Introductions In Te Reo Māori

 

 

NB:  the flashcard app doesn’t allow for macrons so I’ve doubled the vowel where a macron would usually show where the stress should go.

 

• ��What's your name?
  Ko wai too ingoa?
• My name is ____.
  Ko Maria tooku ingoa.
• I'm Maria.
  Ko Maria ahau.
• Hello
  Kia ora
• Good morning
  Ata maarie.
• I'm Paul.
  Ko Paora ahau.
• What's your name?
  Ko wai too ingoa?
• My name is Rewi.
  Ko Rewi tooku ingoa.
• Where are you from?
  Noo hea koe?
• from
  noo
• where
  hea
• you
  koe
• I'm from Opotiki.
  Noo Oopootiki ahau.
• I'm from Spain.
  Noo Peina ahau.
• I'm from France.
  Noo Wiiwii ahau.
• I'm from Australia.
  Noo Ahitereriria ahau.
• I'm from Great Britain.
  Noo Piritana Nui ahau.
• Where do you live?
  Kei hea koe e noho ana?
• where are you?
  kei hea koe?
• "sitting, staying, living"
  e noho ana
• Where do you live?
  Kei te noho koe ki hea?
• Where do you live?
  E noho ana koe ki hea?
• I live in Opotiki.
  Kei Oopootiki ahau e noho ana.
• I live in Opotiki.
  Kei te noho ahau ki Oopootiki.
• I live in Opotiki.
  E noho ana ahau ki Oopotiki.

 

GRAMMAR NOTES:

Learning when to use ‘i’ or ‘ki’ in sentences to connect information is often tricky, here are a few tips that may help.

First of all why do you need these connective prepositions?

English is (generally) a SVO language – its sentence structure is usually Subject+Verb+Object.

Tim (the subject) surfed (the action/verb) the wave (the object).

In this case the object is a ‘direct’ object, meaning it can be connected straight on to the verb.

Sometimes the object will be an indirect object and it will need a preposition to connect it to the rest of the sentence eg  I’m going ‘to’ town.

Te Reo Māori is (generally) a VSO language – its sentence structure is usually Verb + Subject + Object.

In Te Reo Māori there is not the same distinction between direct and indirect objects and ‘most’ object phrases require a preposition to connect them to the rest of the sentence.

Usually this preposition will be ‘i’.

I whakahekeheke (surfed/Verb) a Tim (subject) i te ngaru (the wave/object).

But sometimes it is ‘ki’.

You just need to learn the verbs that take ‘ki’.

They include the verbs: ‘to look’ (titiro), to know’ (mōhio), ‘to dream’ (moemoeā), ‘to wait for’ (tatari), ‘to love’ (aroha), ‘to want or desire’ (hiahia / pīrangi), ‘to think about’  (mahara) and ‘to hope for’ (tūmanako).

NB:  kite (to see) and rongo (to hear) may seem like they should fit into the ‘ki’ category but they use ‘i’.

Ka mōhio koe ki tērā kōtiro?

Do you know that girl?  (lit  Know (verb) you (subject) that girl (object).

Ka aroha ahau ki a koe.

I love you.  (lit. Love (verb) I (subject) you (object).

E hiahia ana ahua ki te ako i te reo Māori.

I want to learn the Māori language.

‘I’ and ‘ki’ are preposition and as such are structural words that can’t be translated into a particular English word.

However, ‘i’ often occurs where we would use ‘in’ or ‘at’ in English.

And ‘ki’ often occurs where we would use ‘at’, ‘to’ or ‘towards’ in English.

Titiro ki tērā koroua!

Look at that old man!

Titiro ki tērā maunga.

Look at (towards) that mountain.

This is especially true when motion to or towards something is referred to.

E haere ana au ki te whare.

I’m going (to or in the direction of) home.

Hoki mai ki konei!

Come (to or in the direction of) here.

 

PRACTICE   –  FILL THE GAPS WITH ‘I’ OR ‘KI’

 

Kei te haere au __ te toa.

I hoki mai a Tim___ tōna kāinga.

I korero atu ia ___tōna hoa.

E titiro ana a Lenaire ___ ngā pēpi.

I pīrangi te tama ___ te aihikīrimi.

Kei te mōhio au ___ a Yulah.

Kei te tatari rātou ___ tō matua.

I kata rātou ___ tō rātou hoa.

I ronga ngā tāngata ___ te kaiwaiata.

Kei te horoi tōku whāea ___ ngā kākahu.

I mātakitaki ia ___ te kēmu rīki.

I kai kātoa te makimaki ___ ngā panana.

I patu au ___ te poro.

I kawe te tama __ te pouaka.

 

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