Maori Basics

The Māori language (commonly called Te Reo, or the language) is the first language of the indigenous people of New Zealand, the Māori, as a treasure (taonga) and many Pākehā (white people) are now trying to learn it. It's the official language of New Zealand along with English and New Zealand Sign Language. A number of Maori words have entered the common English lexicon in New Zealand and many places are of Maori origin. Being able to pronounce Maori words correctly is a valued skill and locals will show appreciation when a visitor makes the effort to use them efficiently in a conversation. As in most languages, the vowels keep their sound wherever they appear in a word. But an important distinciton should be made with short and long sounds. Any vowel can have both, but a common convention is to use a macron (bars or dahes over the letters), a graphical sign used to signal that a vowel is to pronounced in its long form.

     as for consonants, there are only 10: h, k, m, n, p, r, t, w, wh and ng.Nothing new here, apart from the r is said with a flap. It sounds like the Spanish r, but shorter. ng is pronounced like ng in thing while wh is pronounced as 'f'.

Basic phrases:

Greetings

Hello (informal)     Kia ora
Hello (to one person)   Tēnā koe
Hello (to two people)    Tēnā kōrua
Hello (to a group of three or more)   Tēnā koutou

Welcome     Haere mai 

How are you?     Kei te pēhea koe?
I'm good     Kei te pai ahau
I'm great     Ka nui te ora

What is your name?          Ko wai tō ingoa? (i ngo a)
My name is ______          Ko ______ tōku ingoa
What is his/her name?        Ko wai tana ingoa?
His/her name is ______    Ko ______ tana ingoa

Good-bye (to the person staying)     E noho rā
Good-bye (to the person going)      Haere rā


Yes     ae
No     kāore

Numbers

1     Tahi
2     Rua 
3     Toru
4     Whā
5     Rima
6    Ono
7    Whitu
8    Waru 
9    Iwa
10  Tekau 

To say numbers greater than 10, say Tekau +ma+  number;
11   Tekau ma Tahi
12  Tekau ma Rua
13  Tekau ma Toru
14  Tekau ma Whā
15  Tekau ma Rima
16  Tekau ma Ono
17   Tekau ma Whitu
18   Tekau ma Waru
19   Tekau ma Iwa

For 20, 30 40...n, it's number+Tekau
For numbers in between, you say number+tekau+ma+number

21     Rua Tekau ma Tahi

Geographical Places:

ana     cave
awa    river, channel
iti     small
manga    stream 
maunga    mountain
moana    sea, lake 
motu     island
ngā     the (plural form)
nui     big
one   beach, sand, soil, shore
kohatu     rock
puke    hill
rangi   sky, heavens
roa    long
roto   lake
tai    tide, sea
tapu   sacred
te   the (singular form)
toka   rock
wai  water
whanga  bay, harbour
whenua   land