Te reo Māori translator career

Kaiwhakamāori ā-tuhi

Te reo Māori translators translate written text from the Māori language to English and from English to te reo Māori so that it keeps the meaning in the original language.

Te reo Māori translators translate written text from the Māori language to English and from English to te reo Māori so that it keeps the meaning in the original language.

What would you do as a Te reo Māori translator?

Te reo Māori translators

  • usually work regular business hours but may work weekends and evenings
  • usually work in offices and may travel locally
  • need to be accurate, communicate well and work well under pressure

Tasks

  • work with clients to understand translation requirements
  • schedule work to deadlines
  • translate written text for clients
  • research and edit translations for accuracy
  • research relevant language resources for translations
  • work with experts to develop Māori language terms
  • research current industry trends and resources
  • research current translation tools and writing styles

How can you become a Te reo Māori translator?

You need experience to become a te reo Māori translator and a qualification may be useful.

You need

  • to be fluent in te reo Māori and English
  • a wide vocabulary range for each language
  • an understanding of Māori culture, history and values
  • experience in research methods
  • experience working with iwi and Māori groups
  • experience working with a range of clients in a range of contexts

You may need

  • experience in similar work
  • a certificate of competency in translating the Māori language Toi Reo Māori from the Māori Language Commission
  • an Authority to Practice as a Taura Whiri i te reo Māori registered translator

If you're in school

You usually need NCEA Level 3 to do the study or training for this job.

Study a Te Reo Māori major in our Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Social Sciences to build the fluency and language skills translation work needs. Like all our undergraduate degrees, both include work-integrated learning.

If you're starting with little or no te reo, our Te Tohu Paetahi programme offers intensive immersion learning to build your fluency fast.

View all Māori and Indigenous Studies qualifications

Where Te Reo Māori study can take you

Fluency in te reo Māori opens careers well beyond translation work, into education, media, government, and community and iwi-facing roles. Professional translation work specifically requires registration on top of your degree, but the language and cultural knowledge you build has value across many career paths.

Te reo Māori translator FAQs

Scholarships

A range of scholarships are available to help with the cost of studying at Waikato. Options are available across a wide range of subjects and study levels, including scholarships for new students, current students and specific areas of study.

Find a scholarship

QS ranking

QS World University Rankings 2027

Waikato is ranked equal 293rd globally, placing us in the top 1.5% of universities worldwide, and 2nd in New Zealand by citations per faculty.

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Māori and Indigenous Studies

Te Pua Wānanga ki te Ao Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Studies, The University of Waikato, First Floor, The Pā, Gate 8, Hillcrest Road, Hamilton, New Zealand