Translate now

Common Maori to Shona phrases

100 practical Maori to Shona phrases for travel, study, work, and daily conversation.

← Back to Maori to Shona Translator

Looking for practical Maori to Shona phrases? This free guide lists 100 essential sentences for travel, study, work, and everyday conversation. Each line shows the Maori phrase first, then the Shona translation (Shona) — so you can scan quickly before a trip, class, or video call.

The phrases are grouped into eight topics: greetings and pleasantries, useful phrases for travellers, everyday conversation, directions and getting around, shopping and dining, emergencies and health, work and business, and time, days and numbers. Use the table of contents to jump straight to greetings, directions, dining, emergencies, or numbers. You do not need perfect grammar to start — short, clear sentences often work better than silence when you are learning Shona.

Tip: when a Shona phrase looks unfamiliar, compare it with the Maori wording — noticing word order differences helps you understand grammar naturally.

Bookmark this page for offline review, share it with a travel buddy, or open the Maori to Shona translator to paste your own messages and get an instant translation.

Greetings and pleasantries

Hello, goodbye, please, thank you, and polite introductions for meeting new people.

  1. Kia ora

    Mhoro

  2. Ngā mihi

    Ndatenda

  3. Ata mārie

    Mangwanani akanaka

  4. Pō mārie

    Masikati akanaka

  5. Pō nui

    Manheru akanaka

  6. Nō reira

    Usiku hwakanaka

  7. Ka kite anō

    Tichasangana gare gare

  8. Haere rā

    Sara zvakanaka

  9. Ko wai tō ingoa?

    Zita rako ndiani?

  10. Ko John tōku ingoa

    Zita rangu ndiri John

  11. Kei te pēhea koe?

    Uri sei?

  12. He pai ki te tūtaki i a koe

    Ndinofara kukuziva

Useful phrases for travellers

Airport, hotel, tickets, and transport phrases for getting around on a trip.

  1. Ka korero koe i te reo Ingarihi?

    Unotaura Chirungu here? (unotaura chirungu here)

  2. Kaore au e korero pai i te reo Hīndi

    Handitauri Hindi zvakanaka (handitauri hindi zvakanaka)

  3. Kaore au e mohio

    Handinzwisisi (handinzwisisi)

  4. Tena koa korero āta

    Ndokumbirawo utaure zvishoma (ndokumbirawo utaure zvishoma)

  5. Ka taea e koe te korero ano?

    Ungazvitaura zvakare here? (ungazvitaura zvakare here)

  6. Kei hea te wharepaku?

    Chimbuzi chiripi? (chimbuzi chiripi)

  7. Me pehea au e tae ki te pokapū o te tāone?

    Ndingasvika sei kumusoro kwemaguta? (ndingasvika sei kumusoro kwemaguta)

  8. Huri ki mauī

    Tendeuka kuruboshwe (tendeuka kuruboshwe)

  9. Huri ki te taha matau

    Tendeuka kurudyi (tendeuka kurudyi)

  10. Haere tika

    Enda mberi (enda mberi)

  11. E hia te utu?

    Mari yechikwereti ingani? (mari yechikwereti ingani)

  12. Kotahi te tikiti, please

    Tikiti imwe, ndapota (tikiti imwe, ndapota)

  13. Kei tawhiti mai i konei?

    Iko kure here kubva pano? (iko kure here kubva pano)

  14. Kua ngaro au

    Ndakakanganiswa (ndakakanganiswa)

  15. Kei hea e taea ai e au te hoko kāri SIM?

    Ndingatenga kupi kadhi reSIM? (ndingatenga kupi kadhi reSIM)

Everyday conversation

Small talk, feelings, opinions, and common chat phrases for daily life.

  1. Āe

    Ehe

  2. Kāo

    Kwete

  3. Tērā pea

    Pangove

  4. Kei te whakaae au

    Ndinobvumirana

  5. Kāore au e whakaae

    Handibvumirane

  6. He pai tēnā

    Izvozvo zvinonzwika zvakanaka

  7. He aha tāu e whakaaro ana?

    Unofungei?

  8. Ka taea e koe te awhina i au?

    Unogona kundibatsira here?

  9. Kei te hiahia au i te awhina

    Ndiri kuda rubatsiro

  10. Tēnā tūrua

    Mirira kwechinguva

  11. Aroha mai

    Ndine urombo

  12. Kāore he raru

    Hapana chakaipa

  13. Ngā mihi

    Makorokoto

  14. Hari huritau

    Makorokoto ezuva rekuzvarwa

  15. Kia pai te haerenga

    Iva nerwendo rwakanaka

Directions and getting around

Asking where something is, left and right, distances, and finding your way.

  1. Kei hea te teihana tereina?

    Kupi kune chiteshi chechitima? (Kupi kune chiteshi chechitima?)

  2. Kei hea te pooti?

    Kupi kune chiteshi chebhazi? (Kupi kune chiteshi chebhazi?)

  3. Ko wai te papa?

    Ndeipi puratifomu? (Ndeipi puratifomu?)

  4. He aha te wa e wehe ai?

    Inobva nenguva ipi? (Inobva nenguva ipi?)

  5. Kei te tika tēnei ara?

    Iyi ndiyo nzira chaiyo here? (Iyi ndiyo nzira chaiyo here?)

  6. Kei konei tata mai

    Iri pedyo pano (Iri pedyo pano)

  7. Kei tawhiti mai i konei

    Iri kure nepano (Iri kure nepano)

  8. Ka taea e koe te whakaatu ki ahau i runga i te mapi?

    Unogona kundiratidza pamepu here? (Unogona kundiratidza pamepu here?)

  9. Tū mai i konei, koa

    Mira pano, ndapota (Mira pano, ndapota)

  10. E hia te wā e tango ana?

    Zvinotora nguva yakareba sei? (Zvinotora nguva yakareba sei?)

Shopping and dining

Ordering food, asking prices, paying the bill, and shopping at markets or stores.

  1. E hia te utu o tēnei?

    Zvinodhura here? (Zvinodhura here?)

  2. He tino utu tēnā

    Izvozvo zvinodhura kwazvo

  3. Kei a koe he mea iti ake?

    Une chimwe chinhu chiri pamutengo wakaderera here?

  4. Ka taea e au te utu mā te kāri?

    Ndingabhadhara nekadhi here?

  5. E hiahia ana au ki te tepu mō te rua.

    Ndingada tafura yevaviri

  6. Tēnā, te rīhi.

    Chikwereti, ndapota

  7. Kei roto i te utu te ratonga?

    Sevhisi iri mukati here?

  8. He veggie ahau.

    Ndiri muvegetarian

  9. Kāore he kai pārearea, tēnā.

    Hapana chikafu chinopisa, ndapota

  10. He reka tēnei.

    Izvi zvinonaka

  11. Ka taea e au te rārangi kai?

    Ndingawana menyu here?

  12. Tēnā, he karaihe wai.

    Girazi remvura, ndapota

Emergencies and health

Help, police, doctor, pharmacy, and urgent situations when you need assistance fast.

  1. Karanga ki te pirihimana

    Fonera mapurisa

  2. Karanga ki te āwhina

    Fonera amburensi

  3. Kei te hiahia au i te rata

    Ndiri kuda chiremba

  4. Kei te pāngia au e te mate

    Ndiri kunzwa kusuruvara

  5. He pātea au ki ngā pāhiri

    Ndine allergic kumapundu

  6. Kei hea te hōhipera tata?

    Chii chiri pedyo nechipatara?

  7. E mamae ana i konei

    Zvinorwadza pano

  8. I ngaro taku pasapo

    Ndakakanganwa pasipoti yangu

  9. Ka taea e koe te karanga ki taku hōtera?

    Unogona here kufonera hotera yangu?

  10. Tautoko!

    Rubatsiro!

Work and business

Meetings, email tone, schedules, and professional phrases for the workplace.

  1. Ka pai te kite i a koe

    Ndinofara kukusangana

  2. Me whakarite tātou i tētahi hui

    Ngatirongei musangano

  3. He aha te wā e pai ana ki a koe?

    Ndeipi nguva inokodzera kwauri?

  4. Ka tukuna e au te pūrongo i tēnei rā

    Ndichatumira chirevo nhasi

  5. Ka taea e tātou te kōrero āpōpō?

    Tingataure mangwana here?

  6. Tēnā tirohia te kōnae e piri ana

    Ndapota tarisai faira rakabatanidzwa

  7. Ngā mihi mo tō wā

    Ndatenda nenguva yako

  8. Kei te titiro whakamua au ki te mahi ki a koe

    Ndiri kutarisira kushanda newe

  9. Ka taea e koe te whakamarama i taua kōrero?

    Ungajekesei iyo pfungwa?

  10. Me hoki au ki a koe

    Ndichadzoka kwauri

  11. Ko te mutunga wā ko te Paraire

    Nguva yekupedzisira iChishanu

Time, days and numbers

Clock times, days of the week, months, quantities, and counting for appointments and plans.

  1. He aha te wā?

    Ndeipi nguva? (N-dei-pi n-guh-wah?)

  2. E toru karaka

    Iri pa3 (Ee-ree pah-tatu)

  3. I tēnei rā

    Nhasi (N-ha-see)

  4. Āpōpō

    Mangwana (Mahn-gwah-nah)

  5. Ināianei

    Zuro (Zoo-roh)

  6. Māhina

    Muvhuro (Moo-vhoo-roh)

  7. Tūrei

    Chipiri (Chee-pee-ree)

  8. Rāapa

    Chitatu (Chee-tah-too)

  9. Tahi

    Imwe (Ee-mweh)

  10. Rua

    Piri (Pee-ree)

  11. Toru

    Tatu (Tah-too)

  12. Tekau

    Gumi (Goo-mee)

  13. Kotahi rau

    Zana (Zah-nah)

  14. Hāwhe

    Hafu (Hah-foo)

  15. Tahi atu

    Zvimwe (Zvee-mweh)

Need to translate your own text? Use the free Maori to Shona translator.

Open translator