NZ Reflections: The Language

Since Andy and I are spending most of our time now at camp working and not as much time exploring, we thought this would be a good opportunity to reflect on our time here in New Zealand so far. A couple of months ago, Andy posted about his thoughts on the food, which you can find here: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. This time, I'm going to discuss the language. Enjoy!

When Andy and I were first planning our trip out to New Zealand, we took comfort in the fact that our country of choice had English as its official language. With navigating around in unknown territories, looking for work, and finding a place to live, the last thing we needed was to worry about getting lost in translation. However, upon arrival in this amazing country, I learned quickly that speaking the same language doesn't necessarily translate to easy or instant communication. I loved the accent immediately, but it took my brain awhile to adjust to it and even longer to process what was being said.

Accent aside, words themselves were used differently. The first (and probably most important) thing we had to learn was that a bathroom or a restroom was called a “toilet.” This makes sense if you think about it. Do you ever ask where the bathroom/restroom is with the purpose of taking a bath or getting some rest? If you do use these terms with a local, you will most likely be met with a confused look until you clarify it's a “toilet” you're looking for. During our time here, we picked up quite a few differences in our vocabularies. Just off the top of my head:

US → NZ

hiking = tramping

fries = chips (or “hot chips”)

downtown = city center

cooler = chilly bin

friend = mate

vacation = holiday

takeout = takeaway

sandals = jandals

peppers = capsicums

trash can = rubbish bin

wrench = spanners

shopping cart = trolley

clothes pins = clothes pegs

umbrella = brolly

tacks = drawing pins

license plate number = car registration (or car rego)
band-aids = plasters

Also, “pissed” doesn't mean “angry,” like it does in the U.S. ('pissed off' still does). Here, it means “drunk.” We learned this, along with the last three on the list, while working at the New Years Eve Camp...

Not only are words used differently, but some letters are pronounced differently.  Like "zed" instead of "z."

Additionally, the slang here is very interesting. I'm sure you're all aware of the famous “sweet as.”  For those who don't know, “That's sweet as!” translates to the American “That's cool!” However, I've also heard “great as”, “good as”, and “awesome as.” In fact, I'm pretty sure you can put “as” after any adjective and it would be perfectly acceptable here.

These are just a few observations from our time spent in New Zealand so far. We are still picking up bits and pieces here and there and are constantly adding to the list above. I have to say that since we arrived in New Zealand five months ago, my ability to understand and communicate here has greatly improved. Andy however picked it up pretty quickly and has even started to talk like a kiwi at times. Who knows, by the time we get home, maybe I will too ;-)

Cheers! <--- (as the kiwis say!)