Sweet As Tees › Blog › New Zealand Slang: A Visitor's Survival Guide to Kiwi English
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Heading to NZ? This crash course covers the Kiwi slang every visitor needs — yeah nah, sweet as, chur, hard out and more. For the full A-Z dictionary with 50+ terms, visit our dedicated NZ slang page.
Planning a trip to New Zealand? Kiwis speak English — but not quite as you know it. This guide gives visitors the essential Kiwi phrases you'll actually hear on the ground, so you can nod along confidently instead of staring blankly.
👉 See the full NZ Slang Dictionary — 50+ Kiwi words explained →
If you've ever been around a New Zealander and had absolutely no idea what they just said — this is the guide for you.
Kiwi slang is a beautiful, chaotic mix of te reo Māori, British English, Australian influence and pure island ingenuity. It's colourful, efficient and often makes no logical sense to outsiders. That's kind of the point.
Whether you're moving to New Zealand, visiting for the first time, trying to understand your Kiwi mates overseas, or just wanting to sound legit — this is the most complete NZ slang dictionary you'll find anywhere.
Sweet as. Let's get into it.
The most iconic NZ slang term in existence. Means excellent, great, no problem, or I'm happy with that. Used in response to almost anything positive. "Want a coffee?" "Sweet as." See our Sweet As Tee — because obviously.
Means no. The "yeah" is just a polite cushion before the actual answer. Don't be fooled — if a Kiwi says yeah nah, the answer is definitely nah.
Means yes. The opposite of yeah nah. Kiwis contain multitudes.
Thank you, cheers, acknowledged. Short, efficient, very Kiwi. "Here's your change." "Chur." Shop the Chur The Legend Tee.
Absolutely. Strongly agree. Without doubt. "That was a hard hike." "Hard out." Check the Hard Out Tee.
Awesome. Excellent. Really cool. "How was the concert?" "Mean as, bro." Grab the Mean As at Piha Tee.
Perfect. Excellent. In great condition. "How's the new job?" "Mint."
Great. Excellent. An older term but still very much alive. "Want to grab a feed?" "Choice."
Very happy. Excited. Thrilled. "I'm so stoked we got tickets."
Devastated. Deeply disappointed. "We lost the game." "Gutted."
Enthusiastic. Interested. Up for it. "You keen for a swim?" "Yeah keen."
Easy going. Relaxed. Low stress. "How's the new flatmate?" "Super cruisy."
Hello, thank you, or a general warm greeting. Originally te reo Māori, now used universally by all New Zealanders. Possibly the most important phrase on this entire list.
Well done. Good. From te reo Māori, used widely in everyday NZ English.
Welcome. Come here. A warm Māori greeting used at formal and informal gatherings.
No problem. Don't stress. You'll hear this constantly.
Everything will be fine. Don't worry about it. The essential Kiwi philosophy of life distilled into four words.
Everything is great. All good. Perfect. Shop the Classic Sweet As Tee.
See you later. Casual farewell.
Goodbye. Old school but you'll still hear it from older Kiwis.
Friend. Mate. Used as gender-neutral address for literally anyone. "Chur bro."
Cousin or close friend. Used widely in Māori and Pasifika communities and beyond.
Someone admirable. A champion. "You absolute legend."
A funny, quirky, loveable person. Affectionate. From the dried wool on a sheep's backside — somehow became a term of endearment.
A very funny or entertaining person. "He's a total hardcase."
Friend. Universal term of address for friends and strangers alike.
An idiot or foolish person. "Some muppet cut me off on the motorway."
Tough. Loyal. Hardcore. Standing firm. "She's staunch as."
Holiday home. Usually simple, near the beach or a lake. Pronounced "batch." In the South Island called a crib.
Corner store. Convenience shop. Nothing to do with milk — just where you grab a pie, a fizzy and some lollies.
A plot of residential land. "They bought a section in Queenstown."
Flip flops. Thongs (Australian). The national footwear of New Zealand.
Swimwear. Swimming costume. "Don't forget your togs."
Utility pickup truck. Every second vehicle in rural NZ.
Highway. Freeway. "Take the motorway south."
Pavement. Sidewalk. "Stick to the footpath."
The middle of nowhere. Remote rural areas. "They live out in the wop wops."
Forest. Wilderness. Native NZ bush. "We went tramping in the bush."
Hiking. Trekking. Walking tracks. Not what it sounds like to Americans.
Gumboot. Rubber boot. Essential NZ footwear for farms and festivals.
Food. From te reo Māori, used universally. "What's for kai?"
Soft drink. Soda. "I'll grab a fizzy from the dairy."
Candy. Sweet. "Pass the lollies."
Cookie. Not a scone — a cookie. Important distinction.
Crisps. Potato chips. "Chuck us the chippies."
Sausage. Usually on a barbie. "Bung a snarler on for me."
BBQ. Barbecue. "Come round for a barbie Saturday."
New Zealand's most sacred dessert. Do not argue with Australians about who invented it. We did.
Traditional Māori feast cooked in an earth oven. One of the greatest food experiences in the world.
Bring a dish to share at a gathering. Not literally just a plate. Bring food on the plate.
Hurry up. Move faster. From sheep farming — dags are what rattle when a sheep runs. Now available on a tee.
Very rough. Unrefined. In poor condition. "That road is rough as guts."
Hard work. Physical effort. "That was hard yakka."
Broken. Wrecked. Destroyed. "The trail was completely munted after the floods."
Suspicious. Unreliable. Sketchy. "That pie looked a bit dodgy."
One of the most unique features of NZ slang is using "as" as an intensifier after any adjective:
You can put "as" after almost any adjective and a Kiwi will understand exactly what you mean.
Sweet as is without doubt the most iconic New Zealand slang expression. It's used daily by virtually every Kiwi and has become a symbol of the relaxed, warm Kiwi character.
While there's overlap, key differences include: jandals (NZ) vs thongs (AU), dairy (NZ) vs servo (AU), bach (NZ) vs shack (AU). NZ slang is also heavily influenced by te reo Māori in a way Australian slang is not.
Kia ora, kai, kia kaha, aroha, whanau, mahi, ka pai and haere mai are all used regularly in everyday New Zealand English by people of all backgrounds.
It's the Kiwi way of saying no politely. The "yeah" softens the blow of the "nah." It's efficient, warm and very New Zealand.
Everything is great, friend. The complete Kiwi sentence — sweet as (excellent) + bro (mate). Four syllables that contain an entire philosophy.
Want to wear your favourite Kiwi slang? Browse the Sweet As Tees collection — every tee celebrates the language that makes New Zealand, New Zealand.
Sweet as. 🥝
Tags: nz slang, kiwi culture, new zealand, slang dictionary