Māori Grammar
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Kia is a mild imperative that encourages someone to be in a certain state. This is most commonly seen in two expressions:
Kia ora.
May you be well.
Kia kaha.
May you be strong.
Kia is also commonly in situations like recipies to indicate the quantity of ingredients, where, literally it means "may it be that there is... " or "let there be..."
Kia kotahi tīpune.
Let there be one teaspoon.
Kia rua kapu o te huka.
Let there be two cups of sugar.
Kia can be used to both ask and answer a question about how many of something is needed or wanted.
Kia hia ngā tūru?
How many seats are needed?
Kia ono tekau pea ngā tūru.
Let there be about sixty chairs.
When used with numbers pea can mean "about" or "approximately".
He panakeke pea māku, kia rua.
Perhaps I'll have two pancakes.Kia haurua kapu kongakonga tiakareti.
(Let there be) half of cup of chocolate chipsNō reira, kia whā atu anō.
So we need four more.E hokona ana e au kia whā.
I am buying four.Kia kotahi māku, kia rua mā Pita.
One for me, two for Pita.Kia hia ngā moni ki te hoko i te waka hōu?
How much money do you need to buy the new car?Homai koa kia toru ngā ika.
Please give me three fish.Kia rua ngā huka.
Two sugars please. (Let it be two sugars.)Tīkina kia whā ngā hēki.
Get four eggsKia kotahi kapu maramara kōkōnati.
You need one cup of shredded coconut.