Key takeaways
- The numbers 1–10 in Māori are tahi, rua, toru, whā, rima, ono, whitu, waru, iwa and tekau. Zero is kore.
- "Tau" means number, so the numbers are "ngā tau", counting is "tatau", and "How many?" is "E hia?".
- Ten is tekau, and it does the heavy lifting: the teens are tekau mā tahi (11) to tekau mā iwa (19), and the tens are rua tekau (20), toru tekau (30) and so on.
- One hundred is kotahi rau (or just rau) and one thousand is kotahi mano (or mano) — the pattern keeps repeating, so learning to ten unlocks almost everything.
- When you count objects, 2–9 take the particle "e" — e rua, e toru — while one is usually kotahi.
- Teach ngā tau through the daily roll, counting waiata, a number line word wall and a weekly word search — little and often is what makes them stick.
Numbers are one of the most practical ways into te reo Māori, because you count things in the classroom all day long — how many are here, how many pencils, how many minutes left. Every one of those moments is a free, natural rep for ngā tau (the numbers).
The general word for a number is tau, so the numbers are ngā tau and to count is tatau. To ask how many of something there are you say "E hia?" — "How many?" — and the answer is simply the number. That one small question turns tidy-up time, the roll and every counting game into a chance to use te reo.
The numbers in Māori: 1 to 10
| Number | Māori (te reo) | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Kore | KAW-reh |
| 1 | Tahi | TA-hee |
| 2 | Rua | ROO-a |
| 3 | Toru | TAW-roo |
| 4 | Whā | FAA |
| 5 | Rima | REE-ma |
| 6 | Ono | AW-naw |
| 7 | Whitu | FEE-too |
| 8 | Waru | WA-roo |
| 9 | Iwa | EE-wa |
| 10 | Tekau | TE-koh |
These ten words are the whole foundation — get them secure and the rest of the counting system falls into place. Two small points worth teaching early:
- One is often said as kotahi rather than plain tahi, especially when you're stating a quantity: kotahi pene (one pen). You'll still hear tahi on its own when reciting the count.
- Zero is kore, though in everyday counting you rarely need it until you get to numerals and place value.
Start with the count 1–5, add 6–10 once the first five are automatic, and recite them forwards and backwards so the order sticks.
Counting past ten: teens, tens and hundreds
This is where te reo Māori is beautifully logical. Tekau (ten) is the building block for everything up to 99, so once children know 1–10 they can generate almost any number themselves.
The teens join tekau to a single number with mā ("and"):
- 11 = tekau mā tahi, 12 = tekau mā rua, 13 = tekau mā toru
- …up to 19 = tekau mā iwa
The tens put a number in front of tekau:
- 20 = rua tekau, 30 = toru tekau, 40 = whā tekau, 50 = rima tekau
- 60 = ono tekau, 70 = whitu tekau, 80 = waru tekau, 90 = iwa tekau
Combine the two and you can say anything in between: 21 is rua tekau mā tahi, 47 is whā tekau mā whitu. One hundred is kotahi rau (or just rau) and one thousand is kotahi mano (or mano), so 100, 200, 300 follow the same idea: rua rau, toru rau. The whole system is base-10, which makes it a lovely partner for teaching place value alongside the reo.
How to pronounce the numbers in Māori
Te reo Māori is spelled the way it sounds, so once the vowels are secure you can read any number confidently.
- The five vowels are a ("ah"), e ("eh"), i ("ee"), o ("aw") and u ("oo"). Every vowel is sounded — rima is two even beats: REE-ma.
- A macron (tohutō) — the line over a vowel, as in the ā of whā — makes that vowel longer. Whā is a long "faa", not a short "fa".
- wh is usually said like an English "f", so whā is "FAA" and whitu is "FEE-too".
- ng is the soft sound in the middle of "singer", not the hard "g" in "finger".
- A pair of vowels glides together as one sound — the au in tekau is roughly "oh", so tekau lands close to "TE-koh".
Model each number slowly, then at natural speed. Saying it imperfectly yourself matters far more than not saying it at all.
Counting things and asking 'how many'
When you count actual objects, te reo adds a small particle e in front of the numbers two to nine:
- E rua ngā pene — there are two pens
- E rima ngā tamariki — there are five children
One is the exception: use kotahi (kotahi te pene — one pen), and ten and above drop the e again (tekau ngā pene). To ask the question, lead with E hia? — "E hia ngā pene?" means "How many pens?".
Numbers also power one of the first real conversations tamariki can have. To ask someone's age you say "E hia ōu tau?" — literally "how many are your years?" — and they answer "E waru ōku tau" (I am eight; "eight are my years"). Give the class that question and answer and they can survey the whole room in te reo within a single lesson.
Five ways to teach ngā tau
- 1
Count at the roll
Count how many tamariki are present in te reo each morning — "E hia ngā tamariki?" — and count together to the answer. A daily whole-class count is the cheapest, most reliable rep you can build.
- 2
Sing a counting waiata
Set 1–10 to a familiar tune, or use a well-known te reo counting song. A sung count is far easier to recall than a spoken one and doubles as a transition or tidy-up song.
- 3
Build a number line word wall
Display tahi to tekau in order with the numeral, the word and a set of dots or objects for each. Point to today's date or the day's count so the spoken word connects to the written one.
- 4
Play 'E hia?' with real objects
Hold up a handful of counters, blocks or pencils and ask "E hia?". Students answer with the te reo number. It costs no prep and works as a two-minute warm-up any time.
- 5
Make a weekly word search or bingo
A word search of the number words gives independent reading practice; bingo turns it into a listening game where you call the Māori number and students mark the numeral.
People in Aotearoa who could hold an everyday conversation in te reo Māori — about 1 in 5 Māori — showing why classroom reo matters.
Source: Stats NZ, 2018 Census
Turn the number words into a printable word search
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Open the word search makerA note on Te Wiki o te Reo Māori
Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week) falls every September and is a natural moment to introduce or refresh ngā tau. But the real gains come from small, daily use across the whole year — numbers are perfect for that, because you count something almost every hour. Start with the count to five, add to ten within a fortnight, and let counting the roll and the days carry the practice for you.
Frequently asked questions
They are tahi (1), rua (2), toru (3), whā (4), rima (5), ono (6), whitu (7), waru (8), iwa (9) and tekau (10). Zero is kore, and one is often said as kotahi when you're stating a quantity.
Ten is tekau. The teens add a single number with mā — tekau mā tahi (11) to tekau mā iwa (19). The tens put a number in front of tekau — rua tekau (20), toru tekau (30). So 47 is whā tekau mā whitu.
One hundred is kotahi rau, or just rau, and one thousand is kotahi mano, or mano. Hundreds follow the same pattern as the tens: rua rau is 200 and toru rau is 300.
When you count objects, the numbers two to nine take the particle e — e rua ngā pene means two pens. One uses kotahi instead, and ten and above drop the e. To ask a quantity you say "E hia?" — how many?
Whā is "FAA" — the wh sounds like an English f and the macron makes the ā long. Tekau is close to "TE-koh", because the vowel pair au glides together into a single "oh" sound.