Te Reo Māori — The Māori Language
Te Reo Māori is an Eastern Polynesian language, closely related to Cook Islands Māori, Tuamotuan, and Tahitian. It has been an official language of New Zealand since 1987.
Pronunciation Guide
Māori has five vowels, each with a long and short form:
| Vowel | Short (as in…) | Long (with macron) |
|---|---|---|
| A | up | ā — father |
| E | egg | ē — bait |
| I | it | ī — leek |
| O | or | ō — paw |
| U | put | ū — moon |
Consonants: h, k, m, n, p, r, t, w, wh, ng. 'Wh' is pronounced like an English 'f'. 'Ng' is pronounced as in 'singer', not 'finger'.
Everyday Words & Phrases
- Kia ora: Hello / Thank you / Cheers
- Tēnā koe: Hello (to one person)
- Tēnā koutou: Hello (to three or more people)
- Kei te pēhea koe?: How are you?
- Kei te pai: I'm good / It's fine
- Aroha: Love, compassion
- Whānau: Family (extended)
- Kai: Food
- Puku: Stomach / belly
- Mōrena: Good morning
- Ka kite anō: See you again
- Haere ra: Goodbye (to someone leaving)
- E noho ra: Goodbye (to someone staying)
Where to Learn Te Reo Māori
- Kōhanga Reo: Māori language immersion early childhood centres
- Kura Kaupapa Māori: Māori immersion primary and secondary schools
- Wānanga: tertiary institutions such as Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and Te Wānanga o Raukawa
- Online resources: Māori Dictionary (maoridictionary.co.nz), Kupu app for image recognition
- Community classes: local night classes and marae-based language programmes