🧺 Te Kete Ako

Te Reo Māori Foundational Concepts

Te Reo Māori Foundational Concepts · Years 7–10

Ingoa / Name

Akomanga / Class

Rā / Date

Year LevelYears 7–10

TypeStudent handout — classroom resource

Ngā Whāinga Akoranga · Learning Intentions

Understand and apply key concepts from te ao Māori to learning and life
Engage with te reo Māori vocabulary and cultural frameworks with accuracy and respect
Connect Māori values and concepts to contemporary issues and personal identity
Recognise the significance of Māori cultural knowledge as a living, relevant system

Paearu Angitu · Success Criteria

I can explain at least three te ao Māori concepts accurately in my own words
I use te reo Māori vocabulary with correct meaning and appropriate context
I can connect a Māori concept to a real contemporary situation or personal experience
My engagement with this material demonstrates genuine curiosity and cultural respect

🌿 Te Reo Māori Foundational Concepts

Ngā Ariā Tūāpapa o Te Reo Māori — Building blocks for language learning

He Aha Te Reo Māori? | Why Te Reo Māori?

🌟 Te Reo Māori is...

An official language of Aotearoa New Zealand
A taonga (treasure) protected by Te Tiriti o Waitangi
A living language spoken by over 185,000 people
A doorway to understanding Te Ao Māori (the Māori world)
Part of our national identity — for all New Zealanders

Learning te reo Māori enriches your understanding of Aotearoa, connects you to tangata whenua, and opens pathways to mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge). Even learning basic pronunciation and everyday phrases shows respect and builds connection.

Pronunciation Guide | Te Whakahua

🔊

Listen and Learn: The best way to learn pronunciation is to listen to native speakers. Ask your kaiako, use online resources like Kupu or Te Aka Dictionary, or listen to Māori Television.

Ngā Oropuare | Vowels

Te reo Māori has five vowels, each with a short and long form. The macron (tohutō) indicates a long vowel.

Short Vowels

a as in "car" (short)

e as in "bed"

i as in "see"

o as in "or"

u as in "too"

Long Vowels (with macron/tohutō)

ā longer "car"

ē longer "bed"

ī longer "see"

ō longer "or"

ū longer "too"

⚠️ Why Macrons Matter

The macron changes meaning! For example:

keke = cake → kēkē = armpit
ata = morning → āta = carefully
kaka = garment → kākā = parrot

Always use macrons when writing te reo Māori to show respect for the language.

Ngā Orokati | Consonants

Letter	Sound	Example
h	like English 'h'	haere (go)
k	like English 'k' but softer	kōrero (speak)
m	like English 'm'	maunga (mountain)
n	like English 'n'	ngā (the, plural)
ng	like 'ng' in "singer" (not "finger")	ngā, Ngāti
p	like English 'p' but softer	pātai (question)
r	rolled/flapped (like Spanish 'r')	reo (language)
t	like English 't' but softer	tāne (man)
w	like English 'w'	waka (canoe)
wh	like 'f' (in most dialects)	whānau (family)

🎯 Syllable Rule

Every syllable in te reo Māori ends with a vowel. This makes the language flow smoothly.

Example: Aotearoa = A-o-te-a-ro-a (6 syllables)

Ngā Ariā Matua | Key Concepts

These concepts are central to te ao Māori and appear frequently in te reo Māori:

Whakapapa

Meaning: Genealogy, lineage, layers of connection

Whakapapa links people to ancestors, land, and all living things. It establishes identity and belonging.

Mana

Meaning: Authority, prestige, spiritual power

Mana can be inherited (mana tūpuna), earned through achievement (mana tangata), or connected to land (mana whenua).

Tapu

Meaning: Sacred, restricted, forbidden

Tapu governs what is sacred and must be protected. It ensures respect and balance.

Noa

Meaning: Free from tapu, ordinary, unrestricted

Noa is the complement to tapu — things that are safe and accessible.

Manaakitanga

Meaning: Hospitality, kindness, caring for others

Manaakitanga is about uplifting the mana of others through generosity and care.

Kaitiakitanga

Meaning: Guardianship, stewardship, protection

Kaitiakitanga is the responsibility to care for the environment and taonga for future generations.

Whanaungatanga

Meaning: Relationships, kinship, sense of belonging

Whanaungatanga emphasizes connection and community — that we are stronger together.

Hauora

Meaning: Health, wellbeing (in a holistic sense)

Hauora encompasses physical, mental, spiritual, and social wellbeing — often represented by Te Whare Tapa Whā.

Ngā Kīanga Māmā | Essential Phrases

Greetings | Ngā Mihi

Kia ora — Hello (to one person), thank you, be well
Tēnā koe — Hello (formal, to one person)
Tēnā kōrua — Hello (formal, to two people)
Tēnā koutou — Hello (formal, to three or more)
Mōrena — Good morning
Kia ora tātou — Hello everyone (including speaker)

Classroom Language | Te Reo o te Akomanga

Ka pai — Good, well done
Tino pai — Very good
Āe — Yes
Kāo — No
Kei te pai — I'm good / It's fine
Whakarongo mai — Listen (to me)
Titiro mai — Look here
E noho — Sit down
E tū — Stand up
Haere mai — Come here / Welcome

Farewells | Ngā Poroporoaki

Haere rā — Goodbye (to someone leaving)
E noho rā — Goodbye (to someone staying)
Ka kite anō — See you again
Mā te wā — See you later / In time

Questions | Ngā Pātai

Ko wai tō ingoa? — What is your name?
Ko _____ tōku ingoa — My name is _____
Kei te pēhea koe? — How are you?
Kei te pai ahau — I am good
He aha tēnei? — What is this?
He aha te take? — What is the reason/purpose?

Ngā Tau | Numbers

Number	Te Reo Māori	Number	Te Reo Māori
1	tahi	6	ono
2	rua	7	whitu
3	toru	8	waru
4	whā	9	iwa
5	rima	10	tekau

Building Larger Numbers

11 = tekau mā tahi (10 and 1)
20 = rua tekau (2 tens)
25 = rua tekau mā rima
100 = kotahi rau

Using Te Reo with Respect

🌿 Tikanga for Learners

Try! — Māori speakers appreciate genuine attempts, even with mistakes.
Ask for help — If unsure of pronunciation, ask: "Kia ora, how do I say...?"
Use macrons — Show you understand they change meaning.
Listen more than you speak — Learn from native speakers.
Acknowledge your stage — "I'm still learning" / "Kei te ako tonu au."
Be consistent — Regular practice builds confidence.

Practice Activities

📝 Daily Challenge

Choose one phrase to use today. Practice saying it aloud, then use it in class or at home.

🎯 Pronunciation Pairs

Work with a partner. One person says a word, the other gives thumbs up (correct) or helps correct pronunciation.

Try these words: whānau, kaitiakitanga, Aotearoa, kōrero, whakapapa

🔢 Number Game

Count everyday things in te reo Māori: "Toru pukapuka" (3 books), "Rima pene" (5 pens)

Hononga Marautanga · Curriculum Alignment

Social Sciences — Tikanga ā-Iwi

Level 3–4: Understand how Māori cultural practices, values, and whakapapa shape identity and community; recognise the significance of te Tiriti o Waitangi and the contribution of Māori culture to Aotearoa New Zealand's national identity.

Te Reo Māori — Language and Culture

Level 3–4: Use te reo Māori to express cultural concepts, identity, and relationships with accuracy and respect; understand the significance of Māori language as a taonga and its role in sustaining mātauranga Māori.

Tuhia ōu whakaaro · Write Your Thoughts

Reflect on your learning. What was the most important idea? What question do you still have?

Aronga Mātauranga Māori

This resource engages directly with te ao Māori as its subject — the values, practices, language, and worldview that have sustained Māori communities across centuries of challenge and change. Mātauranga Māori is not a supplement to this learning: it is the source. Students approaching this material are invited to engage with it not as outside observers studying a foreign culture, but as people in relationship with a living knowledge tradition that shapes the place they live, the language they may speak, and the obligations they carry as tāngata o Aotearoa — people of this land. That relationship calls for care, curiosity, and respect for knowledge-holders who carry what no textbook can fully contain.

Ngā Rauemi Tautoko · Resources already provided

This handout is designed to be used alongside other resources in the same unit. Related materials are linked in the unit planner. All content is provided — no additional preparation is required to use this handout in your classroom.

Curriculum alignment

Identity, Culture, and Organisation: Understand how cultural identity shapes participation in society — whakapapa, tikanga, and mana as foundations of Māori identity in Aotearoa New Zealand.