Kia ora. What may seem a simple greeting in Maori can mean so much more. It’s hello. Good luck. Cheers. Best wishes. Depending on how it’s said it can even mean “thanks”.
We’d like to use kia ora as both a hello and to wish you the best as you learn the latest addition to the Drops language family.
UNESCO named 2019 as the International Year of Indigenous Languages, and in honor of the year’s celebrations as well as in support of the Maori language, Drops is excited to introduce our 32nd language--te reo Māori.
In their research, Simons and Lewis (2011) discovered 19% of the world’s 7,000+ living languages aren’t being learned by the future generations. By adding te reo Māori to Drops, it’s our hope to support those working so hard to revitalize this beautiful language
Te reo Māori is one of New Zealand’s official languages. It’s a member of one of the largest language families in the world and is spoken by around 150,000 people. It’s an endangered language, but kōhanga reo (“language nests” or schools) are working to boost the number of speakers of the language. And now, so is Drops.
In learning kia ora, you now know the subtle ways a simple greeting can pack a power of meaning and nuance. And that’s just one Maori expression among many that you can learn with Drops. Now you can multiply that knowledge by the thousands using Drops to learn both relevant and useful vocabulary. Plus, we’ve worked with local translators and native speakers to ensure you get a high-quality language learning experience.
The opportunity to swipe, tap and play your way to learning thousands of words in te reo Māori, drop by drop!
Our team curates practical, relevant word lists you just won’t find anywhere else. It’s one of the app’s features we’re most proud of and it offers you a customized and seamless te reo Māori learning experience.
Whether you’re interested in talking about your favorite sports or figuring out how to get around on your upcoming trip to Aotearoa (that’s the Maori word for “New Zealand”!), we’re here to support you along the way.
Before we say haere rā (“goodbye”), we’d like to invite you along on an adventure. In just five minutes a day, you can start learning the Maori language. We hope you enjoy the journey offers you manaakitanga--our hospitality, respect, and care.
