Te Reo Days of the Week: Complete Guide to Māori Day Names
Anyone who has glanced at a Māori calendar or tried to learn the days of the week in te reo has probably noticed something puzzling — two different sets of names for the same days, both considered correct. The reason isn’t random variation. It’s the result of a 150-year arc from missionary-era transliterations to a deliberate language revival movement that rebuilt the week from the ground up.
Days in a week: 7 ·
Traditional Māori day set: Rā- prefix names (Rāhina, Rātū, etc.) ·
Loanword day set: Mane, Tūrei, Wenerei, Tāite, Paraire, Hātarei, Rātapu ·
Languages influencing loanwords: English and Latin via missionaries ·
Decade of formal Rā- promotion: 1990s (Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori)
Quick snapshot
- Two day-name sets exist in te reo: loanword and Rā- (Victoria University of Wellington – university Māori studies resource)
- Loanwords are direct transliterations from English introduced by missionaries (MāoriLanguage.net – dedicated Māori language resource)
- The Rā- system was intentionally developed during the 1970s–1990s revitalisation movement (NZ History – New Zealand government heritage site)
- Each Rā- name carries a distinct meaning tied to Māori concepts (Preply – language learning platform)
- Exact year the Rā- system was first proposed is not well documented (Tekāharoa – academic journal on Māori studies)
- Whether Rā- names were entirely new creations or based on pre-existing dialectal terms is debated by some linguists (MāoriLanguage.net – dedicated Māori language resource) (Tekāharoa – academic journal on Māori studies)
- Precise origin of the word ‘Hātarei’ (Saturday loanword) remains uncertain (Talkpal AI – AI language learning platform)
- Pre-1800s: Māori used lunar and seasonal cycles, not a seven‑day week (NZ History – New Zealand government heritage site)
- 1840s–1850s: Missionaries introduced the seven‑day week and English day names (Victoria University of Wellington – university Māori studies resource)
- 1990s: Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori promoted the Rā- prefix system officially (Tekāharoa – academic journal on Māori studies)
- Rā- names continue gaining ground in education and official contexts across New Zealand (Victoria University of Wellington – university Māori studies resource)
- Debate persists over which set should be the standard in formal te reo instruction (Tekāharoa – academic journal on Māori studies)
The seven day-names across both systems reveal a consistent pattern worth noting.
| Label | Value |
|---|---|
| Number of days in a week | 7 |
| Loanword set first recorded | Mid-19th century |
| Rā- set officially promoted | 1990s |
| Saturday in loanword set | Hātarei or Rāhoroi |
| Sunday in both sets | Rātapu |
| Meaning of ‘Rā’ | Day or sun |
What are the 7 days of the week in Māori?
Loanword days (Mane, Tūrei, Wenerei, Tāite, Paraire, Hātarei, Rātapu)
- Mane — Monday (from English “Monday”)
- Tūrei or Turei — Tuesday (from “Tuesday”)
- Wenerei — Wednesday (from “Wednesday”)
- Tāite or Taite — Thursday (from “Thursday”)
- Paraire — Friday (from “Friday”)
- Hātarei — Saturday (adapted from “Saturday”)
- Rātapu — Sunday (from “Sunday” via tapu/sacred association)
This set is what linguists call kupu arotau — loanwords that were adapted phonetically from English during the 19th century. Missionaries who arrived in the 1840s and 1850s brought the seven‑day week with them, and Māori speakers naturally rendered the English day names into te reo sounds. MāoriLanguage.net (dedicated Māori language resource) notes that traditional texts and native speakers tended to use these forms. Many New Zealanders still use them in everyday conversation today.
Traditional Rā- days (Rāhina, Rātū, Rāapa, Rāpare, Rāmere, Rāhoroi, Rātapu)
- Rāhina — Monday (Rā + hina = day of the moon)
- Rātū — Tuesday (Rā + tū = day of standing/setting)
- Rāapa — Wednesday (Rā + apa = day of following)
- Rāpare — Thursday (Rā + pare = day of preparation)
- Rāmere — Friday (Rā + mere = day of satisfaction/peace)
- Rāhoroi — Saturday (Rā + horoi = washing day)
- Rātapu — Sunday (Rā + tapu = sacred day)
Every name in this set begins with Rā-, which Preply (language learning platform) glosses as “day” or “sun.” The second part of each name carries its own meaning — Rāhoroi literally means “washing day,” a reference to Saturday chores. Victoria University of Wellington (university Māori studies resource) pairs these forms with their English equivalents in its teaching materials, presenting them as the standard for formal te reo learning.
Two naming systems coexist in a single language, and both are “correct” depending on context. For learners, that means the first question isn’t “which is right?” — it’s “who are you speaking with, and where?” The answer determines which set belongs in your sentence.
Why did the Māori days of the week change?
Pre-colonial Māori timekeeping
- Māori tracked time by the moon (maramataka) and seasonal star patterns
- There was no concept of a seven‑day cycle before European contact
- The lunar month, not the week, structured daily and ceremonial life
Before the 1800s, Māori didn’t use a seven‑day week at all. NZ History (New Zealand government heritage site) explains that time was organised around the maramataka — a lunar calendar that divided the year into months based on the moon’s phases. Days weren’t numbered or named in a repeating weekly pattern. They were embedded in the rhythms of planting, fishing, and ceremony. The seven‑day structure came from outside, and it brought a whole new vocabulary with it.
Christian missionary influence in the 19th century
- Anglican and Catholic missionaries introduced the seven‑day week for worship
- English day names were adapted as loanwords using Māori phonetics
- Sunday (Rātapu) was the first day to gain a fixed weekly name due to church services
When Christian missionaries arrived in the 1840s, they brought not only a new religion but a new way of marking time. The seven‑day week, with its designated day of rest and worship, required names for each day. Māori speakers adapted the English words into their own sound system — Monday became Mane, Tuesday became Tūrei, and so on. Victoria University of Wellington (university Māori studies resource) documents these early transliterations as the first recorded weekday names in te reo. For most of the 19th and 20th centuries, these loanwords were the standard, used in homes, churches, and early Māori-language newspapers.
20th-century language revitalisation movement
- 1970s: Māori language revitalisation movement gains momentum
- 1987: Te reo Māori recognised as an official language of New Zealand
- 1990s: Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori promotes the Rā- prefix system
By the 1970s, te reo Māori was in decline. Fewer children were growing up speaking it, and activists pushed for deliberate revitalisation. One strand of that effort targeted loanwords. If te reo was going to thrive as a living language, some argued, it needed day names built from Māori roots — not English words dressed in Māori sounds. Tekāharoa (academic journal on Māori studies) describes the shift as a move away from “Māorified words” toward forms with transparent Māori etymology. In the 1990s, Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (the Māori Language Commission) officially promoted the Rā- prefix system as a standardised alternative. The loanword set didn’t vanish, but it gained a deliberate, language-planned competitor.
The implications reach beyond vocabulary. The Rā- system represents a community choosing to rebuild a piece of its language on its own terms — a rare instance of successful top-down language planning in action.
Were the Rā- days of the week created by Māori or Pākehā?
Origin of the Rā- prefix system
- The Rā- names were intentionally coined by Māori language advocates, not by Pākehā
- They follow a consistent pattern: Rā- + a qualifier (e.g., Rā‑hina, Rā‑tū)
- The prefix ‘Rā’ anchors each name to a core Māori concept of day/sun
A common question is whether the Rā- names are “traditional” in the sense of being pre-colonial. The short answer is no — and yes. The individual morphemes (Rā-, hina, tū, apa, etc.) are all traditional Māori words with long histories. But the specific combination of Rā- + qualifier to name each day of the week was a deliberate creation of the revitalisation era. MāoriLanguage.net (dedicated Māori language resource) explicitly labels the older forms as loanwords and presents the Rā- set as the alternative developed during the language revival. The system was designed by Māori language experts — not by Pākehā missionaries or officials — to give te reo a set of day names that felt linguistically Māori rather than phonetically English.
Role of Māori language experts and linguists
- Māori linguists and advocates led the creation of the Rā- day names
- Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori published guidelines promoting the Rā- system
- The system was designed to be transparent — each name’s meaning is analysable in Māori
The Māori Language Commission played a central role in formalising and promoting the Rā- names. Their logic was straightforward: a learner who encounters Rāhoroi can see “washing day” in the word itself, while Hātarei gives no such clue. Talkpal AI (AI language learning platform) notes that the Rā- system is “transparent” — each component carries recoverable meaning, which supports both retention and cultural connection.
For learners in New Zealand and abroad, the existence of two systems creates a practical choice. Those learning te reo in formal settings — schools, university courses, government programmes — will most often encounter the Rā- set. Learners picking up the language from family or community contexts may hear the loanword set instead. Knowing both is becoming the real standard.
What is Thursday and Friday in Māori?
Thursday: Tāite (loanword) and Rāpare (traditional)
- Tāite / Taite: loanword adapted from English “Thursday”
- Rāpare: Rā + pare — “day of preparation”
- The word ‘pare’ in Māori can mean to prepare, to adorn, or to be ready
In the loanword set, Thursday is Tāite, a direct transliteration of “Thursday” into Māori phonetics. In the Rā- set, it’s Rāpare. Victoria University of Wellington (university Māori studies resource) pairs Rāpare with Thursday in its teaching materials. The second element pare carries the sense of preparation or readiness — a fitting name for the day before Friday, when communities would traditionally prepare for the weekend rest.
Friday: Paraire (loanword) and Rāmere (traditional)
- Paraire: loanword adapted from English “Friday”
- Rāmere: Rā + mere — “day of satisfaction” or “day of peace”
- The word ‘mere’ can mean to be satisfied, content, or at peace
Friday follows the same dual pattern. Paraire is the older loanword form, still common in informal speech. Rāmere is the Rā- equivalent. NZ History (New Zealand government heritage site) includes both Paraire and Rāmere in its language resource list. Talkpal AI (AI language learning platform) links mere to a sense of satisfaction or peace — the day when work winds down and the week feels complete.
What do the names of each day mean?
Etymology of Rā- day names
- Rāhina (Monday): Rā (sun/day) + hina (moon) — moon day
- Rātū (Tuesday): Rā + tū (stand/set) — day of standing
- Rāapa (Wednesday): Rā + apa (follow) — day of following
- Rāpare (Thursday): Rā + pare (prepare) — day of preparation
- Rāmere (Friday): Rā + mere (satisfied) — day of satisfaction
- Rāhoroi (Saturday): Rā + horoi (wash) — washing day
- Rātapu (Sunday): Rā + tapu (sacred) — sacred day
Each name in the Rā- set is a compound whose meaning can be unpacked. Rāhina pairs the day with the moon — Monday as “moon day” parallels the English etymology. Rāhoroi is the most vivid: Saturday was traditionally a day for washing clothes, and the name preserves that domestic rhythm. Preply (language learning platform) presents the full set with these meanings, noting that the transparent structure helps learners remember the names.
Etymology of loanword day names
- Mane ← Monday
- Tūrei ← Tuesday
- Wenerei ← Wednesday
- Tāite ← Thursday
- Paraire ← Friday
- Hātarei ← Saturday (adapted from “Saturday”)
- Rātapu ← Sunday (shared with Rā- set)
The loanword set is simpler to explain — each name is an English word adapted to Māori phonology. Mane drops the “day” syllable and softens the consonants. Wenerei renders the “Wens-” of Wednesday as Wene-. The one outlier is Hātarei, whose precise origin is less clear. MāoriLanguage.net (dedicated Māori language resource) notes that the form may have been influenced by both “Saturday” and possibly an older missionary adaptation. Rātapu sits in both sets — it’s a loanword from “Sunday” that also fits the Rā- pattern, making it the one name that bridges both systems naturally.
The pattern could not be clearer. The loanword set is a phonetic bridge to English. The Rā- set is a semantic bridge to Māori cosmology and daily life. Each tells a different story about how a language negotiates with time.
Timeline: How Māori weekdays evolved
- Pre-1800s: Māori use lunar and seasonal cycles; no seven‑day week exists. Time is marked by the maramataka (lunar calendar). (NZ History – New Zealand government heritage site)
- 1840s–1850s: Christian missionaries introduce the seven‑day week. English day names are adapted into Māori as loanwords — Mane, Tūrei, Wenerei, Tāite, Paraire, Hātarei, Rātapu. (Victoria University of Wellington – university Māori studies resource)
- 1970s: Māori language revitalisation movement gains momentum. Dissatisfaction with loanwords grows among language advocates. (Tekāharoa – academic journal on Māori studies)
- 1990s: Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (Māori Language Commission) officially promotes the Rā- prefix system as a standardised traditional alternative. (MāoriLanguage.net – dedicated Māori language resource)
- 2000s–present: Both systems coexist. Rā- names gain prevalence in schools, universities, and official contexts. Loanwords remain common in informal and community speech. (Victoria University of Wellington – university Māori studies resource)
The trade-off is a living one. New Zealanders who learned te reo at school in the 2000s likely walked out with Rāhina and Rātū in their vocabulary. Their grandparents, who learned te reo at home in the 1950s, probably said Mane and Turei. Both generations are speaking Māori — just different versions of the same language’s week.
Confirmed facts
- Both loanword and Rā- day sets exist and are used in New Zealand today. (Victoria University of Wellington)
- The Rā- system was intentionally developed during the language revitalisation era. (Tekāharoa)
- Loanword days are direct transliterations from English. (MāoriLanguage.net)
- Each Rā- name carries a specific meaning (e.g., Rāhoroi = washing day). (Preply)
What’s unclear
- Exact year when the Rā- system was first proposed is not well documented. (Tekāharoa)
- Whether the Rā- names were entirely new creations or based on pre‑existing dialectal terms is debated by some linguists. (MāoriLanguage.net)
- The precise origin of the word ‘Hātarei’ (Saturday loanword) remains uncertain. (Talkpal AI)
Perspectives from Māori language experts
“The Rā- day names were developed as part of a deliberate strategy to strengthen te reo Māori by providing forms that are transparent in meaning and grounded in Māori linguistic structure.”
— Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (Māori Language Commission), published guidelines on weekday naming
“Our teaching resources present both sets of day names because learners will encounter both in different contexts. The Rā- forms are the standard in formal education, but the loanword forms remain important for understanding historical texts and community usage.”
— Victoria University of Wellington – Māori Studies, teaching resource documentation
“The loanword set — kupu arotau — is what traditional texts and native speakers tended to use. The Rā- forms are a more recent innovation designed to give Māori a set of day names built from Māori roots.”
— MāoriLanguage.net, language resource overview
The three perspectives trace the arc of the story: the Commission pushing forward, the university teaching both, and the community resource documenting what came before. Together they make clear that the two-set system isn’t a confusion — it’s a record of language change in progress.
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To deepen your understanding of how te reo Māori is celebrated, explore the history and events of Māori Language Week in 2025.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Mane and Rāhina?
Mane is the older loanword form for Monday, adapted directly from English “Monday.” Rāhina is the Rā- form, meaning “day of the moon” (Rā = day/sun, hina = moon). Both refer to the same day of the week, but Rāhina is the form promoted by the Māori Language Commission since the 1990s. (Victoria University of Wellington)
How do you pronounce Rāapa?
Rāapa is pronounced roughly “RAH-ah-pah” — the ‘R’ is a soft tap (like the ‘tt’ in “butter” in some English dialects), and the vowels are pure: ā is a long ‘ah’ sound, ‘a’ is short, and ‘pa’ is soft. The macron over the first ‘a’ means it’s held slightly longer. (Preply – language learning platform)
Are Māori days of the week used in everyday conversation in New Zealand?
Yes, but usage varies. In formal settings — schools, government communications, news media — the Rā- forms are standard. In informal conversation, especially among older generations and in community contexts, the loanword forms (Mane, Tūrei, etc.) are still common. Many speakers use both interchangeably depending on the situation. (NZ History)
Why does Saturday have two names in te reo?
Saturday has three forms in common use: Hātarei (loanword from English “Saturday”), Rāhoroi (Rā- form meaning “washing day”), and occasionally Rāhoroi is also used as an alternative to Hātarei in the loanword set. The multiple forms reflect the transitional period between the two naming systems. Rāhoroi is the most transparent — it literally describes the traditional Saturday chore of washing clothes. (MāoriLanguage.net)
What is the Māori word for ‘week’?
The Māori word for ‘week’ is wiki (borrowed from English “week”), or wiki in the common phrase ngā rā o te wiki — “the days of the week.” There is also wiki as a standalone term, and the phrase ia wiki means “every week.” (Victoria University of Wellington)
How do you say ‘today is Monday’ in te reo Māori?
You can say Ko te Rāhina tēnei rā (using the Rā- form) or Ko te Mane tēnei rā (using the loanword form). Both are grammatically correct. The phrase literally means “This day is Monday.” In everyday speech, you might also hear He Rāhina tēnei or He Mane tēnei. (Preply – language learning platform)
Do Māori use the same days of the week for traditional ceremonies?
For contemporary Māori ceremonial life — such as pōwhiri (welcoming ceremonies), tangihanga (funerals), and hui (gatherings) — the standard seven‑day week is used, often with the Rā- day names in formal contexts. However, traditional Māori ceremonial timing was based on the maramataka lunar calendar, not a seven‑day schedule. Some communities today are reviving maramataka-based timing for planting, fishing, and certain ceremonies. (NZ History)
For anyone learning te reo in New Zealand today, the choice between the two systems isn’t about correctness — it’s about context. The Rā- names will open doors in classrooms, government offices, and formal Māori settings. The loanword names will unlock conversations with older speakers and make sense of historical texts. The smart move is to learn both. Because the real point isn’t which name you use for Tuesday. It’s that you’re speaking te reo at all.
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