New Zealander Proverbs

New Zealander Proverbs draw on Aotearoa’s Māori roots and a life between ocean and volcanoes. They prize practical fairness, good humour, and respect for land and community, echoing pioneer history and the Treaty of Waitangi.

Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you. (New Zealander Proverb)
The more you ask how much longer it will take, the longer the journey will seem. View proverb
New Zealander Proverb
Walk in the valley of our ancestors, learn of the history, and marvel at the beauty. View proverb
New Zealander Proverb
When one chief falls, another rises. View proverb
New Zealander Proverb
A hand that is ready to hit may cause you great trouble. View proverb
New Zealander Proverb
A house full of people is a house full of different points of view. View proverb
New Zealander Proverb
A little axe, when well used, brings lots of food. View proverb
New Zealander Proverb
Boast during the day; be humble at night. View proverb
New Zealander Proverb
Can I pull down the sun with a forked stick, or prevent it from running its course? View proverb
New Zealander Proverb
Even food can attack. View proverb
New Zealander Proverb
Hold on tight to the words of your ancestors. (New Zealander Proverb)
Let us hurry and finish up the food; when visitors arrive, the meal will be over. View proverb
New Zealander Proverb
Old canoes can be restored, but youth and beauty cannot. View proverb
New Zealander Proverb
A house full of people is filled with different points of view. View proverb
New Zealander Proverb
Who lives in a quiet house has plenty. View proverb
New Zealander Proverb
In peace be faithful; in war be valiant. View proverb
New Zealander Proverb
Let someone else sing your praise. View proverb
New Zealander Proverb
Be quick to follow up an advantage. View proverb
New Zealander Proverb
Never spend time with people who don't respect you. View proverb
New Zealander Proverb
In this world I greet my oldest survivor - the earth. View proverb
New Zealander Proverb
The prudent embark when the sea is calm - the rash when it's stormy. (New Zealander Proverb)
Don't lean on your fellow men - theirs is an ever moving support. View proverb
New Zealander Proverb
The block of wood should not dictate to the carver. View proverb
New Zealander Proverb
A warrior dies in battle; a mountain climber on the rocks, but a farmer dies of old age. View proverb
New Zealander Proverb
The land is a mother that never dies. View proverb
New Zealander Proverb