A lesson in Maori

As many of you know, I’m from New Zealand. In NZ, we speak mostly English. But the native people of NZ called the ‘Maori’ have their own language too. I decided I will teach you all a few basic words of Maori.

First is “Ki Ora”. This is the word for “Hello” or it can be used as a greeting. If you ever visit NZ, you will definitely hear this word used.

Next is “Kiwi”. The Kiwi is the national bird of NZ, but its name is actually a Maori word. It didn’t come from the fruit!

Another word that you may have heard is “Haka”. The Haka is a ceremonial dance performed by Maori tribes. These days its famous for being performed by the rugby team of NZ (The All Blacks) before every match.

The last word I’ll introduce is “Aotearoa”. This is the Maori word for ‘New Zealand’. But translated from Maori, it means “long white cloud”. In NZ, you can often see long white clouds across the sky!

Many Maori sounds are similar to the sounds used in Japanese pronunciation. You may find them easier to say than English words!