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".
Kia haurua kapu kongakonga tiakareti.
(Let there be) half of cup of chocolate chipsKia kotahi tīpune.
Let there be one teaspoon.Homai koa kia toru ngā ika.
Please give me three fish.Tapahia kia ono ngā topenga.
Cut it up into six slices.Nō reira, kia whā atu anō.
So we need four more.Kia hia ngā moni ki te hoko i te waka hōu?
How much money do you need to buy the new car?E hokona ana e au kia whā.
I am buying four.Kia rua ngā huka.
Two sugars please. (Let it be two sugars.)Tīkina kia whā ngā hēki.
Get four eggsKia kotahi kapu o te miraka.
(Let there be) one cup of milk.He panakeke pea māku, kia rua.
Perhaps I'll have two pancakes.Kia rua ngā kapu.
Two cups (let there be two cups).Kia rua kapu o te huka.
Let there be two cups of sugar.Kia kotahi kapu maramara kōkōnati.
You need one cup of shredded coconut.Kia kotahi māku, kia rua mā Aroha.
One for me, two for Aroha.