Sweet As Tees › NZ Slang › Haere mai
Haere mai: Welcome, come here — a warm Māori invitation. Pronunciation: HIGH-reh MY (roll gently through it).
"Haere mai" is New Zealand's word of welcome. You'll see it on airport signs the moment you land, hear it sung in pōwhiri (welcome ceremonies), and find it opening events from school assemblies to national ceremonies. It means "come here, you are welcome" — an active invitation rather than a passive greeting.
In everyday Kiwi life it's used wherever welcome is meant warmly: a host waving guests inside ("haere mai, come in out of the rain!"), a shop sign, the start of a speech. Its formal sibling "nau mai, haere mai" doubles the welcome and is the standard opening for events across Aotearoa.
For visitors, understanding "haere mai" unlocks a little of how manaakitanga — hospitality and care for guests — sits at the heart of Māori and wider New Zealand culture. When you hear it, you're not just being greeted; you're being invited in.
"Haere mai" is te reo Māori meaning "come here" or "welcome" — from "haere" (to go or come) and "mai" (toward the speaker). It's one of the oldest and most visible te reo phrases in New Zealand public life, calling manuhiri (visitors) onto marae for centuries and now welcoming people at airports, events and front doors nationwide.