Kotahitanga #6: Aroha, aroha, aroha

KOTAHITANGA | COLUMN | AROHA / LOVE

Written & illustrated by Hirimaia Eketone (they/them) | @hiri_music | Te Ao Māori Editor

Aroha, aroha, aroha. Possibly one of the most well-known Māori words used in the most universal places. Aroha is more than just the Māori translation for ‘love’ — it encompasses unspoken bonds, unconventional displays of affection, general respect and admiration. While not my favourite Māori word, I love (haha) how well understood this term is, especially in the majority of NZ media.

For this issue’s bi-weekly dose of Māori reo, I want to focus on incorporating reo into our daily lives. Lately, my partner and I have been making an effort to use more Māori vocabulary day-to-day, asking each other small questions or using terms of endearment in te reo. Our go-to has been “e kare,” which translates to my dear, my love, my darling, etc. Like all Māori words, “e kare” has multiple meanings, making it an easy term to add into day-to-day conversations.

Using “e kare” as our example, what are other ways to bring a little more reo into your day-to-day conversations? I have a couple of phrases, questions, and tidbits to add alongside our understanding of sentence structure and statements.

Ka tahi, let’s take our already established question words and add to them. Instead of just, “Kei te pēhea koe?” let’s learn a couple of longer questions that can build into a conversation naturally with limited reo!

• “He aha te wā?” What’s the time?

• “Kei hea koe?” Where are you?

• “Ko wai koe?” Who are you?

These questions can be expanded, but the important thing to note is the sentence starters. “He aha” means “what is” or “what,” “Kei hea” is “where,” and “Ko wai” is “who.” There are some exceptions, but these question words become crucial as you begin to piece together your own sentences, questions, and answers.

Once you are comfortable with the above phrases, try fleshing them out even further. Instead of just asking the time, ask what time you have to leave the house. Ask where the event is and who will be there. Google is actually a great resource for these reo questions (just don’t trust Google Translate!), with a lot of online dictionaries that can help fill the specific gaps of knowledge. Honing in on specific gaps, no matter what sentence you’re trying to conjure up, will ultimately lead to a wider understanding of te reo. Make sure you give it a try!

Aroha nui ki tōku tahu, thank you for continuing to learn and grow in my reo. Since it’s the Love Issue, it felt right to feature my tahu (partner). Take this issue as a sign to compliment your lover, friends, whānau, others, on the small things they do to brighten your day.

Mā te wā!