30 Typical New Zealand Slang Words & How To Speak Like a Kiwi
Planning a trip to New Zealand? You might hear this ‘Yea nah, she’ll be right bro. I’m knackered as, gonna get a mean feed.’ Did this sentence confuse you? It’s Okay, we got confused too! Read these common Kiwi Slang phrases and you will find understanding the locals a lot easier…
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- Eh – “It was cloudy this morning eh?”
This classic New Zealand slang word is one that can be added onto just about every sentence you can think of.
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- Yeah nah – “Do you want a vanilla ice cream? “Yeah nah, I’ll be right.”
Kiwis say this when they are a little indecisive on what the heck they are trying to say.
- Bugger all – “How much money you got? Bugger all.”
This is used when you have nothing left.
- Bugger – *Something goes wrong* “Bugger!”
You can use bugger when something goes wrong. It’s mostly heard on a farm. It’s basically a NZ curse word.
- Chur – “Here’s a drink” “Chur”
This word can be slapped around in many different ways. Sometimes it’s attached to another word or used by itself. It can mean sweet, awesome, yeah, good, cool, cheers.
- Bro & cuz – “Chur cuz” or “How’s it going bro?”
Basically means the same thing and rarely referring to an actual brother or cousin.
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- The wops – “He lives out in the wops”
A place in the middle of nowhere or far from anything.
- Carked it – “Did you know Jimmy carked it the other day?” or “The car carked it”
This is a little depressing, but it is usually used when something or someone dies.
- Munted – “That guy is munted as” or “I crashed my car and it’s munted”
This word has two meanings: when something is broken or when someone is drunk.
- Chocka – “Have you had enough to eat?” “Yeah, I’m chocka block” or “Can you fit this into your car?” “Nah, it’s chocka”
Sometimes used with the word ‘block’ at the end. It can mean when something or someone is full.
- Sus – “He looks a bit sus” or “That’s a bit sus”
When a situation or someone is practically suspicious.
- Piece of piss – “Can you build this Lego man for me? “Yeah, it’s a piece of piss”
This basically means when something is easy.
- She’ll be right – “Are the sausages burning?” “Nah, she’ll be right”
When something is going to be okay or alright.
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- Taking the piss – “Can you work for a few more hours?” “You’re taking the piss mate”
If you’re being unreasonable then this is usually what you will hear.
- Piss/ Piss up – “Can you grab the piss out of the Ute?” or “I’m just going to go take a piss” or “Let’s have a piss-up”
Piss usually referring to either alcohol or urine. The word piss-up refers to a party.
- Stink one – “Did you grab me a pie?” “No” “Aw stink one ”
Uh oh. This means you have just disappointed someone.
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- Keen – “Do you wanna go to the pools bro?” “Keen”
Used when someone is enthusiastic about something.
- Jandals – “Don’t wear sneakers, wear your jandals”
In other words flip flops, thongs (Australian) or sandals. Not only are they used for wearing purposes but also used as a weapon if someone has been a dick.
- Skux – “You look skux today” “Thanks bro”
This word has many meanings. The most popular is when someone looks cool or trendy. Sometimes it can be that a person is looking hot.
- Nek minute – “I was at the dairy, nek minute”
A true New Zealand icon is this guy. He created the famous video which has now had over 3 million views. So nek minute basically means ‘next minute’.
- Mare – “I’m having a mare today”
This means you’re having a difficult time.
- Pack a sad – “That kid is packing a sad”.
Whatever you do don’t do this. Packing a sad means you’re basically having a tantrum.
- Gumboots – Chuck on your gumboots and let’s go on the farm”
Also known as wellingtons or rubber boots. As a kid, one of my favourite songs of all time was the gumboot song!
- Beached as – “I can’t get off my bed, I’m beached as bro!”
Referring to the cartoon where a whale is stuck on the beach, it means when you’re stuck somewhere.
- Dag – “Linda is a dag”
Dag in this sentence doesn’t mean a piece of old poo hanging from a sheep bum. In this case it means that something or someone is funny.
- Skull – “Skull it now!”
In other countries you probably yell “drink” instead of skull when someone is downing a drink. In New Zealand we yell “skull, skull, skull”. So if you hear someone yelling that in a bar, don’t worry they haven’t just found a dead body.
- Heaps – “I have heaps of piss bro!”
New Zealanders use this word like it’s going out of fashion. Heaps means lots.
- Crack up –“ I got a fine for stealing a piece of grass off my neighbour’s lawn” “That’s a crack up!”
Instead of saying that is funny you could just use the iconic New Zealand slang words ‘crack up’.
- Squizz – . “Can I have a squizz at your new kitchen?”
A very odd word in a Kiwis vocabulary I have to agree! This means to have a quick look.
- Ta – “Here’s a sandwich” “Ta”
It simply means thanks.
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