Landmark, bilingual guide to Māori idioms and new reo-only editions out ahead of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori

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

He Iti te Kupu wins Te Reo Māori section of NZSA Awards

Ngā mihi nunui ki Hona Black, kua toa i ngā NZSA New Zealand Literary Heritage Awards mo te pukapuka pai ake i te Reo, i panuihia i te pō o Rāmere kei Ōtautahi.

Hearty congratulations to author Hona Black, whose book He Iti te Kupu: Māori Metaphors and Similes won the Te Reo Māori Books section at the NZSA New Zealand Literary Heritage Awards, announced this past Friday at a ceremony in Christchurch. 

 

Hona wrote this, his first book, entirely in te reo. He then translated all of the explanations and examples into English. 

The layout reflects that process, with text in Māori on left-hand pages and English on the facing pages — enabling speakers of either language to access the use, meaning and context of nearly 500 metaphors and similes.

He Iti te Kupu is the culmination of extensive research into kupu whakarite (metaphors and similes) by Hona, a lecturer and teacher who is currently completing his doctorate in te reo Māori. 

Associate Professor Darryn Joseph of Massey University edited the manuscript and mentored Hona through the publishing process, and Kanapu Rangitauira proofread the book.

The contents are arranged in chapters such as Ngā manu o uta, o tai – Birds of the land and sea, and Te Moana – The ocean. 

 

In the words of awards judge Charisma Rangipunga: 'Hona Black’s bilingual collection of metaphors and similes is a tool not to be underestimated.'

Ka nui ngā mihi ki a koe e Hona mō tēnei paraihe.

The author

Hona Black (Ngāi Tūhoe, Te Whānau a Apanui, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) lectures on the post-graduate diploma in teaching for Māori medium schools at Te Pūtahi a Toi: School of Māori Knowledge at Massey University in Palmerston North. He has worked as the Senior Māori Adviser on Massey’s Wellington campus, and been Head of Te Reo Māori at Hato Pāora College in Feilding. He currently lives in Wellington.

Publication: February 2021  |  ISBN: 978-0-947506-91-9 | RRP $39.99

Paperback, 210 x 148 mm portrait, 232 pages, b&w

 

New book by Hona Black will be a valuable reference for writing and speaking te reo Māori

Years of research into kupu whakarite (metaphors and similes) have borne fruit for young Massey University scholar, Hona Black. 

In He Iti te Kupu, he brings together nearly 500 figures of speech into a ready resource for speakers and students of te reo — and anyone who wishes to deepen their language use in New Zealand.

Hona wrote this, his first book, in te reo. That text is printed on the left-hand pages of the book, with his translation into English on the facing right-hand pages.

That lets all readers access the use, meaning and context of the main metaphors and similes in Māori. 

The contents are arranged in chapters such as Ngā manu o uta, o tai – Birds of the land and sea, and Te Moana – The ocean. 

 

He Iti te Kupu extends Oratia’s popular programme of language reference books, including Māori Place Names and Te Reo Māori: The Basics Explained.

As the new book’s title suggests, ‘Iti te kupu, nui te kōrero’ — ‘Words are small, yet their meanings are substantial’.

Click here for Hona's Facebook post announcing his pukapuka. 

Ka nui ngā mihi ki a koe e Hona mō tō mahi whakamīharo, ki a Darryn Joseph hoki mō tana tautoko i te kaupapa nei. 

The author

Hona Black (Ngāi Tūhoe, Te Whānau a Apanui, Ngāti Tūwharetoa) lectures on the post-graduate diploma in teaching for Māori medium schools at Te Pūtahi a Toi: School of Māori Knowledge at Massey University in Palmerston North. He has worked as the Senior Māori Adviser on Massey’s Wellington campus, and been Head of Te Reo Māori at Hato Pāora College in Feilding. 

Publication: early February 2021  |  ISBN: 978-0-947506-91-9 | RRP $39.99

Paperback, 210 x 148 mm portrait, 232 pages, b&w