How to say common consumer phrases in te reo Māori
Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, or Māori Language Week, runs from 11–17 September. It’s been 36 years since te reo Māori was recognised as an official language of Aotearoa. At Consumer, we wanted to celebrate the week by learning some consumer-related phrases and sharing them with you.
We hope you can practise your reo Māori with some of these phrases (rerenga kupu) and kupu (words).
You can also check out our article from last year on how to use tohutō (macrons) on a keyboard for te reo Māori.
Kia kaha te reo Māori! (Let’s make the Māori language strong!)
Consumer rights
Ka taea e au tēnei te whakawhiti?
Can I exchange this?
Ka taea tēnei te tapitapi?
Can this be repaired?
Kei te pīrangi ahau i te whakahokinga moni.
I would like a refund.
Homai he whakahokinga moni māku.
Give me a refund.
Services
He aha tāu tūtohunga?
What is your recommendation?
E hia te utu mō tēnei/tēnā?
How much does this/that cost?
He rahi anō koa.
Can I have another size please.
He tae atu mō tēnei?
Do you have this in a different colour?
Kei te hiahia au ki te kōrero ki te kaiwhakahaere.
I want to speak to the manager.
He aha ngā wā whakatuwhera mō te whare hokohoko?
What are the store’s opening hours?
Kei a koutou ētahi whakahekenga utu?
Do you have any discounts?
Āhea tērā atu awhe utu?
When is the next sale?
Check out our Instagram for videos releasing from the 11–15 September in celebration of the week. Some of our staff have each chosen one of the above phrases to share.
Kia kaha te reo Māori!
Fuel our fight for your rights
New Zealanders across the country are doing it tough right now. Scammers are everywhere, it‘s hard to trust supermarket specials, and businesses are peddling products that can’t be repaired.
We’re fighting hard for your rights. But we need your help to do more. Help us raise $50,000 in four weeks to stand up for your consumer rights.
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