Language Learning

1. Me pēhea te kī i "thank you" ki te reo Māori?

   me pē-he-a te kī i "thank you" ki te re-o Mā-o-ri

   How do you say "thank you" in Māori?

   Usage

   Used to ask how to express something in Māori

   Grammar Note

   "te reo Māori" means "the Māori language"; "te reo" alone refers to Māori language

2. Kōrerotia āta mai.

   kō-re-ro-ti-a ā-ta mai

   Please speak more slowly.

   Usage

   Use when someone is speaking too fast

   Grammar Note

   "mai" is a directional particle indicating movement or action towards the speaker

3. Ka taea e koe te tuhituhi mai mōku?

   ka tae-a e koe te tu-hi-tu-hi mai mō-ku

   Can you write that down for me?

   Usage

   Use when you want someone to write something down

   Grammar Note

   "Ka taea" is a passive construction meaning "is able to be done"

4. He aha te tikanga o tēnei kupu?

   he a-ha te ti-ka-nga o tē-nei ku-pu

   What is the meaning of this word?

   Usage

   Used to ask the meaning of an unfamiliar Māori word

   Grammar Note

   "tikanga" means both "meaning" and "customary practice" — a culturally loaded term

5. E ako ana ahau i te reo Māori — ka taea e tāua te whakaharatau tahi?

   e a-ko a-na a-hau i te re-o Mā-o-ri — ka tae-a e tā-u-a te wha-ka-ha-ra-ta-u ta-hi

   I'm studying Māori — can we practice together?

   Usage

   Use when looking for a Māori language conversation practice partner

   Grammar Note

   "tāua" is the dual inclusive pronoun for "we two" (including the listener) — distinct from "tātou" (inclusive, 3+) and "māua" (exclusive, two)

6. Me pēhea te whakahua i tēnei?

   me pē-he-a te wha-ka-hu-a i tē-nei

   How do you pronounce this?

   Usage

   Use when asking about the pronunciation of a Māori word

   Grammar Note

   Māori has five pure vowels (a, e, i, o, u) similar to Japanese or Spanish

7. Ka taea e koe te tūtohu i tētahi rauemi pai mō te ako reo?

   ka tae-a e koe te tū-to-hu i tē-ta-hi rau-e-mi pai mō te a-ko re-o

   Can you recommend a good language learning resource?

   Usage

   Use to find resources for learning Māori language

   Grammar Note

   "Ka taea e koe te tūtohu i …" = "can you recommend …?" — the same pattern as the the Music & Entertainment category and the Wine & Spirits category cards

8. He aha te āhua o te reo ā-rohe i konei?

   he a-ha te ā-hu-a o te re-o ā-ro-he i ko-nei

   What is the local dialect like here?

   Usage

   Use to ask about regional variations of the Māori language

   Grammar Note

   "ā-rohe" is a genitive modifier meaning "of the region / regional"

9. He huihuinga whakawhitiwhiti reo kei konei?

   Is there a language exchange event here?

   Usage

   Use to find language exchange meetups in New Zealand

   Grammar Note

   "kei" marks present location, distinct from "i" which marks past location

10. He ākonga tōmua ahau — tūmanakohia tō aroha!

    he ā-ko-nga tō-mu-a a-hau — tū-ma-na-ko-hi-a tō a-ro-ha

    I'm a beginner — please be patient with me!

    Usage

    Use to let someone know you are just beginning to learn Māori

    Grammar Note

    "aroha" is a core Māori concept encompassing love, compassion, and empathy

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