A Beginner's Kete To Learning Basic Māori Language

Nau mai Haere mai, 'Kōrero mai'

Aotearoa New Zealand is the only place in the world where Te Reo Māori is spoken as an indigenous language this makes it a taonga/ treasure unique to this country and deserves our protection and nourishment. Christchurch City Libraries is proud to show continued support for Te Reo Māori, we hope you will find this kete a useful resource.

Greetings

Kia ora	Hello / Thank you
Tenā Koe	Formal greeting to one person
Tenā korua	Formal greeting to two people
Tēna Koutou	Formal greeting to many people
E noho rā	Goodbye (from a person leaving)
E Haere rā	Goodbye (from a person staying)
Hei konei rā	Goodbye (less formal)
Ka kite anō	See you again (informal goodbye)
Mōrena	Good morning!
Ata Marie	Good Morning
Pō Marie	Good night!
Haere Mai	Welcome, enter
Nau Mai	Welcome

Other Useful Kupu (words)

Āe	Yes
Kāo	No
Aua	I don't know
Whānau	Extended family
Hapū	Group of whanau descended from the same ancestor
Iwi	Tribe, nation
Kaumātua	Male or female elder/s
Whakapapa	Genealogy
Rā	Day / Sun
Pō	Night
E noho	Sit down
E tu	Stand up
E moe	Go to sleep
E kai	Eat up
Whakarongo	Listen
Titiro	Look
Turituri	Be quiet
Kāti	Stop
Tāiho	Wait up
Kia tūpato	Be careful

Correct pronunciation indicates a bicultural awareness and respect for Māori culture. Go to our bilingual signs pages to listen to some pronunciation examples.

What Does The Māori Alphabet Look Like?

A E H I K M N NG O P R T WH W U

The Māori alphabet is made up of ten consonants and five vowels

What Do The Lines Above The Letters Mean?

The lines are called macrons, they indicate the way a vowel is pronounced: Short or long.

Short sound as u in up: A E I O U a e i o u

Long sound as ar in far: Ā Ē Ī Ō Ū ā ē ī ō ū

Viewing macrons on our website

Consonants

Most sound similar to the English sound but there are several that need special attention and practice eg:

r is very short and slightly rolled

wh is pronounced as f

ng is pronounced as the ng in singer

View as a pdf