Te Reo Māori Greetings & Phrases Matching Game
Te Reo Māori Greetings & Phrases Matching Game · Years 5–7
Ngā Whāinga Akoranga · Learning Intentions
- Understand and apply key concepts from te ao Māori to learning and life
- Engage with te reo Māori vocabulary and cultural frameworks with accuracy and respect
- Connect Māori values and concepts to contemporary issues and personal identity
- Recognise the significance of Māori cultural knowledge as a living, relevant system
Paearu Angitu · Success Criteria
- I can explain at least three te ao Māori concepts accurately in my own words
- I use te reo Māori vocabulary with correct meaning and appropriate context
- I can connect a Māori concept to a real contemporary situation or personal experience
- My engagement with this material demonstrates genuine curiosity and cultural respect
Whakataukī | Proverb
"Ko te reo te mauri o te mana Māori"
Language is the life force of Māori cultural identity.
Learning te reo Māori connects us to the rich heritage of Aotearoa. Every phrase we learn honours our tīpuna and strengthens our bicultural nation. These greetings and everyday phrases are your first steps on a lifelong journey with te reo - kia kaha!
🌺 Te Reo Māori Matching Game
Level 2 (Years 5-8) | Greetings & Common Phrases
📋 Learning Objectives:
- Recognise common Te Reo Māori greetings and phrases
- Understand the English meanings
- Use appropriate phrases in context
- Build confidence with te reo vocabulary
📝 How to Play:
- Match each Te Reo phrase (pink cards) with its English meaning (green cards)
- Write the matching letter next to each number
- Check your answers when complete
- BONUS: Practice saying each phrase out loud!
✏️ Write Your Answers:
🌟 Extension Challenge
Create a Conversation: Using at least 5 phrases from above, write a short dialogue between two friends meeting at school.
Person A: _________________________________
Person B: _________________________________
Person A: _________________________________
Person B: _________________________________
Person A: _________________________________
✂️ BONUS: Cut-Out Cards for Group Games
Cut out these cards and play memory match, snap, or concentration with your classmates!
🎵 Pronunciation Guide
In Te Reo Māori, vowels are pronounced: A (ah), E (eh), I (ee), O (oh), U (oo). Practice makes perfect!
🎯 Quick Context Quiz
Which phrase would you use in these situations?
1. Your friend asks how you are. You reply:
2. Someone does something nice for you. You say:
3. You're greeting your teacher formally. You say:
4. A visitor arrives at your class. You say:
🔑 Answer Key (Teacher Only - Don't Print for Students!):
1=A, 2=B, 3=C, 4=D, 5=E, 6=F, 7=G, 8=H, 9=I, 10=J
Hononga Marautanga · Curriculum Alignment
Curriculum alignment for this handout has not yet been verified against the live curriculum statements. A generated placeholder that stood here was removed on 2026-08-29 because it matched no real statement.
Tuhia ōu whakaaro · Write Your Thoughts
Reflect on your learning. What was the most important idea? What question do you still have?
Aronga Mātauranga Māori
This resource engages directly with te ao Māori as its subject — the values, practices, language, and worldview that have sustained Māori communities across centuries of challenge and change. Mātauranga Māori is not a supplement to this learning: it is the source. Students approaching this material are invited to engage with it not as outside observers studying a foreign culture, but as people in relationship with a living knowledge tradition that shapes the place they live, the language they may speak, and the obligations they carry as tāngata o Aotearoa — people of this land. That relationship calls for care, curiosity, and respect for knowledge-holders who carry what no textbook can fully contain.
Ngā Rauemi Tautoko · Resources already provided
This handout is designed to be used alongside other resources in the same unit. This handout stands on its own; it is not part of a linked unit planner. All content is provided — no additional preparation is required to use this handout in your classroom.
Curriculum alignment
- Focus of this resource: Understand how cultural identity shapes participation in society — whakapapa, tikanga, and mana as foundations of Māori identity in Aotearoa New Zealand.