Counting in Māori

Language overview

Forty-two in Māori The Māori language (Te Reo Māori) belongs to the Austronesian language family, and more specifically, in the Eastern Polynesian languages branch, to the Tahitic languages. Spoken by the Māori people, the indigenous population of New Zealand, where it is coofficial alongside English and New Zealand Sign Language, it counts about 148,000 speakers.

Māori numbers list

  • 1 – tahi
  • 2 – rua
  • 3 – toru
  • 4 – whā
  • 5 – rima
  • 6 – ono
  • 7 – whitu
  • 8 – waru
  • 9 – iwa
  • 10 – tekau
  • 11 – tekau mā tahi
  • 12 – tekau mā rua
  • 13 – tekau mā toru
  • 14 – tekau mā whā
  • 15 – tekau mā rima
  • 16 – tekau mā ono
  • 17 – tekau mā whitu
  • 18 – tekau mā waru
  • 19 – tekau mā iwa
  • 20 – rua tekau
  • 30 – toru tekau
  • 40 – whā tekau
  • 50 – rima tekau
  • 60 – ono tekau
  • 70 – whitu tekau
  • 80 – waru tekau
  • 90 – iwa tekau
  • 100 – kotahi rau
  • 1,000 – kotahi mano
  • one million – kotahi miriona
  • one billion – kotahi piriona

Māori numbering rules

Now that you’ve had a gist of the most useful numbers, let’s move to the writing rules for the tens, the compound numbers, and why not the hundreds, the thousands and beyond (if possible).

  • Digits from one to nine are specific words, namely kore [0], tahi [1], rua [2], toru [3], whā [4], rima [5], ono [6], whitu [7], waru [8], and iwa [9].
  • The tens are formed by setting the multiplier digit before the word for ten (tekau), except for ten itself: tekau [10], rua tekau [20], toru tekau [30], whā tekau [40], rima tekau [50], ono tekau [60], whitu tekau [70], waru tekau [80], and iwa tekau [90].
  • Compound numbers are formed by linking the digit to the ten with the coordinator (e.g.: tekau mā whitu [17], rua tekau mā toru [23]).
  • The hundreds are formed by setting the multiplier digit before the word for hundred (rau): kotahi rau [100], rua rau [200], toru rau [300], whā rau [400], rima rau [500], ono rau [600], whitu rau [700], waru rau [800], and iwa rau [900].
  • When the multiplier of a big number name is the unit [1], the word tahi is replaced by kotahi, which expresses the accuracy (once and only once). We find it in one hundred (kotahi rau), and also in one thousand (kotahi mano), one million (kotahi miriona), one billion (kotahi piriona)…
  • The thousands are formed by setting the multiplier digit before the word for thousand (mano): kotahi mano [1,000], rua mano [2,000], toru mano [3,000], whā mano [4,000], rima mano [5,000], ono mano [6,000], whitu mano [7,000], waru mano [8,000], and iwa mano [9,000].
  • The word for million is miriona (106), and the word for billion is piriona (109).

Write a number in full in Māori

Let’s move now to the practice of the numbering rules in Māori. Will you guess how to write a number in full? Enter a number and try to write it down in your head, or maybe on a piece of paper, before displaying the result.

Books

Maori Oral Tradition: He Korero no te Ao Tawhito Maori Oral Tradition: He Korero no te Ao Tawhito
by , editors Auckland University Press (2017)
[Amazon.com Amazon.com, Kindle - Amazon.com Kindle - Amazon.com]

A Māori Reference Grammar A Māori Reference Grammar
by , editors HUIA Publishers (2015)
[Amazon.com Amazon.com]

Beginner’s Maori Beginner’s Maori
by , editors Hippocrene Books (1997)
[Amazon.com Amazon.com]

Diccionario Pocket Maorí Diccionario Pocket Maorí
by , editors Independently published (2017)
[Amazon.com Amazon.com, Kindle - Amazon.com Kindle - Amazon.com]

Parlons Maori Parlons Maori
by , editors L’Harmattan (2007)
[Amazon.com Amazon.com]

Eastern Malayo-Polynesian languages

Araki, Cèmuhî, Māori, Marshallese, Mussau-Emira, Mwotlap, Nêlêmwa, Nengone, Paicî, Rapa Nui, Tahitian, Tongan (telephone-style), and Yuanga-zuanga.

Other supported languages

As the other currently supported languages are too numerous to list extensively here, please select a language from the full list of supported languages.