaning / Notes | Pronunciation (NZ English guide) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Kohitātea | Hanuere | Linked with new beginnings | koh-hee-tah-TEH-ah |
| February | Huitanguru | Pēpuere | Associated with late summer | hoo-ee-tah-ngoo-roo |
| March | Poutūterangi | Māehe | Connected with harvest period | poe-too-teh-RAH-nghee |
| April | Paengawhāwhā | Āperira | Linked with planting and cultivation | pae-ngah-fah-fah |
| May | Haratua | Mei | End of harvest period | hah-rah-TOO-ah |
| June | Pipiri | Hune | Beginning of winter | pee-pee-ree |
| July | Hōngongoi | Hūrae | Deep winter and cold season | haw-ngaw-ngoy |
| August | Hereturikōkā | Ākuhata | Associated with sheltering and warmth | heh-reh-too-ree-KAW-kah |
| September | Mahuru | Hepetema | Start of spring | mah-HOO-roo |
| October | Whiringa-ā-nuku | Ōketopa | Early warm season | fih-ree-ngah-ah-NOO-koo |
| November | Whiringa-ā-rangi | Noema | Settled spring weather | fih-ree-ngah-ah-RAH-nghee |
| December | Hakihea | Tīhema | Start of summer and celebrations | hah-kee-HEH-ah |
Kohitātea (January)
Huitanguru (February)
Poutūterangi (March)
Paengawhāwhā (April)
Haratua (May)
Pipiri (June)
Hōngongoi (July)
Hereturikōkā (August)
Mahuru (September)
Whiringa-ā-nuku (October)
Whiringa-ā-rangi (November)
Hakihea (December)
Loanwords and Modern Usage of the Māori Months
Modern learners will likely encounter two sets of Māori month names: the traditional maramataka names and newer loanwords such as Hanuere or Pēpuere. These loanwords make it easier to align the Māori months with the Gregorian system used in schools, workplaces, and government documents. If you feel like this is too advanced for your level, perhaps start with the numbers in Maori.
Loanwords were introduced to make it easier for speakers to match Māori months with the modern Gregorian calendar used in Aotearoa. These forms are simpler for beginners because they closely resemble English month names. Many classrooms teach both sets of month names so students can use the version that suits their level and context.
Why Loanwords Like Hanuere and Pēpuere Exist
Simpler for beginners: Loanwords resemble English names closely, which reduces confusion for new learners.
Standardisation needs: Schools, government agencies, and signage needed a consistent set of Māori names that aligned with fixed dates.
Modern communication: They work well for bilingual documents, apps, calendars, and official resources.
Differences Between Traditional and Modern Classroom Usage
Traditional names: These focus on seasonal meaning and cultural knowledge from the maramataka.
Loanword names: These focus on ease of pronunciation and matching English months.
Teaching practice: Many educators use both, encouraging students to understand the meaning while using the system that fits the context.
Why Spellings Can Vary Across Resources
Iwi differences: Each iwi’s maramataka can have unique month names, spellings, or timing.
Historical sources: Older Māori language books sometimes use outdated spelling conventions.
Standardisation in schools: Modern resources use standard macrons and updated orthography, which explains minor differences from older dictionaries.
Using Māori Months in Sentences
The maramataka is the Māori lunar calendar that guided planting, fishing, and gathering. The months followed moon phases rather than fixed numerical dates. This meant that the timings shifted each year. While learners will learn the 12-month list aligned with the Gregorian calendar, you must understand the cultural significance of the maramataka within the Māori environmental knowledge system.
primary and intermediate schools in New Zealand teach te reo Māori as part of a daily or weekly classroom calendar routine, including months, days, and weather.
How Māori Months Connect to Seasons and Activities
Pipiri: Start of winter, associated with gathering warmth and preparing for the cold.
Mahuru: Spring begins, linked to new growth and planting.
Hakihea: Early summer and celebrations.
Why Matariki Marks the Māori New Year
Astronomical marker: The rising of the Matariki star cluster signals the Māori New Year.
Seasonal reset: It allowed communities to reflect, plan, and prepare for the coming year.
Modern significance: Today, Matariki is both a cultural and national celebration in Aotearoa.
Why Some Iwi Use Slight Variations of Month Names
Local environments: Different climate patterns meant month meanings shifted regionally.
Iwi-specific knowledge: Certain month names appear only in particular tribal traditions.
Respectful learning: Variations are acknowledged as correct within their own iwi context.
Understanding the “Ten Plus Two” Month Idea
Historical variation: Earlier Māori calendars sometimes used 10 main months and 2 seasonal periods.
Practical purpose: The extra periods allowed flexibility for food cycles and environmental changes.
Modern teaching: Today's standard 12-month model helps learners align the Māori and English calendars.
Māori Months in the Maramataka (Lunar Calendar)
The traditional Māori calendar is based on the movements of the moon. Each month is associated with seasonal activities, so learning them and the seasons can help you memorise your new vocabulary. Learn the months and their connections.
Different iwi have their own maramataka systems that reflect local landscapes, seasonal cues, and traditions. This means that some month names or timings may vary across Aotearoa. Learners should see these variations as a strength, showing the depth and richness of Māori knowledge systems.
How Māori Months Connect to Seasons and Activities
Environmental cycles: Each month aligns with what is happening in the natural world, such as planting, harvesting, sheltering, or preparing for seasonal changes.
Activity-based meaning: Months like Haratua (May) signal the end of harvest, while Pipiri (June) marks the tightening cold of winter.
Learning benefit: Understanding these associations helps learners remember month names through context rather than memorisation alone.
Why Matariki Marks the Māori New Year
Astronomical significance: The rising of Matariki, the star cluster also known as Pleiades, traditionally signalled the beginning of a new year for many iwi.
Time for reflection: Communities used this moment to honour those who had passed, celebrate the present, and plan for the coming cycle of seasons.
Modern connection: Today, Matariki is celebrated nationally in Aotearoa, helping new learners connect month names to cultural events.
Why Some Iwi Use Variations of Month Names
Regional differences: Climate, local food sources, and geography all influence how each iwi interprets the seasons.
Unique knowledge systems: Month names, timing, and associated activities can differ slightly or significantly across tribes, depending on tribal traditions.
Respectful learning: When learners encounter different spellings or names, these should be understood as valid within their cultural context.
Understanding the “Ten Plus Two” Month Idea
Historic structure: Some traditional maramataka systems grouped time into 10 main months and 2 shorter transitional periods.
Purpose: These additional periods allowed communities to adjust to environmental changes and prepare for the following seasonal cycle.
Modern adaptation: The contemporary 12-month school calendar simplifies learning while still honouring the maramataka roots.
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