Haere

Haere is a core verb in te reo Māori meaning to go, depart, travel, or move from one place to another. It can refer to physical movement as well as figurative movement, and it forms the basis for many common phrases in everyday speech.

Grammatical usage: Haere is a verb that combines with directional elements to indicate destination. Examples: Ka haere ahau ki te toa means I am going to the shop. Kei te haere ahau means I am going. kua haere koe means you have gone. The phrases haere mai means come here, and haere atu means go away. Another standard construction is haere ki te [place], meaning go to the [place].

Farewell and greetings: Haere rā is a conventional farewell directed at someone leaving, roughly conveying safe travels. Haere mai is used to invite or welcome someone to approach, meaning come here or welcome.

Etymology and related languages: Haere is a basic te reo Māori verb and shares cognates with other Polynesian languages; for example, Hawaiian hele means to go. The term appears in many fixed expressions and remains central to expressing movement and direction in Māori language.