This guide adapts rules and examples from Microsoft’s 47-page Māori Localization Style Guide (originally written for software/UI localization). The underlying linguistic rules apply universally — to legal contracts, medical documents, marketing copy, and any Māori translation work. Restructured and reformatted as a general Māori translator reference by ChatsControl.

Māori Translation Style Guide — Voice, Word Choice & Common Pitfalls (Legal, Medical, Marketing, IT)¶

TL;DR¶

• Modern Māori translation prefers warm, conversational register; everyday words over invented neologisms (tohu over hipanga, mahi over hohenga); avoid corporate ‘we’ (mātou) — keep focus on the reader (koe/koutou).
• Māori pronouns are gender-neutral by default — use ia/tana, never replicate English ‘his/her’ / ‘their’ constructions for single referents; the singular tana works for either male or female.
• Capitalization follows English source; for commands, English uppercase phrase = Māori uppercase + passive form (Save Movie → Tiaki Whitiāhua; Save movie → Tiakina te whitiāhua).
• Use ‘Ng’ as a separate letter in alphabetical sequence (sorts after words beginning with ‘n’ alone); treat ā, ē, ī, ō, ū with macrons as separate letters of the alphabet; double a (aa) sorts as ā most of the time.
• Reference authoritative Māori sources: Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (Māori Language Commission), He Pātaka Kupu (2008), Williams Dictionary of the Māori Language (1971), Te Aka Māori-English Dictionary (Moorfield 2005).

Reference materials¶

Adhere to these normative references. When more than one solution is possible, consult this guide for guidance.

Normative References:

1. Microsoft Language Portal
2. Microsoft Glossary (2006) — Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori
3. Dictionary of the Māori Language (1971) — H.W. Williams
4. He Pātaka Kupu (2008) — Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori
5. Te Matatiki (1996) — Māori Language Commission
6. Guidelines for Māori Language Orthography — Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (www.tetaurawhiri.govt.nz)
7. Microsoft Māori Glossary (2005) — Wiha Te Raki Hāwea Stephens

Informative References:

1. English-Māori Dictionary (1993) — H.M. Ngata
2. Te Reo Pūtaiao — A Māori Language Dictionary of Science (2009) — He Kupenga Hao i te Reo
3. Te Reo Pāngarau — A Māori Language Dictionary of Mathematics (2010) — He Kupenga Hao i te Reo
4. A Dictionary of Māori Computer related terms (2006) — Karaitiana N. Taiuru
5. Reed Reference Grammar of the Māori Language (1997) — Winifred Bauer
6. A Māori Reference Grammar — Ray Harlow (2001)
7. Te Aka Māori-English, English-Māori Dictionary and Index (2005) — John C. Moorfield
8. Waka Reo

Register and tone for modern Māori translation¶

Register is the level of formality, warmth, and conversational ease the target text projects. The modern Māori register for consumer-facing content is warm and relaxed, crisp and clear, ready to lend a hand.

• Write short, easy-to-read sentences.
• Be pleasant; ensure explanations appear individualized and enjoyable to read.
• Avoid slang; be careful with colloquialisms. Conversational tone is acceptable but stay professional.

Brand and product names. Avoid overuse of the company/brand or product names. Avoid overusing the corporate “we” (mātou) — phrases like “Microsoft announces…”, “We’re proud to introduce…”, “We want you to know” should be replaced with focus on the reader. Microsoft aren’t the important ones here. The inclusive “tātou” can be used where appropriate.

Why this matters: Bureaucratic register damages outcomes across spheres. In marketing copy it kills conversion. In patient-facing medical materials it reduces comprehension and compliance. In software UI it creates friction. In consumer-facing legal documents plain Māori improves regulator and reader trust.

Audience targeting: technical vs. consumer vocabulary¶

Choose technical terms for technical audiences; for consumers use common words. This applies in every sphere — legal for corporate counsel uses procedural vocabulary; consumer-facing versions need plain Māori. Medical for clinicians keeps Greek/Latin nomenclature; for patients it switches to common terms.

Word choice: short forms and everyday words¶

There are some approved abbreviations in Māori, but don’t use them too liberally or invent new ones (app, info should not be abbreviated in Māori).

Words and phrases to avoid in modern Māori¶

For Māori modern voice, avoid excessively formal words:

Sample translations: addressing the user¶

Promoting a feature¶

Providing how-to guidelines¶

Explanatory text and support¶

Language-specific standards¶

Phone number formats (New Zealand)¶

Sorting order¶

1. Capital and lowercase letters are equal.
2. Extended characters Ā, ā, Ē, ē, Ī, ī, Ō, ō, Ū, ū are separate letters.
3. Ä, ä, Ë, ë, Ï, ï, Ö, ö, Ü, ü sort as variants of Ā, ā, Ē, ē, Ī, ī, Ō, ō, Ū, ū.
4. Other accented characters equal non-accented (é = e).
5. Non-alphabetical characters (@ ! #) sort before letters.
6. Digits sort after non-alphabetical, before letters.
7. Double a (aa, Aa, AA, aA) sorts as Ā most of the time (sometimes as truly double).
8. “Ng” is treated as a separate letter and follows words beginning with “n” alone.

Character sorting order: a (97); A (65); ā (257); Ā (256); b…; e (101); E (69); ē (275); Ē (274); …; i (105); I (73); ī (299); Ī (298); …; o (111); O (79); ō (333); Ō (332); …; u (117); U (85); ū (363); Ū (362); …; z (122); Z (90).

Example sorted sequence: ahau, ātete, eke, ēnei, hahae, hāruru, heipū, Ingarihi, ipurangi, irāmutu, kahawai, Kaikōura, kākāriki, koha, kōhanga, mahue, manaaki, māpuna, muramura, nunui, nūpepa, ngā, ngahoro, ngoio, ngōio, oho, Ohoata, ōwehenga, paihikara, panoni, pānui, poraka, pōrakaraka, Rakatūwhenua, rākau, ruri, rūri, taiapa, tatau, tātau, tātāu, totoka, umere, uruuruwhenua, uruwhenua, wānanga, wīwī, whai, whaiā, whakaaro, whakaea, Whangārei, whāmamao.

Measurement units¶

Metric System Commonly Used: Yes. Temperature: Celsius.

Linear measure:

Capacity:

Mass:

English units:

Abbreviations¶

You might need to abbreviate words in the UI due to lack of space. Abbreviations are only used for months and days. In running text, avoid unnecessary abbreviations. Leave complex/unfamiliar abbreviations in English (OLAP, ODBC, LAN, URL, ASCII). Some have become standardized: ID = TT, CD = KK, pp = wh.

Days of the week:

Months:

Technical measurement abbreviations:

Leave abbreviations for units of measurement in international standard form to avoid confusion. Don’t abbreviate “hei tauira” (for e.g.). Use “arā” for “i.e.”

Acronyms¶

Acronyms are not as common in Māori as in English. If possible, spell out the words in Māori on the first occurrence (or the most appropriate section), followed by the acronym in parentheses.

Example: Kaupapahere Whakamahi Tōkeke (FUP = Fair Usage Policy)

If you need to spell out the full English name first to make it clear, write the meaning in Māori followed by the acronym, with the full English expression in italics in parentheses.

Example: tētahi whatunga ā-rohe LAN (Local Area Network)

Many acronyms are standardized and remain untranslated. Followed by full English spelling if necessary. Example: ANSI (American National Standards Institute).

Localized acronyms:

• CD — KK (Kōpae Kiato)
• Cc — P (Pānui)
• Bcc — Ph (Pānui huna)
• DVD — KAM (Kōpae Ataata Mamati)
• ID — TT (Tau Tāututanga)
• FAQ — Ngā Pātai Auau
• PC — rorohiko (whaiaro)*

*Use “rorohiko whaiaro” when necessary to distinguish a PC from other devices in the same sentence.

Unlocalized acronyms: IM, URL, HTTP, and most rarely used acronyms.

Adjectives¶

In Māori, adjectives generally follow the noun they modify. Where there are two or more adjectives, the noun may be repeated or the second adjective followed by “hoki.”

Example: This is a secure private list → Ko tēnei he rārangi tūmataiti, he haumaru hoki.

Possessive adjectives. Possessives should be in neutral form (taku, tō, tana) unless the situation calls for more formal tone, e.g., He aha tāu hei mahi mā te ruānuku?

English tends to use “their” after a singular noun to avoid “his/her.” In Māori, use the singular pronoun in such cases — it refers to either male or female.

Example: To start an activity, select a contact or enter their email address in the results list. - (-) Hei tīmata hohenga, tīpakohia tētahi hoapā, tāuru rānei ā rātou wāhitau ī-mēra ki te rārangi hua. - (+) Hei tīmata hohenga, tīpakohia tētahi hoapā, tāurua rānei tana wāhitau īmēra ki te rārangi hua.

Unlocalised feature names. Microsoft product names and non-translated feature names are used without definite or indefinite articles. Example: Ki te tāpiri tangata koe ki Messenger, ka noho anō ia hei wāhi o tō whatunga i Windows Live.

Localised feature names. Translated feature names used without articles. Examples: Tangohia ngā tautuhinga Hotmail a tō tamaiti mai i Haumaru Whānau; Āwhinatia te whakapai ake i Hanga Whitiāhua Windows Live.

Articles¶

Unlocalized feature names treated as proper names; no articles. Example: Ngā painga a Active Desktop.

Localized feature names used with definite/indefinite article. Example: Whakatuwheratia te Kaiwhakahaere Tūmahi.

Capitalization¶

Use uppercase whenever it occurs in the English text. The correct and consistent use of capitals is very important — it determines the use or omission of passive suffixes with direct objects.

When an English uppercase term requires more than one Māori word, use uppercase for both letters:

Note on commands: if English uses capitals, Māori should also capitalize and use the passive command form.

• Save Movie → Tiaki Whitiāhua
• Save movie → Tiakina te whitiāhua

Important: In Māori, “Yes” → “Āe” and “OK” → “ĀE”. Capitalization of the Māori word is therefore most important.

Do not capitalize a word in Māori simply because it’s the first word of a bullet, phrase, or sentence in English.

• Log file: (+) Kōnae rangitaki / (-) Kōnae Rangitaki
• Long file name: (+) Ingoa kōnae roa / (-) Ingoa kōnae Roa

Products are treated as proper names.

Compounds¶

Compounds should be understandable and clear. Avoid overly long or complex compounds. Compound words in Māori follow Māori rules — the qualifier follows the noun.

Gender¶

Since the gender of pronouns in Māori is neutral, there’s no need to replicate constructions like “him/her,” “his/her.” Simply use “ia,” “tana.”

Do not use rātou for “their” when the source English text refers to only one person.

Example: A person and their home. - (+) Te tangata me tōna whare - (–) Te tangata me ō rātou whare

Genitive¶

For the use of a/o, nā/nō, refer to Harlow’s Māori Reference Grammar (5.3.3 ff) and other standard sources.

Note macron use with possessive pronouns: - (+) Tirohia ā rātou mahi. (possessive — their works) - (+) Tirohia a rātou. (personal pronoun — look at them)

Possessive marker (s) in English: - {0}’s Reports → Ngā Pūrongo a {0}

Localizing colloquialisms, idioms, and metaphors¶

• Don’t replace source colloquialism with a Māori one unless it’s a perfect and natural fit.
• Translate intended meaning, only if integral.
• If it can be omitted without affecting meaning, omit it.

Nouns¶

Often preferable to render English phrases like “Opening files is easy” by a noun construction in Māori.

Example: Opening files is easy → He ngāwari te whakatuwhera kōnae.

Inflection. No grammatical inflections in nouns in Māori except in plural form.

Plural formation. Only certain words have a different plural form: wahine/wāhine; tangata/tāngata; matua/mātua; tuahine/tuāhine; tuakana/tuākana; teina/tēina; tipuna/tīpuna; tamaiti/tamariki.

Prepositions¶

Be aware of proper preposition use. Many translators, influenced by English, omit them or change word order. See Harlow’s Māori Reference Grammar p. 76 ff and Bauer’s Reed Reference Grammar (pp. 173–259).

Avoid using “i roto i/o” to translate “in” when simply “i te” or “ki te” will do.

• (–) Whakautua ngā pātai i roto i te reo Māori
• (+) Whakautua ngā pātai ki te reo Māori

Pronouns¶

Gender of pronouns is neutral — no need to replicate “him/her,” “his/her,” or “their.”

Example: Each translator has his/her own way of working / Each translator has their own way of working - (+) Kei a ia kaiwhakamāori tana ake tikanga mahi. - (-) Kei a ia kaiwhakamāori ā rātou ake tikanga mahi.

Macron usage: - (+) Tirohia ā rātou mahi. (possessive) - (+) Tirohia a rātou. (personal pronoun)

Punctuation¶

For detailed guidelines, see Te Taura Whiri i te Reo: http://www.tetaurawhiri.govt.nz/

Bulleted lists. Follow source style. Make sure punctuation at end of lines and capitalization at beginning is consistent.

Comma. No special rules different from English, but “arā” and “ā” usually take a comma before and after:

• (+) Whakamahia te momo kōnae tika, arā, pdf, xls rānei.
• (+) Ka tae mātau ki te marae, ā, ka tū ka tatari.

Colon. Use to introduce lists and explanations. Don’t capitalize the word after a colon unless (1) the colon is at the end of a heading, or (2) the text after the colon is a complete quotation.

• (+) Kua whakatuwheratia ngā kōnae e rua: te kōnae pdf me te kōnae xls.
• (+) Tuhipoka: Pāwhiritia te pātene Haere Tonu kia tīmata.
• (+) Hei tauira: Ko te kai a te rangatira he kōrero.

Hyphen. Divides words between syllables, links parts of a compound, connects parts of an inverted/imperative verb form. Don’t use hyphens in Māori to link adjectival/adverbial constructions just to replicate English hyphenation.

• Inset top-left: (-) Kōkuhu runga-mauī / (+) Kōkuhu runga mauī

En dash. Used as minus sign with spaces before/after; in number ranges (page numbers, etc.) without spaces.

• (+) Whārangi 5-6
• (+) Ngā tau 2009-2010

Em dash. In US English used to emphasize an isolated element. Do not replicate in Māori — use a hyphen or en dash with a single space before and after.

Example: New computer software—even when purchased online—should be checked for bugs. - (+) Kāore i ārikarika ngā momo manu e noho ana ki a Aotearoa – he nui ake i te rua mano.

Ellipses. Tend to apply to colloquial register; avoid wherever possible in Microsoft context.

Period. Insert only one space after a period. Follow English use generally. In bullet lists, be consistent — English often uses period only for the last item; this can be followed in Māori.

Quotation marks. Used when referring to names of key commands. Use exactly as in English.

Parentheses. No space between parentheses and text inside.

Example: (+) Whakamahia tēnei wāhi (mēnā e wātea ana) kia whakaaturia ngā kupu tika.

Sentence fragments¶

Modern voice can be conveyed through sentence fragments.

Symbols & non-breaking spaces¶

Replicate symbols from English. Trademarked names and “Microsoft Corporation” shouldn’t be localized.

Non-breaking space ( ) creates white space between words or web page elements. Example for preventing a line break: Hepi Te Heuheu. Use   only when present in source text — otherwise use blank space (non-breaking spaces can create functionality problems).

Verbs¶

Frequentative verbal form. Use /Verb + ai/ to indicate frequent or habitual action.

Infinitive verb in commands. Use the infinitive verb form in uppercase commands before a direct object.

• Delete File → Muku Kōnae
• Delete Files → Muku Ngā Kōnae

Passive verb in commands. Use the passive verb form in lowercase commands before a direct object.

• Delete the files that you… → Mukua ngā kōnae……….

Avoid /Infinitive Verb + i + direct object/ in lowercase commands.

• Delete the files that…: (-) Muku i ngā kōnae

When “me” is used as a command, it should not be followed by the passive form of the verb.

• You should save the files
• (-) Me tiakina ngā kōnae.
• (+) Me tiaki (e koe) ngā kōnae OR (+) Me tiaki (koe) i ngā kōnae.

Continuous operations: - Rewinding tape… → Whakahoki rīpene ana… - Saving file… → Tiaki kōnae ana…

Localization considerations¶

In Māori a more concise, direct, passive construction can often be employed instead of the personal pronoun.

Everyday language¶

• Friendly, approachable, conversational, professional.
• Straightforward and accurate (not overly complex).
• Subtle humor.
• Leads with top customer intent.
• Simple, clear, direct.
• Say more with less.

Be polite, supportive, and encouraging.

Don’t imply omniscience by assuming you know how someone is feeling. Don’t condescend, blame, or intimidate. “We know you…” phrasing is not humble.

Accessibility¶

Accessibility options make the computer usable by people with cognitive, hearing, physical, or visual disabilities. Hardware/software components engage flexible UI, alternative input/output methods, greater exposure of screen elements. Some accessible products/services may not be available in Māori-speaking markets.

General accessibility info: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/.

Applications, products, and features¶

Application/product names are often trademarked and rarely translated. Before translating any feature/application/product name, verify it’s translatable and not protected. Version numbers always contain a period (Version 4.2).

Error messages¶

Apply modern voice principles to ensure target is natural, empathetic, not robot-like.

Māori style in error messages. Use consistent terminology and language style.

Example: The video has been blocked by the content owner. → (+) Kua āraia te ataata e te kaipupuri ihirangi.

Standard phrases:

Placeholders. %d, %ld, %u, %lu → number; %c → letter; %s → string. Find out what will replace the placeholder so the sentence is grammatically correct.

Keys, keyboard shortcuts¶

References to key names appear in normal text. Names of keys on the keyboard should not be translated.

Voice/video pronunciation¶

English terms and product names left unlocalized should be pronounced the English way. Common terms with established Māori pronunciation use the local one. Pronunciation can be adapted to Māori phonetics if the original sounds awkward.

FAQ¶

What’s the right register for modern Māori translation across professional contexts?¶

Warm, conversational, scannable — close to spoken Māori for consumer-facing content. Avoid corporate-distance constructions (mātou for ‘we’ as Microsoft) and overly formal vocabulary. Use the inclusive tātou where appropriate, second-person koe (singular) and koutou (plural) to keep focus on the reader.

How do Māori pronouns and possessives handle gender?¶

Māori pronouns are gender-neutral by default. Use ia for ‘he/she/they’ (singular), tana/tōna for ‘his/her’, no need to replicate English ‘him/her’ constructions. Don’t use rātou (their, plural) when source English refers to a single person — use tana (his/her, singular) instead. Macron usage: ā rātou mahi (possessive) vs a rātou (personal pronoun).

How does Māori capitalization work for UI commands and product names?¶

Use uppercase whenever English uses uppercase. When an English uppercase term needs more than one Māori word, capitalize both words (Data Source → Puna Raraunga). For commands: if English uses caps, Māori should also use caps and the passive command form (Save Movie → Tiaki Whitiāhua); for lowercase commands, use passive form too (Save movie → Tiakina te whitiāhua). Yes/Āe and OK/ĀE — capitalize Māori words appropriately.

What’s the rule for ‘Ng’ in Māori alphabetical sorting?¶

Ng is treated as a separate letter for alphabetical sequence and follows words beginning with ‘n’ alone. So nūpepa comes before ngā. The macron vowels (ā, ē, ī, ō, ū) are also separate letters of the alphabet. Diaeresis vowels (ä, ë, ï, ö, ü) sort as variants of the macron vowels. Double aa typically sorts as ā.

Which Māori language references should I consult?¶

Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (Māori Language Commission) guidelines (www.tetaurawhiri.govt.nz); Microsoft Glossary (2006) by Te Taura Whiri; H.W. Williams’ Dictionary of the Māori Language (1971); He Pātaka Kupu (2008) by Te Taura Whiri; Te Matatiki (1996); Karaitiana N. Taiuru’s A Dictionary of Māori Computer related terms (2006); Ray Harlow’s A Māori Reference Grammar (2001); Te Aka Māori-English Dictionary (Moorfield 2005).

What’s the rule for Māori imperative verbs in commands?¶

Use the infinitive verb form for uppercase commands (Delete File → Muku Kōnae). Use the passive verb form for lowercase commands (Delete the files that you… → Mukua ngā kōnae…). Don’t use /Infinitive + i + direct object/ in lowercase commands. When “me” is used as a command, don’t follow with the passive form — use Me tiaki (e koe) ngā kōnae or Me tiaki (koe) i ngā kōnae, not Me tiakina ngā kōnae.

How should I avoid corporate ‘we’ (mātou) in Māori translation?¶

Replace mātou-based constructions with passive forms or second-person focus. Examples: “We can’t find a printer” → Tē taea tētahi pūreretā (passive, no agent); “Do you want to add one?” → Me tāpiri tētahi? (concise direct question). Use inclusive tātou when including the reader. Keep focus on the reader (koe, koutou) rather than the producer.

Sources¶

• Microsoft Localization Style Guide for Māori (PDF)
• Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori — Māori Language Commission
• Te Aka Māori-English Dictionary
• Microsoft Globalization Style Guides hub