by getting back to te reo basics
There is nothing to be lost, and perhaps much to be gained, by frequently revisiting the most fundamental principles governing the construction of phrases and sentences in te reo.
Words in te reo are considered in two broad categories: base words and particles. Base words – which may be nouns or verbs – are described as having “real” meaning. That is, they denote things in the world of our experiences. It might be protested that surely all words have meaning – so perhaps an example is needed here.
The common noun whare is an example of a base word, recognised as referring to something in the world which might be designated by the English word “house” or “building”.
The particle ngā might usually be translated by English “the”, but neither ngā nor “the” can be said to have real meaning.
Link to article: Start new year by getting back to te reo basics | Stuff.co.nz
