Join us for a kōrero with Hona Black and Te Aorangi Murphy-Fell, the authors behind 'Ngā Hapa Reo: Common Māori Language Errors,' a practical guide released in September 2024 that highlights over 150 common mistakes in Te Reo Māori, offering corrections and insights to help learners improve and refine their language skills.
Making mistakes can be daunting (and embarrassing 😳), often putting off learners from speaking out loud for fear of getting it wrong—even though we frequently make errors in English without a second thought. The book 'Ngā Hapa Reo' isn't here to spotlight your flaws and expose your rusty reo. Instead, it serves as a supportive tool, guiding you to address and correct common errors at your own pace. It helps build your confidence in speaking te reo Māori by clarifying why these mistakes are common, offering helpful corrections and examples, and empowering you to face the hapa taniwha head-on.
In this interview, hear some of the insights into the development of the resource, discover some of the most common language slip-ups in Te Reo Māori as shared in their book ("Are you a dog?" 🫢🐶), and learn how to navigate the inevitable experiences of making (many!) mistakes on your language learning journey.
What inspired you both to co-author 'Ngā Hapa Reo'?
Many of the errors in the book were those that we made ourselves, or were things that were pointed out to us by our teachers. We wanted to share our journey of learning to ensure all learners of the Māori language had the opportunity to benefit from them.
Congratulations on the success of the pukapuka! What kind of feedback have you received so far since its release?
Most of the feedback has been good. Some readers have also picked up mistakes in the first print. I suppose that proves precisely the purpose of the book - no one is immune to making errors. We have considered these and have made changes for future prints. Our peers have challenged us on some of the more grammatical points of the book. We have also taken these into account and made adjustments. We try to always have an open mind when it comes to our language journey and are always open to being corrected.
Can you share a selection of 5 of the most common language errors from the book that many learners might not be aware of?
HAPA 1
I am a descendant of the Tūhoe people.
Incorrect: He uri au o Ngāi Tūhoe.
Correct: He uri au nō Ngāi Tūhoe.
This is an error that is commonly heard when communicating genealogical ties or other forms of connection (often between a person and an object or position). For sentences of this form that start with ‘He’, the particles ‘nā’ and ‘nō’ are to be used (rather than ‘a’ and ‘o’). In most cases, the type of relationship or connection that people share (either with other people or with objects) determines whether ‘nā’ or ‘nō’ is to be used, as they are both tied to the ‘a’ and ‘o’ categories.
HAPA 2
I will look after you.
Incorrect: Māku koe e tiakina.
Correct: Māku koe e tiaki.
If a speaker chooses to use an actor-emphatic sentence in reference to the future, a passive verb can’t be used. Instead, for the sentence to be grammatically correct the speaker must use a transitive verb (a verb that requires an object).
HAPA 3
You run the meeting.
Incorrect: Me whakahaerehia e koe te hui.
Correct: Me whakahaere e koe te hui.
When using the word ‘Me’ to start a passive sentence (meaning ‘should’, ‘could’ or ‘ought to’), the verb that follows should not be in the passive form. Despite that verb still remaining a passive verb, it is incorrect for the speaker to add the passive ending. The rest of the sentence continues to follow the passive structure (e.g. the use of ‘e’ to indicate the subject of the sentence).
HAPA 4
I want my house to be built so that it’s just like Mere’s house.
Incorrect: E pīrangi ana au kia hangaia tōku whare kia pērā ki tō Mere.
Correct: E pīrangi ana au kia hangaia tōku whare kia pērā i tō Mere.
The word ‘pērā’ signals something to be the same as what the speaker is referring to (by showing, doing, saying or otherwise), which is away from both the speaker and the listener (He Pātaka Kupu, 2008). The correct particle to use with ‘pērā’ at all times is ‘i’.
HAPA 5
Do you have a pen?
Incorrect: He pene koe?
Correct: He pene tāu?
Often you will hear learners of Māori using ‘He … koe?’ to ask whether someone possesses something, but ‘He … koe?’ really asks whether someone is something. For example, ‘He kurī koe?’ can be translated to mean ‘Are you a dog?’ The correct way of asking whether someone possesses something is ‘He … (t)āu’; for example, ‘He kurī tāu?’ (‘Do you have a dog?’).
During your research, what was the most surprising language error or misconception about te reo Māori that you encountered?
There wasn’t necessarily a single most surprising language error that we found through our research, as the errors that we make may be different from those that others make. In saying that, we found (and continue to find) some of the errors that are influenced by non-Māori worldviews to be interesting - including those such as “He pene koe?” (literally, “Are you a pen?”) - and show how the language is evolving as we become more diverse.
Could you share some of the challenges you faced during the creation of 'Ngā Hapa Reo'?
One of the challenges of writing a book of this type is that errors aren’t always “black and white”. While many of the grammatical ones may be so, there are many others, such as errors in the use of words, or those that are influenced by the thoughts and patterns of the English language, that are more debatable. In general, we decided to include the more debatable ones in the book in the hope that it generates discussion.
Another challenge was describing why some sentences are indeed incorrect (or contain errors). It may sound funny, but sometimes we say things in Māori that we know are incorrect but are unsure of the reason why, or the rules associated with that error don’t always make logical sense. So describing some of these errors in ways that are digestible and understood to all was not always an easy task!
How would you address learners who are hesitant to accept certain corrections because they conflict with what they've been previously taught by their kaiako?
(e.g. tango and whakamau vs unu and kuhu)
When English is the predominant language in Aotearoa, there will always be times where English interferes with te reo Māori, or conflates Māori worldviews. No one is immune from it. Learning te reo Māori is lifelong, so it’s important to have an open mind. Often these changes are happening without people realising that they are happening. We also acknowledge that languages are not static, they change. Sometimes we repurpose words. We just want to bring these discussions to the fore so that we can have a discussion about them, without merely accepting them, and so Māori can be the ones who determine what is acceptable change and what is not. We are not the judge and jury for these errors, but we can’t make an informed decision without being aware of everything first.
What is the best approach to correcting mistakes when you hear them being spoken by someone else?
This sounds cliché, but it depends on the relationship you have with people, as well as the environment or context. We wouldn’t correct someone's language without knowing them, or if we haven’t cultivated an environment where we are open to being corrected. Correcting someone's errors without that can run the risk of doing the exact opposite of what you want - discouraging the use of te reo. Hence why we thought a book might be a good way to reach out to people.
Can you share how a beginner should approach reading the book differently from a more skilled speaker?
The errors are aimed at all levels. We’ve spoken te reo Māori our whole life, and many of these errors were ones we made. Beginner learners will probably know when an error, or the terminology we use, is aimed at more advanced speakers of te reo Māori. In which case, I’d put these aside in the meantime and keep revisiting as you progress further in your reo journey.
What are some effective strategies you recommend for readers to unlearn mistakes they discover in 'Ngā Hapa Reo' and relearn the correct usage efficiently?
Unlearning is much harder than learning for the first time. Whilst you might know that something is an error, it can sometimes take a while for it to naturally self-correct. The main thing is to just listen to yourself as you talk. If you make an error, go back and correct it.
What are some encouraging words or advice you can offer to learners feeling discouraged by their language errors?
The road to proficiency is never easy and is full of ups and downs. There will be times when you feel like giving up, or feel that you’re not good enough. But it’s important to remember that your journey is your own, and it's a marathon, not a sprint. Try not to compare your journey to others - it can rob you of the joys of little steps. We’ve stumbled ourselves over errors our whole life. But we should always try to fail forward.
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The main takeaway is that mastering te reo is an ever-evolving haerenga, reflecting the dynamic nature of language itself. It requires ongoing dialogue and debate, allowing us to continually shape the evolving identity of te reo Māori. The authors remind us that mistakes aren’t just okay; they’re part of the process. Keep speaking, keep stumbling, keep correcting yourself, keep an open mind, and keep learning.
In the words of Te Korou Whangataua, “He reo hapa e taea te whakatikia, he reo ngū e kore e taea.” You can fix a language that has mistakes, but you can't fix a language that is unspoken. Do not let the fear of making mistakes prevent you from speaking the reo and passing it down to future generations.
If you'd like to learn more, grab yourself a copy of the book, which includes over 150 common Māori language errors encountered by learners and fluent speakers alike. Available in most bookstores, and on our store here.
