In case you haven’t noticed, the past week has been Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, or Māori Language Week. 

I was in Wellington Thursday through to Saturday morning (when I’m writing this) and so it has probably been a lot more noticeable here than at home.

For many, the week has been about having a go. 

I’m about to head out to a café on the waterfront that is offering 10 per cent off if you order in te reo. 

I’m not going to take the discount, but I want to have a go in a supportive environment. 

I’ll be saying “he mōwai nui koa, ki konei koa”. “He” is “can I have”, “mōwai” is “flat white” and “koa” is “please”. “Nui” is large, and I think it goes after mōwai, but I might be wrong. 

That’s OK, I’ll ask and if I’ve got it wrong, I’ll have learnt something.

“Ki konei koa” is “have here thanks”. 

I’m buggered if I can figure out what “decaf” is, but that’s OK, I’ll ask and again, I’ll learn a new word.

I’ve only looked these words up this morning, and I will be a wee bit nervous going in to order in case I stuff them up. 

But I have no reason to be nervous; as I have bumbled my way along my te reo journey, I have not once had a fluent speaker mock or criticise me. 

Maybe it’s just a hangover from our Kiwi monolingual background that makes us so worried about making a mistake with a new language, because I know I am not alone in this hesitancy.

So, kia pai tō rā whakatā (“have a good weekend”) and wish me luck!

Read more: Central celebrates Te Wiki o te Reo Māori