NCEA L1 Te Reo Māori cheat sheet

Whakarongo ki te reo Māori: identify the topic and purpose from the first sentence, which often states who, what, and where.

Distinguish short and long vowels (a/ā, e/ē, i/ī, o/ō, u/ū) because length changes meaning, e.g. 'keke' (cake) vs 'kēkē' (armpit).

Recognise the passive endings -hia, -ria, -tia, -ngia, -a, -ina, -whia; they signal that the action is done to someone or something.

Listen for question words: wai (who), aha (what), hea (where), āhea (when future), nāhea (when past), pēhea (how), e hia (how many).

Note negation patterns: kāore ... i (past/neutral), kāore ... e (future/ongoing), kāore ... kia (yet to happen); they reverse the meaning of the sentence.

Track pronouns: au/ahau (I), koe (you), ia (he/she), māua (we two, excluding you), tāua (we two, including you), mātou (we, excluding you), tātou (we, including you).

Identify tense markers: i (past), e ... ana (present/ongoing), ka (future or sequential), kua (perfect), e ... ai (habitual or reason).

Use context to infer unknown words: listen for the surrounding nouns, verbs, and particles rather than stopping at an unfamiliar word.

Pronounce the five vowels consistently: a as in 'far', e as in 'bed', i as in 'see', o as in 'law', u as in 'too'; long vowels are held about twice as long.

Pronounce consonants carefully: 'ng' is a single sound as in 'singer', 'wh' is often a soft 'f' or 'wh', and 'r' is a gentle roll.

Use the correct pronoun for inclusive versus exclusive 'we': māua/tāua (two) and mātou/tātou (three or more).

Form questions with 'Kei te pēhea koe?' (How are you?), 'Nō hea koe?' (Where are you from?), and 'Ko wai tō ingoa?' (What is your name?).

Use 'Ko [name] ahau' to introduce yourself and 'Nō [place] ahau' to state where you are from.

Apply the particle 'ki' for direction or recipient, 'i' for past or location, and 'kei' for present location.

Structure a short speech with a mihi (greeting), whakapapa (connections), and a closing; keep sentences short and clear.

Use appropriate register: formal language with elders and on the marae, informal language with peers; avoid slang in formal settings.

Identify the main idea by scanning the title, first sentence, and repeated nouns; the topic is usually stated early.

Use the particle 'ko' to mark a subject or predicate nominal, e.g. 'Ko Hine te kaiako' (Hine is the teacher).

Recognise 'te' (singular) and 'ngā' (plural) articles, and 'he' for indefinite nouns, e.g. 'he whare' (a house).

Track possession with 'a' and 'o' categories: 'a' for movable/active possession, 'o' for inherited/inalienable possession.

Identify verb phrases by tense markers: 'i' (past), 'e ... ana' (present), 'ka' (future/sequential), 'kua' (perfect), 'e ... ai' (habitual).

Use 'kei te' for present ongoing action and 'kei' for location, e.g. 'Kei te kura ia' (He/she is at school).

Recognise common prefixes and suffixes: whaka- (causative), -nga (nominalisation), -tanga (abstract noun), and reduplication for plurality or intensity.

Use context and word order (VSO in Māori) to work out who is doing what to whom, especially in passive sentences.

Use the macron (tohutō) consistently on long vowels: ā, ē, ī, ō, ū; omitting it can change the word's meaning.

Write simple sentences with the verb-subject-object order common in Māori, e.g. 'Ka kai te tamaiti i te āporo' (The child eats the apple).

Use 'i' before a verb for past tense: 'I haere au ki te kura' (I went to school).

Use 'e ... ana' around the verb for present ongoing action: 'E haere ana au ki te kura' (I am going to school).

Use 'ka' for future or sequential action: 'Ka haere au āpōpō' (I will go tomorrow).

Use 'kua' for completed action: 'Kua tae mai ia' (He/she has arrived).

Form negatives with 'kāore': 'Kāore au i haere' (I did not go), 'Kāore au e haere' (I will not go).

Use 'he' for indefinite nouns and 'te/ngā' for definite nouns; check plural agreement with 'ngā'.

Use 'ki te' for 'to' before a verb (infinitive) and 'ki' for direction or recipient.