NCEA Level 2 Te Reo Māori flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

kua (tense marker)

Perfect aspect marker placed before the verb to show an action is completed or a state has been reached, as in kua tae mai te manuhiri (the guest has arrived).

e...ana (tense frame)

Present or ongoing aspect frame wrapping the verb: e ako ana au means I am learning. The verb sits between e and ana.

kāore (negation)

General negative particle used with i for past (kāore i haere) and e for future or ongoing (kāore e haere). It reverses the polarity of the clause that follows.

toko- (people counting)

Prefix used only when counting people: tokorua means two people, tokotoru three people. It is not used for counting objects or animals.

mai / atu directionals

Directional particles showing movement relative to the speaker: mai means towards the speaker, atu means away. Homai is give to me, hoatu is give away.

āhea / nāhea

Question words for when: āhea asks about future time, nāhea asks about past time. The tense marker in the answer must match the question.

whaikōrero structure

Formal speech order: tauparapara or whakataukī opening, mihi to the dead, the house and the hosts, the take or topic, then a closing. A waiata tautoko follows.

mihi order

Greeting sequence: atua, tūpāpaku, whenua, whare, tangata whenua, manuhiri, then the speaker's own people. Order signals respect for hosts and the dead.

māua vs tāua

Dual pronouns: māua means the two of us excluding the listener, tāua means the two of us including the listener. Choosing wrongly changes who is addressed.

ā-class and ō-class possession

Ā-class marks movable or acquired things (taku pukapuka, āku kai). Ō-class marks people, body parts, water, land and inherited things (tōku whānau, ōku mātua).

karanga

The ceremonial call by women that opens pōwhiri, welcoming visitors onto the marae and acknowledging the dead. It precedes whaikōrero in the formal sequence.

koha

A gift, often money or food, presented by visitors during pōwhiri to support the hosts. It follows the speeches and waiata in the formal sequence.

waiata tautoko

A song sung immediately after a speech to support and reinforce it. The speaker's own group leads it, and it closes that speaker's turn.

tūhono pronoun choice

Mātou excludes the listener, tātou includes them; māua excludes, tāua includes. Inclusivity must match who is actually present in the exchange.

whakapapa mihi

Identifying oneself by naming one's mountain, river, marae, hapū and iwi. This situates the speaker genealogically and is standard in formal introductions.

Ko vs He sentences

Ko introduces a definite equative sentence (Ko Hine tērā = that is Hine). He introduces an indefinite one (He kaiako ia = she is a teacher).

passive agent marker e

In passive sentences the agent follows e: I tuhia te reta e Hine means the letter was written by Hine. The object comes before the agent.

nā te mea

Conjunction meaning because or owing to the fact that. It introduces a reason clause and is common in explanatory and persuasive reading passages.

ai (relative marker)

Particle used in relative and purpose clauses: te tangata i haere mai ai (the person who came), or kia ako ai (in order to learn).

nei / nā / rā

Location particles in relative clauses: nei refers to near the speaker, nā to near the listener, rā to something distant. They attach after the verb phrase.

whakataukī reading

Proverb read figuratively: identify the literal image, then apply the moral or genealogical claim. He kākano ahau i ruia mai i Rangiātea asserts origin, not botany.

otirā / engari / nō reira

Discourse connectors: otirā adds or emphasises, engari contrasts, nō reira draws a conclusion. They signal the direction of an argument in longer texts.

tuatahi / tuarua

Ordinal numbers formed with tua-: tuatahi first, tuarua second, tuatoru third. They sequence points in narrative and persuasive writing.

macron meaning contrast

Vowel length changes meaning: rā is day or sun, ra is not a standard word; kākā is parrot, kaka is a garment. Reading must register the length mark.

passive ending -tia

Passive suffix used with verbs ending in a long vowel or certain consonants: kōrero becomes kōrerotia, ako becomes akona by a different class. Learn by verb class.

passive ending -hia

Passive suffix attached to verbs such as aroha (arohahia) and whakamā (whakamāhia). The ending changes the subject into the receiver of the action.

me (should)

Particle placed before the verb to express obligation or recommendation: me haere tāua means we should go. It takes no tense marker of its own.

ki te (conditional)

Introduces a condition meaning if: ki te hiahia koe, ka awhina au means if you want, I will help. The main clause follows with ka or e.

hei kupu whakamutunga

Concluding phrase meaning as a final word. It introduces the closing statement of a formal written text or speech.

nāku noa, nā

Formal letter closing meaning yours sincerely, followed by the writer's name. It is the standard register for a written application or formal letter.

He...āku possession

Structure for saying one has something: He pukapuka āku means I have books. Use ā-class for things and ō-class for people or body parts.

kia (purpose)

Particle introducing purpose or wish: I haere au kia kite ai means I went in order to see. The verb is followed by ai in this construction.