Kiwi slang
Kiwi slang
by etnobofin
This article was written by Poppy Bending Beckett, published on 9th August 2010 and has been read 7652 times.
So you want to fit in with the Kiwi bros? A little bit of Kiwi slang will take you a long way in New Zealand, drop a few of these key phrases, gain a little respect from the locals and you're bang on the money.
First and foremost, the most popular phrase in New Zealand is a must learn for anyone looking to fit in over there. Used in a number of situations, the phrase ‘sweet as’ is used to express that ‘everything’s okay!’. It can also be used in place of the word ‘yes’ – but only among the younger generations, so you have been warned...It's also a way of expressing something is cool, for example:“Like my new car bro?”
“Yeah – it’s sweet as!!”
Another word which will see you settling in like a local is the commonly used ‘awesome’. You will hear the word everywhere in New Zealand, often followed by the word ‘bro’ (Kiwis' nickname for each other). Simply use it to describe something being really good. For example:
“ Do you like Queenstown bro?”
“ Yeah – it’s awesome bro!”
Another popular word in Kiwi slang is the word ‘sick’, a bit like its British counterpart. Again, use this when you agree with something, or think something’s pretty damn good! The locals will love it!
The word ‘beaut’ is pretty popular, it means great or good fun, for example, “That’d be beaut mate!”
A couple of useful ones when doing the food shop is the different words the Kiwis used for some of their vegetables. If you’re looking for a courgette in New Zealand, you’re looking for a zucchini – and if it’s a pepper you’re after then it’s a capsicum.
A ‘dairy’ is what we tend to call newsagents - a shop that just sells the basics like milk, eggs, newspapers, magazines and confectionary.
If you’re looking for a toilet in New Zealand, and you want to fit in with the locals – then ask them where the ‘dunny’ is and they’ll know what you mean.
One thing you’ll notice straight away is the word ‘eh’. Pronounced as you would the letter ‘a’, it’s often used at the end of sentences when expecting a response to a statement. For example, “Weathers shocking today, eh.”
If you want to catch a film over in New Zealand, then it’ll be a ‘flick’ you want to go see, and if it happens to be raining when you head out to the cinema then don’t forget your ‘ gummies’ or as they're also known, ‘wellies’. However, if it’s a sunny day, you’ll want your ‘jandals’ (‘flip flops’).
A ‘pakeha’ is a non- Maori person.
Master a few of these, and practice dropping them in a few conversations and you’ll be an honorary ‘bro’ in no time!!
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