He Kete Kīwaha
A Practical Guide to Māori Idioms
Hona Black
Invaluable guide to more than 180 kīwaha (idioms) that can enrich te reo Māori speakers and learners at all levels
Plus He Iti te Kupu and Ngā Hapa Reo, Māori editions
Kia hiwa rā, kia hiwa rā!
Idioms — the everyday turns of phrase that give a language its character — are a key part of speaking fluently, and te reo Māori is rich in them.
This collection, whose title translates as ‘a basket of idioms’, is the first book on Māori kīwaha in more than 25 years, and the first bilingual one.
It publishes on 10 September, just in time for Te Wiki o te Reo Māori – Māori Language Week, which starts on Monday 14th.
Drawing on extensive research and consultation with te reo experts including Sir Tīmoti Kāretu and Te Haumihiata Mason, newly appointed professor of te reo Māori Hona Black offers a comprehensive guide to more than 180 idioms — presented in Māori on the left-hand pages, English on the right.
Using one, two or three kete symbols, He Kete Kīwaha grades each idiom for difficulty so readers can access language to suit their level.
In addition to clear explanations, each entry has examples from written sources and others created by the author. There are also spaces for readers to add their own idioms to the mix.
As Hona Black writes in the introduction: ‘Above all, the hope is that this book will be of value to those who aspire to weave Māori idioms naturally into their language use.’
Also publishing on 10 September are te reo Māori editions of two of Hona's popular earlier books.
He Iti te Kupu: Ngā Huahuatau me Ngā Kupu Whakarite contains nearly 500 metaphors and similes that draw a comparison between something (often the natural world) and people, events or contexts. It was first published in 2021 in Māori and English, and has sold over 10,000 copies.
Ngā Hapa Reo, co-written by Te Aorangi Murphy-Fell and published bilingually in 2024, identifies the main errors that crop up in modern Māori, offering examples and then guiding readers on how to make corrections.
These Māori-only editions target learners in Māori-medium schools and immersion classes, and proficient speakers who don’t need the support of English.
The original bilingual editions remain in print, of course!
Kia kaha te reo Māori!
The author
Hona Black (Tūhoe, Te Whānau a Apanui, Te Whakatōhea, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) is the inaugural professor of te reo Māori at Te Kawa a Māui at Te Herenga Waka, University of Wellington. He was previously a lecturer in Māori at Massey University in Palmerston North.
Hona is the author of He Iti te Kupu: Māori Metaphors and Similes, Te Reo Kapekape: Māori Wit and Humour and, with Te Aorangi Murphy-Fell, Ngā Hapa Reo: Common Māori Language Errors. He is from the Ruātoki Valley, and lives with his whānau in Porirua.
HE KETE KĪWAHA
Publication: 10 September 2026 | ISBN: 9781991353030 | RRP $45
Paperback, 210 x 248 mm portrait, 408 pages, black & white
HE ITI TE KUPU (MĀORI EDITION)
Publication: 10 September 2026 | ISBN: 9781991353085 | RRP $34.99 Paperback, 210 x 148 mm, 124 pages, black & white
NGĀ HAPA REO (MĀORI EDITION)
Publication: 10 September 2026 | ISBN: 9781991353092 | RRP $34.99
Paperback, 210 x 148 mm, 176 pages, black & white
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