Itās te reo MÄori - of course there is moa than one way to say:
āHappy Birthday!ā
āHappy Birthday!ā
But donāt worry e te whÄnau, weāve got you covered! By the end of this post, youāll know:
- The meaning behind the different ways to say āHappy Birthdayā in MÄori,
- The lyrics for both versions of the song in te Reo MÄori with chords for the guitar and ukulele,
- A list of other useful birthday-themed kupu and phrases to use with friends and whÄnau!
NÅ reira (therefore) letās get straight into it so that you can start adding a little more MÄori culture toĀ yourĀ birthday celebrations!
Born Day vs Happy Turning of the Year
The two most common ways that people say Happy Birthday in te reo MÄori are:
āRÄ WhÄnauāĀ &āHari Huritauā
and even though they have the same overall meaning, the literal translations are slightly different.
RÄ WhÄnau:
Ā RÄ is our MÄori kupu (word) for SUN or DAY.
Ā WhÄnau is one word we use to say BORN.
SoĀ RÄ WhÄnauĀ is kind of like sayingĀ āBorn Day.ā
Hari Huritau:
Ā Hari means HAPPY in te reo MÄori,
Ā Huri can mean TURN and
Ā Tau is one way to say YEAR,
SoĀ Hari HuritauĀ is like sayingĀ āHappy Turning of the Year!ā
While these are the two most common ways to say āHappy Birthdayā in MÄori, here are some other expressions you can use to share your well wishes:
ā¢ Huritau Oaoa ā Happy Birthday
ā¢ RÄ Tupu ā Growth Day
ā¢ RÄ Huritau ā Year-Turning day
ā¢ Mauri Ora ā Wishing you good health
ā¢ Kia Ora ā Hello / Be well
The Happy Birthday Waiata in MÄori!
EveryoneĀ knows the classic Birthday song:
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday toĀ Name!
Happy Birthday to you!
So much so that I bet you even sung it in your head as you read that, which makes it easy enough to start switching the lyrics to te reo MÄori at your birthday celebrations since even the tamariki already know the tune!
Here are the lyrics to BOTH versions of the waiata so you can sing the one whose literal translation resonated with you most:
RÄ WhÄnau ki a koe,
RÄ WhÄnau ki a koe,
RÄ WhÄnau ki aĀ Name,
RÄ WhÄnau ki a koe!
Hari Huritau ki a koe,
Hari Huritau ki a koe,
Hari Huritau ki aĀ Name,
Hari Huritau ki a koe!
Then simply add your Hip Hipās, your Hoorays and Bob Marleyās your uncle ā youāve got yourself a Happy Birthday waiata in te reo MÄori!
AND ā if your musically inclined and want to strum along as you sing, there are only 3 chords to this simple waiata, C, G and F!
See below chords for how to play Hari Huritau on the guitar:
and here are your chords for RÄ WhÄnau on the ukulele:
āMoaā Birthday Kupu/Phrases in te reo MÄori!
Now that you know how to say and sing āHappy Birthday,ā letās take it up a notch! Add even āmoaā te reo MÄori to your celebrations with these additional birthday-themed kupu and phrases. Whether youāre at a party or celebrating your own special day, these expressions should help you bring te reo to te pÄti:
Ā Keke ā Cake
Ā KÄnara ā Candle
Ā Koha ā Gift
Ā PÄtiĀ ā Party
Ā Manuhiri ā Guests
Ā Awhi ā Hug
Ā Poihau ā Balloon
Ā Kanikani ā Dance- Ā Perehana ā Present
Ā TÄkaro ā Play
Ā KÄri Huritau ā Birthday Card
Ā Waiata ā Song/Sing
Ā HÄkari ā Feast
Phrases to say TO the Birthday star:
ā¢ āKia pai tÅ rÄ whÄnau!ā ā Have a good birthday!
ā¢ āE hia Å tau?ā ā How old are you?
ā¢ āNgÄ mihi nui mÅ tÅ rÄ whÄnau!ā ā Best wishes for your birthday!
ā¢ āKia koa koe i tÅ rÄ!ā ā May you be joyful on your day!
Phrases to say when its YOUR Birthday:
ā¢ āHaere mai ki tÅ taku pÄti!ā ā Welcome to my party!
ā¢ āNgÄ mihi mÅ te koha.ā ā Thank you for the present.
ā¢ āKei te tino harikoa au!ā ā I am very happy!
ā¢ āE __ taku tau!ā ā I am __ years old!
Well ā There you have it e te whÄnau!
You are readyĀ to add a special MÄori touch to your celebrations! Whether youāre strumming along with the chords or simply wishing friends and family well, I hope this post helps you celebrate in a meaningful and culturally rich way!
Incorporating te Reo MÄori into these memorable moments not only honors our heritage but also helps pave the way to a bilingual future for our tamariki. So, next time youāre celebrating a birthday, let these MÄori greetings and songs make your festivities even more memorable.
Happy singing and best wishes for your next birthday celebration!
and if youāre keen to incorporate te Reo MÄori into your everyday life as well as these special moments, be sure to grab your FREE printable Karakia to sing at mealtimes!
I just read your piece on how to sing āHappy Birthdayā in Te Reo MÄori, and I have to say, itās a fantastic resource! I will certainly use this in my upcoming travels. I love how you made the cultural aspect so accessible, blending language learning with celebration. The pronunciation tips and extra vocabulary really add value, making it easy for anyone to embrace MÄori culture during special moments. Itās like youāve created a perfect bridge between tradition and fun! Keep up the awesome workāIām definitely bookmarking this one.
Cheers,
Gabriel John
Kia ora Gabriel!Ā
Thank you so much for your kind words! Iām so happyĀ to hear that you found the post helpful and that youāll be using it on your travels! I hope the tips and vocabulary enhance your cultural experience š
NgÄ mihi nui for your support and for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful comment.
Safe travels and enjoy the singing!
NgÄ mihi!
Kiri
This article is so heartwarming and informative! I love how it brings a deeper cultural appreciation to something as universal as birthday celebrations. Itās fantastic to see the different ways to say āHappy Birthdayā and how the MÄori language adds a special touch to these occasions.
Iāve found that incorporating a bit of a different culture or language into personal traditions can really enrich the experience. Last year, I tried adding a few phrases from my heritage into a family celebration, and it made the event feel even more meaningful and connected. Have you ever tried integrating other cultural elements into your own celebrations? How did it go?
Thank you for comment! I love that youāre adding phrases from your own heritage into celebrations!Ā
We also incorporate Karakia (a Maori blessing or prayer) into our events. There are some for blessing the food when we gather for a feast, and some specific for certain celebrations like weddings, graduations etc.Ā
If youāre interested in reading more about Karakia we have another post with 5 easy ones to learn here:Ā Ā https://moathanwords.com/5-easā¦