"Ka mahue te wā, kāore e hoki mai."/ "Time that passes will not return."
Māori Proverb
Telling the time is something that you probably don't think about too much in English (or your mother tongue if it isn't English), but it's trickier than you may think. In Māori, you first have to learn all the vocabulary. The structure for telling the time, and finally put it all together, pronouncing the words accurately. Here's our guide to get you started.
When tackling a new topic in a new language, whether talking about your family or things you like to do, start with the words you need to learn. After all, these are the building blocks of the sentences that you'll put together. Here, we'll go through the key vocabulary for your lists, including what each term means. Practise them until you get them right.
Core Time Words
Wā – Time / period
Karaka – O’clock
Hāora – Hour
Meneti – Minute
Koata – Quarter
Haurua / Hāwhe – Half
Pāhi i te – Past (used for minutes past)
Ki te – To (used for minutes to)
I mua i te – Before
I muri i te – After
Mai i te – From
Tae noa ki te – Until / up to
Mai i te – From
Parts of the Day
Ata – Morning
Ahiahi – Afternoon / Evening
Pō – Night
Rā – Day / Sun
Wāenganui rā – Noon / Midday
Wāenganui pō – Midnight
Set the scene by talking about the time of day. | Photo by Toby Hall
Example Sentences
He aha te wā? – What is the time?
Ko te rima karaka. – It’s five o’clock.
Ko te haurua mai i te whitu karaka. – It’s half past seven.
Ko te koata ki te iwa karaka. – It’s a quarter to nine.
Ko te tekau meneti pāhi i te toru karaka. – It’s ten past three.
Kei te ata ināianei. – It’s morning now.
Kei te pō ināianei. – It’s night now.
access_time
How Māori Traditionally Understood Time
Before the arrival of clocks, Māori people measured time through nature like the movement of the sun, moon, and stars, and the rhythm of the tides. Ata (morning) and ahiahi (afternoon) were recognised by light and shadow, while lunar phases marked planting, harvesting, and ceremonies. Time flowed in harmony with the environment rather than mechanical precision.
Numbers for Telling Time
If you haven't already learnt the numbers in Māori, it's worthwhile at least knowing the numbers from 1 to 12, which can help you talk about body parts that you have multiple of. These numbers are helpful for talking about the hours. Here they are in Māori, along with how to use them as you tell the time.
Māori Numbers 1–12
Tahi – One
Rua – Two
Toru – Three
Whā – Four
Rima – Five
Ono – Six
Whitu – Seven
Waru – Eight
Iwa – Nine
Tekau – Ten
Tekau mā tahi – Eleven
Tekau mā rua – Twelve
Practise telling the time regularly. | Photo by Donald Wu
Example Sentences
Ko te toru karaka. – It’s three o’clock.
Ko te iwa karaka. – It’s nine o’clock.
Ko te haurua mai i te whā karaka. – It’s half past four.
Ko te koata ki te tekau karaka. – It’s a quarter to ten.
beenhere
Why Learning to Tell the Time Matters
Understanding te wā (time) in Māori deepens your cultural knowledge and helps you describe everyday activities naturally. You’ll use it constantly, whether arranging hui (meetings), talking about your daily routine, or understanding schedules in te reo. It’s one of the most practical grammar lessons for real conversation.
You should now have a good vocabulary for putting together sentences about time. Next, you need to know how to refer to time. There are different structures depending on what time it is, just like in English.
Sentence Structures
Ko te [number] karaka. – It’s [number] o’clock.
Ko te [meneti] meneti pāhi i te [number] karaka. – It’s [minutes] past [hour].
Ko te koata ki te [number] karaka. – It’s a quarter to [hour].
Ko te haurua mai i te [number] karaka. – It’s half past [hour].
I te [part of day]. – In the [morning/afternoon/night].
I mua i te [number] karaka. – Before [hour].
I muri i te [number] karaka. – After [hour].
Example Sentences
Ko te rima karaka i te ata. – It’s five o’clock in the morning.
Ko te ono karaka i te ahiahi. – It’s six o’clock in the evening.
Ko te koata pāhi i te waru karaka. – It’s a quarter past eight.
Ko te toru karaka i te pō. – It’s three o’clock at night.
Ko te haurua mai i te rua karaka i te ahiahi. – It’s half past two in the afternoon.
Ko te tekau meneti ki te whitu karaka i te ata. – It’s ten to seven in the morning.
Days, Weeks, and Broader Time Expressions
Talking about time isn't just about what's on your watch; you can refer to the calendar, the day, the time of day, etc. Here are some useful words, like the days of the week, parts of the day, and temporal constructs like yesterday, tomorrow, etc.
Days of the Week
Describe exactly when something happened on what day and when. | Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya
Rāhina – Monday
Rātū – Tuesday
Rāapa – Wednesday
Rāpare – Thursday
Rāmere – Friday
Rāhoroi – Saturday
Rātapu – Sunday
Other Useful Words
I tēnei rā – Today
Āpōpō – Tomorrow
Inanahi – Yesterday
Ia rā – Every day
Ia wiki – Every week
Ia marama – Every month
I ngā wā katoa – Always
I tērā wiki – Last week
Example Sentences
Ka haere ahau ki te kura āpōpō i te waru karaka. – I will go to school tomorrow at eight o’clock.
I oho ahau inanahi i te ono karaka. – I woke up yesterday at six o’clock.
Ka kai te whānau i te tekau karaka i ngā Rātapu. – The family eats at ten o’clock on Sundays.
Ka mahi ia i ia rā i te whitu karaka i te ata. – He works every day at seven in the morning.
Ka moe ahau i te tekau mā rua karaka i te pō. – I sleep at twelve o’clock at night.
beenhere
Building Confidence with Time Expressions
Don’t worry about getting every word perfect at first. Focus on rhythm, clarity, and repetition. Saying full sentences like Ko te toru karaka i te ata (It’s three o’clock in the morning) aloud daily will train your ear and help you internalise structure, much more than isolated word memorisation.
Pronunciation Tips for Time Words
An essential part of any language is pronouncing the words correctly whether expressing concepts like time or talking about shades of different colours. To make yourself better understood and get your message across clearly, pay particular attention to how Māori words are said. Here are just a few tips to get you started.
Say Every Vowel Clearly: Time expressions like karaka (o’clock) and meneti (minute) each have three clear syllables. Pronounce ka-ra-ka and me-ne-ti distinctly without blending vowels together — rhythm is key.
Hold Long Vowels with Macrons: A macron (¯) means you hold the sound longer, which can change meaning and flow. For example, wā (time or period) is not the same as wa (which can mean “and” in some dialects). The long ā gives the word more weight, like a gentle pause.
The “Wh” Breath: In Māori, wh is pronounced like a soft “f.” When saying whitu (seven) or wāenganui (midday), let air flow gently between your lips. It should sound smooth and natural, not forced.
Lightly Roll the “R”: Words like karaka (o’clock) and toru (three) use a soft, rolled r. Tap your tongue lightly on the roof of your mouth. If you can say “ladder” quickly in English, that middle “dd” sound is a good model for the Māori r.
Even Rhythm, No Stress: Time words are pronounced with even rhythm. Avoid putting heavy stress on the first syllable, as in English. For instance, meneti should flow evenly — meh-neh-tee, not MEH-ne-tee.
Practice with Real Times: Say times aloud as you look at the clock — Ko te ono karaka, Ko te haurua mai i te whitu karaka, Ko te koata ki te rua karaka. Doing this out loud reinforces both pronunciation and sentence rhythm.
Listen to Native Audio Resources: Te reo Māori radio and YouTube lessons often include examples of clocks and daily routines. Listening regularly helps you internalise natural pacing, intonation, and pronunciation for common time expressions.
Māori Word
English Translation
Example Sentence
English Translation of Sentence
Wā
Time / period
He aha te wā?
What is the time?
Karaka
O’clock
Ko te rima karaka.
It’s five o’clock.
Hāora
Hour
Ko te kotahi hāora te roa o te akoranga.
The lesson lasts one hour.
Meneti
Minute
Ko te toru meneti ki te whitu.
It’s three minutes to seven.
Koata
Quarter
Ko te koata pāhi i te toru karaka.
It’s quarter past three.
Haurua / Hāwhe
Half
Ko te haurua mai i te whitu karaka.
It’s half past seven.
Pāhi i te
Past (minutes past)
Ko te tekau meneti pāhi i te toru karaka.
It’s ten past three.
Ki te
To (minutes to)
Ko te koata ki te iwa karaka.
It’s a quarter to nine.
I mua i te
Before
I mua i te whitu karaka au e kai ana.
I eat before seven o’clock.
I muri i te
After
Ka moe ahau i muri i te tekau karaka.
I sleep after ten o’clock.
Mai i te
From
Mai i te waru karaka tae noa ki te iwa.
From eight o’clock until nine.
Tae noa ki te
Until / up to
Ka ako ia tae noa ki te toru karaka.
He studies until three o’clock.
Ata
Morning
Ko te rima karaka i te ata.
It’s five o’clock in the morning.
Ahiahi
Afternoon / Evening
Ko te ono karaka i te ahiahi.
It’s six o’clock in the evening.
Pō
Night
Ko te toru karaka i te pō.
It’s three o’clock at night.
Rā
Day / Sun
Kei te rā pai te āhua o te rangi.
It’s a fine sunny day.
Wāenganui rā
Noon / Midday
Ko te wāenganui rā te wā o te tina.
Noon is lunchtime.
Wāenganui pō
Midnight
Ko te wāenganui pō te wā tino marino.
Midnight is the calmest time.
Rāhina
Monday
Ka timata te mahi i te Rāhina.
Work starts on Monday.
Rātū
Tuesday
Ka haere au ki te kura i te Rātū.
I go to school on Tuesday.
Rāapa
Wednesday
Ka oma rātou i te Rāapa.
They run on Wednesday.
Rāpare
Thursday
He hui tā mātou i te Rāpare.
We have a meeting on Thursday.
Rāmere
Friday
Ka mutu te mahi i te Rāmere.
Work finishes on Friday.
Rāhoroi
Saturday
Ka horoi kākahu ahau i te Rāhoroi.
I wash clothes on Saturday.
Rātapu
Sunday
Ka haere te whānau ki te hāhi i te Rātapu.
The family goes to church on Sunday.
Āpōpō
Tomorrow
Ka haere ahau ki te kura āpōpō.
I will go to school tomorrow.
Inanahi
Yesterday
I oho ahau inanahi i te ono karaka.
I woke up yesterday at six o’clock.
Ia rā
Every day
Ka mahi ia i ia rā i te whitu karaka.
He works every day at seven o’clock.
I tēnei rā
Today
Kei te mahana i tēnei rā.
It is warm today.
I ngā wā katoa
Always
Ka ako ia i ngā wā katoa.
He always studies.
Fun Ways to Practise Telling Time
To make sure your new vocabulary and structures stick, try to look for fun ways to study them. Whether studying the Māori names of common animals or talking about when you do certain activities, we learn much better when we're having fun rather than just studying and memorising. Here are some suggestions to make telling the time in Māori more memorable.
Make learning more fun to aid retention. | Photo by Luka Tim
Match the Clock: Set alarms or reminders on your phone in te reo Māori. For example, label 7:00 a.m. as Ko te whitu karaka – Time to wake up! and 6:00 p.m. as Ko te ono karaka – Time for kai (dinner). Seeing the words alongside real times builds instinctive recall.
Daily Routine Flashcards: Create or download flashcards showing pictures of daily activities — sleeping, eating, studying — and write the time underneath in Māori. For example, Ka moe ahau i te tekau karaka i te pō (I sleep at ten at night). Use them with kids or learners to strengthen time associations.
Play the “What’s the Time?” Game: One person asks He aha te wā? (What is the time?) and another answers with random times — Ko te koata pāhi i te toru karaka! (It’s quarter past three!). This is great for pronunciation, speed, and confidence.
Listen and Repeat: Find waiata or short videos that mention times or routines. Repeating after native speakers helps you master rhythm, pronunciation, and real-life expressions like i te ata (in the morning) or i te pō (at night).
Use a Classroom Clock: If you’re teaching or studying in a group, use a real clock and change the hands. Have students describe the time aloud — Ko te haurua mai i te waru karaka! (It’s half past eight!). This simple exercise reinforces grammar, pronunciation, and comprehension together.
Connect with Culture: Explore how time connects with Māori customs — karakia ata (morning prayer) or karakia pō (evening prayer) are traditional ways to mark the day’s rhythm. Understanding when and why certain times are meaningful adds cultural depth to your language learning.
Track Time in Reo Māori: For a week, keep a mini journal noting when you do things — Ka kai ahau i te tekau mā rua karaka i te rā (I eat lunch at 12 o’clock). Writing time phrases daily strengthens memory and confidence.
Teach Through Action: Combine movement with speech. When you say i te ata (in the morning), stretch your arms; when you say i te pō (at night), mimic sleeping. Linking kupu with physical gestures makes learning active and memorable.
Enjoyed this article?Leave a rating!
5.00 (1 rating(s))
Loading...
Joseph P
Joseph is a French and Spanish to English translator, copywriter, and all-round language enthusiast.
Loading...
