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Once outlawed by 辫腻办别丑腻 (non-M膩ori) New Zealanders, te reo M膩ori is today one of Aotearoa New Zealand鈥檚 three official languages (along with English and New Zealand Sign Language). Travellers to New Zealand will notice it is used everywhere: on radio and television shows, in newspapers, on Auckland buses鈥. that鈥檚 just for starters. Even New Zealand鈥檚 Prime Minister Jacinda Arden is bringing her daughter up bilingual. Here's how you can learn more about te reo M膩ori before a visit to NZ.

A M膩ori couple in traditional dress touch noses as they dance at Tamaki Cultural Village in Rotorua
Alongside music, dancing and storytelling, the te reo M膩ori language is an essential part of M膩ori culture 漏 Fotos593 / Shutterstock

The importance of te reo M膩ori

The indigenous language of New Zealand, te reo M膩ori has lent new words and concepts to everyday English, blending into a uniquely Kiwi vernacular. Beyond kia ora (hello), other popular words pepper conversations like aroha (love), kai (food), mana (the spiritual quality of a person or object) and whakapapa (your genealogy; where you come from).

Read more: How to travel sustainably in New Zealand

More significantly, M膩ori concepts that have taken root in the national consciousness are also partly responsible for New Zealand鈥檚 reputation as one of the most beautiful and friendly places in the world to live, or visit. Kaitiakitanga (guardianship or protection) will mean its natural environment is looked after now for future generations; manaakitanga (hospitality) sees New Zealanders being exceptionally friendly to visitors, as long as they do the right thing; and anyone can become 飞丑腻苍补耻 (extended family). For non-M膩ori people, 飞丑腻苍补耻 is a bit like 鈥榤y people鈥 鈥 beyond your family, those friends with whom you have kinship and shared values, but also reciprocal responsibilities.

Intricately carved wooden sculptures of people stand outside the Tama-te-Kapua Meeting House in Ohinemutu, Rotorua.
Intricate M膩ori carvings outside Tama-te-Kapua Meeting House in Ohinemutu, Rotorua 漏 sljones / Getty Images

Get to know te reo M膩ori

Te reo M膩ori is a melodic language, with Polynesian roots. People from Southeast Asia say the vowel and consonant sounds are familiar: if you鈥檝e spent any time on Indonesian language learning you could be ahead of the game. Romance language speakers also have little trouble pronouncing new M膩ori words, especially those with Italian, Portuguese or Spanish language skills (roll those Rs!).

Read more: The best wild swimming spots in New Zealand

Other visitors have suggested it sounds a bit like a mash-up of Finnish and Japanese, so if you鈥檝e had a dabble in either of these, you may be in for a pleasant surprise when it comes to trying to use some M膩ori. Keen to learn more? There are multiple ways you can learn te reo M膩ori, through apps, online or by taking a course in New Zealand.

Visitors entering and leaving the Museum of New Zealand in Wellington; the sign also states the M膩ori name, Te Papa Tongarewa.
Visitors will see signs in both English and te reo M膩ori. Te Papa Tongarewa means 'container of treasures' 漏 georgeclerk / Getty Images

You can learn te reo M膩ori

If you want to learn M膩ori nouns for everyday objects download the app , which works a bit like Shazam but for things rather than songs. Online, has a handy translator if you want to look up a new M膩ori word 鈥 you鈥檒l find them everywhere in New Zealand from menus to newspapers. Look up , who has published a handy a video on that all-important pronunciation.

Language-learning app , got on board first, but to its offering so you can start practising before you even book those New Zealand flights. And finally, at Auckland University if you鈥檙e planning to spend a long time (minimum 40 weeks) in New Zealand. If you are recognised as a permanent resident, there is also the option to enrol in a for free!

Snow-capped mountains stand in the distance behind Lake Taup艒, New Zealand
You might hear a few variations in pronunciation of Lake Taup艒 (it's 'toe-paw') 漏 sljones / Getty Images

Understanding M膩ori place names

On the ground you鈥檒l see New Zealand has a mix of English and M膩ori place names, though there is always talk of returning the colonial names to the originals. T奴ranganui-膩-kiwa sounds much better than Poverty Bay (a region on the east coast of the North Island named by Captain Cook). Work has also been done 鈥 and is ongoing 鈥 to correct signage so they include macrons (the horizontal line above a vowel) to indicate the correct vowel sounds.

Read more: New Zealand in detail: M膩ori Culture

Getting pronunciations right has not always been a concern for New Zealand鈥檚 辫腻办别丑腻 population, and admittedly some still find it a little disconcerting to be told they鈥檝e been calling their town by the wrong name their whole lives鈥 There are pockets of resistance to change, and it is valuable to understand in one鈥檚 enthusiasm to get it right, that there鈥檚 a certain level of shame (and pride) that many people need to overcome to be able to get on board with the a more bi-cultural Kiwi future. Taup艒, for example, sounds like 鈥榯oe-paw鈥, not 鈥榯owel-poh鈥 鈥 but you鈥檒l no doubt hear multiple pronunciations when you鈥檙e on the ground (which can sometimes make for some confusing conversations).

A view from the top of Mt Maunganui in Tauranga, New Zealand; the city can be seen below, fringed by a sandy beach leading to a blue-green sea.
Mt Maunganui in Tauranga; Maunganui means 'big mountain' 漏 Jason Howe / Getty Images

Understanding a few key M膩ori terms will also shed some poetic light on New Zealand place names: Waikaremoana is the Sea (moana) of Rippling (kare) Waters (wai); Rotorua means the Second (rua) Lake (roto). Other top descriptions to learn are awa (river), 尘补苍驳艒 (shark), maunga (mountain) and nui (big). And of course Aotearoa, the M膩ori name for NZ, is most often translated as 鈥楲and of the Long White Cloud鈥.

The story of te reo M膩ori鈥檚 survival was only possible through the tenacity of New Zealand鈥檚 indigenous people. The result is the opportunity now to connect with a culture rich with music, song, dance, and storytelling 鈥 not to mention a wicked sense of humour 鈥 that makes NZ all the more fascinating as a travel destination. For a week in September each year the whole country puts in an extra effort to use more language during M膩ori Language Week. This is how you bring back a language that was once at risk of disappearing.

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