Kai

Language Focus

You will notice the placement of adjectives after the noun, for example, ika nui (big fish).

You will also hear the question starter ‘He aha...’ (What...), for example, ‘He aha te wā?’ (What’s the time?).

Children will watch delightedly as one Māori word morphs into another – by rearranging the letters, for example, ‘ika’ and ‘kai’.

Language Focus

There are some very useful language structures in this reomation – specifically how to:

• express hunger
• ask about another person’s likes
• state one’s dislikes (using a negative)
• describe simple reasons for dislikes
• state one’s likes.

Notice the compound word ‘hiakai’ (hungry). It is derived from ‘hia’ (to want) and ‘kai’ (food). Notice too the conjunction ’engari’ (but).

Tikanga

Jenny is aware of tikanga (Māori custom) – hence her giving the sandwich to the visitor, because ‘manuhiri’ (visitors) always come first (and, indeed, get given the best food available).

Language Focus

You will meet the question starter ‘He aha...’ (What). You will also encounter the preposition/locative ‘ kei roto’ (inside).

You will learn how to:

• ask about two choices of food (using ‘rānei’ meaning ‘or’)
• politely request something to be passed (using ‘koa’ which literally means ‘gladly’)
• use the singular possessive pronoun ‘taku’ (my)
• tell someone to wait (using ‘Taihoa’).

More difficult is the word ‘māu’ (for you). This is sometimes written as ‘māhau’.

Language Focus

You will meet the question starter ‘He aha...’ (What). You will also encounter the preposition/locative ‘ kei roto’ (inside).

You will learn how to:

• ask about two choices of food (using ‘rānei’ meaning ‘or’)
• politely request something to be passed (using ‘koa’ which literally means ‘gladly’)
• use the singular possessive pronoun ‘taku’ (my)
• tell someone to wait (using ‘Taihoa’).

More difficult is the word ‘māu’ (for you). This is sometimes written as ‘māhau’.