Using te reo Māori

Ko te reo Māori te reo taketake o Aotearoa, te manawapou hoki o te ahurea me te tuakiri Māori | The Māori language is the indigenous language of New Zealand and the foundation of Māori culture and identity.

Te Herenga Mātai Pūkaha is committed to supporting the University’s Te Reo Policy and to actively supporting the revitalisation of te reo Māori. You can join us in this journey by getting started with some of Aotearoa's handy resources, or using the following common phrases regularly.

• Kuputaka, the the University's official glossary of te reo Māori terms. Find out more.
• Online version of Te Aka Māori-English, English-Māori Dictionary and Index. Visit the website.
  
• Resources from Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori | the Māori Language Commission. Visit their website.
• Scotty Morrison's Māori Language learning resource. Visit his website.

Tēna koe Dear Sir/Madam
E te rangatira, tēna koe Dear Sir/Madam
Tēnā anō koe Greetings again
Tēnā koe i roto i ngā āhuatanga i te wā Greetings to you and the circumstances of the time
Kia ora Hello/Hi/Thank you
Kia ora rā Hello/Hi/Thank you
Kia ora anō rā Hello/Hi again/Thank you again
Me mutu pea i konei I’ll leave it there
Ka nui tēnā That’s enough
Kāti ake i konei Let’s leave it there for now
Ā kāti Let’s leave it there
Noho ora mai rā Look after yourself
Noho pukumahi mai rā Stay busy
Hei konā mai Goodbye for now
Hei konā mai i ngā mihi Thanks and goodbye
Kia kōrero anō au i a koe Until I hear from you again
Māu au i whakamōhio mai Let me know
Ngā mihi Thanks
Nāku noa, nā Yours sincerely (name)
Ata mārie Good morning
Ahiahi mārie Good afternoon
Pō mārie Good night
Hei āpōpō See you tomorrow
Hei te Rāhina See you on Monday
Kia pai tō rangi Have a great day
Kia pai tō mutunga wiki Have a great weekend
Tēnā rawa atu koe Thank you very much

This is a formulaic expression of one’s whānau, marae, hapū and iwi. If you do not have whakapapa (genealogy) specific to an area, it is best to pay homage and mihi (acknowledge) the mana whenua (peoples of authority) to the land you are speaking about.

Hapū and iwi have a genealogical connection to the mountains, rivers and seas in their respective areas. Therefore, these are seen as more than geographical indicators of the land over which we have authority – they are our ancestors. You can create your own pepeha on the University's Te Kūaha app.