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Te wiki o te reo Maori

The theme Kia ora te reo Māori was chosen to celebrate New Zealand’s indigenous greeting, and also because the words ‘Kia Ora’ are an exact description of the intent of the new partnerships for te reo Māori revitalisation between the Crown and Māori under the new Māori Language Act.

In Māori culture greeting others is very important. It is an opportunity for people to show respect, through the language used and its accompanying actions, and the tone for the interaction is set. Whether the greeting is written or spoken, choosing the appropriate language is important.

Learning to greet people appropriately is key to communication success.  At Nurtured at Home, we embed te reo greetings into our everyday communication, and Educators have access to a range of learning resources, professional development, and opportunities at playgroups to learn te reo Māori.

Greetings

Hi / Kia ora

Hello (to one person) /Tēnā koe

Hello (to two people) / Tēnā kōrua

Hello (to three or more people) / Tēnā koutou

Inquiring Question

Kei te pēhea koe? / How are you?

Responses

Kei te pai ahau / I’m good

Ka nui te ora / I’m great

Me koe? / And you?

Farewells

Haere rā / Goodbye (to someone leaving)

E noho rā / Goodbye (to someone staying)

Ka kite anō / See you again

Hei konā / See you later

Information taken from http://www.tetaurawhiri.govt.nz