The Vocabulary List indicates language which will guide the setting of Level 1 New Zealand Sign Language external assessments.
Signs outside of the approved Vocabulary List will be glossed if their meaning is not evident from the text.
The Vocabulary List indicates language which will guide the setting of Level 1 New Zealand Sign Language external assessments.
Signs outside of the approved Vocabulary List will be glossed if their meaning is not evident from the text.
How to use this resource
Links to the NZSL Level 1 Vocabulary List agreed signs can be found on this page.
Open the relevant section on this page to find the sign you are looking for and click on the word entry to be taken to a video showing the relevant sign in action.
Below is a document that contains a glossary of the Vocabulary List signs as well as a tab showing categories these signs could be put into.
Links to the NZSL Level 1 Vocabulary List agreed signs can be found on this page.
Open the relevant section on this page to find the sign you are looking for and click on the word entry to be taken to a video showing the relevant sign in action.
Below is a document that contains a glossary of the Vocabulary List signs as well as a tab showing categories these signs could be put into.
[ File Resource ]
- Title: NZSL L1 Vocabulary List glossary and Categories
- Description: List of the Level 1 Vocabulary List words and categories they can fall into
- File URL: https://ncea-live-3-storagestack-53q-assetstorages3bucket-2o21xte0r81u.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/2026-02/NZSL%20L1%20Word%20List%20and%20Categories%20doc_0.xlsx?VersionId=X6z4Dtg_r2Kb.q.5xiV7lVLIPuFHffBZ
- File Extension: xlsx
- File Size: 138KB
- NZSL L1 Vocabulary List glossary and Categories.xlsx
- Description: List of the Level 1 Vocabulary List words and categories they can fall into
NZSL L1 Vocabulary List glossary and Categories
Māori concept words
Māori concept words
| Ako (see also Learn) | Aotearoa | Aroha |
| Awa (see also River) | ||
| Haka | Hāngi | Hapū |
| Hauora | Hui (see also Meeting) | |
| Iwi | ||
| Kai (see also Food, Eat) | Kapahaka | Karakia |
| Kaumātua | Kī-o-rahi | Kiwi |
| Koha | Koro | Kuia |
| Kūmara | ||
| Mahi (see also Work) | Mana | Māori |
| Marae | Matariki | Matua |
| Maunga (see also Mountain) | Mihi (see also Thank) | |
| Pepeha | Poi | Pounamu |
| Pōwhiri (see also Welcome) | ||
| Taonga | te reo Māori | Tēnā koe |
| Tēnā kōrua | Tēnā koutou | |
| Waiata | Waka | Wānanga |
| Whaea | Whakapapa | Whānau (see also Family) |
| Wharenui |
| Ako (see also Learn) | Aotearoa | Aroha |
| Awa (see also River) | ||
| Haka | Hāngi | Hapū |
| Hauora | Hui (see also Meeting) | |
| Iwi | ||
| Kai (see also Food, Eat) | Kapahaka | Karakia |
| Kaumātua | Kī-o-rahi | Kiwi |
| Koha | Koro | Kuia |
| Kūmara | ||
| Mahi (see also Work) | Mana | Māori |
| Marae | Matariki | Matua |
| Maunga (see also Mountain) | Mihi (see also Thank) | |
| Pepeha | Poi | Pounamu |
| Pōwhiri (see also Welcome) | ||
| Taonga | te reo Māori | Tēnā koe |
| Tēnā kōrua | Tēnā koutou | |
| Waiata | Waka | Wānanga |
| Whaea | Whakapapa | Whānau (see also Family) |
| Wharenui |
Words beginning with A-D
Words beginning with A
Words beginning with B
Words beginning with C
Words beginning with D
| Dance (including school subject - version 1) | ||
| Dance (including school subject - version 2) | ||
| Dark | Date | Day, Daylight |
| Deaf | Deaf club | Deaf world |
| Deaflympics | Decide | Decrease |
| Delicious | Difference, Different | Difficult |
| Dinner, Restaurant | Dirty | Do |
| Doctor | Don't know | Door |
| Drama, Perform | Draw, Drawing | Draw, Tie (as in sports) |
| Dream, Imagine | Drink | Drive |
| Dance (including school subject - version 1) | ||
| Dance (including school subject - version 2) | ||
| Dark | Date | Day, Daylight |
| Deaf | Deaf club | Deaf world |
| Deaflympics | Decide | Decrease |
| Delicious | Difference, Different | Difficult |
| Dinner, Restaurant | Dirty | Do |
| Doctor | Don't know | Door |
| Drama, Perform | Draw, Drawing | Draw, Tie (as in sports) |
| Dream, Imagine | Drink | Drive |
Words beginning with E-I
Words beginning with E
Words beginning with F
Words beginning with G
Words beginning with H
| Hair | Half (including siblings - version 1) | |
| Half (version 2) | Halloween | Happen |
| Happy | Hard-of-hearing | Hate |
| Have | He, It, She | |
| Health (including school subject) | Hearing | |
| Hearing aids | Help | Hey |
| High school | History (including school subject), Heritage | |
| Hobby, Hobbies | Hockey | Hold on, Hang on |
| Holiday (version 1) | Holiday (version 2) | Home |
| Homework | Hot | Hot chocolate |
| House, Station | How | How are you? |
| How many | How much | How often |
| Hungry | (feel) Hurt | Hurt, Painful, Sore |
| Hair | Half (including siblings - version 1) | |
| Half (version 2) | Halloween | Happen |
| Happy | Hard-of-hearing | Hate |
| Have | He, It, She | |
| Health (including school subject) | Hearing | |
| Hearing aids | Help | Hey |
| High school | History (including school subject), Heritage | |
| Hobby, Hobbies | Hockey | Hold on, Hang on |
| Holiday (version 1) | Holiday (version 2) | Home |
| Homework | Hot | Hot chocolate |
| House, Station | How | How are you? |
| How many | How much | How often |
| Hungry | (feel) Hurt | Hurt, Painful, Sore |
Words beginning with I
Words beginning with J-O
Words beginning with K
Words beginning with L
| Labour Weekend | Lake | Land, Park |
| Language | Laptop | Last (version 1) |
| Last (version 2) | Last name | Later (version 1) |
| Later (version 2) | Laugh, Laughter | Lazy |
| Learn (see also Ako) | Left, Left handed | Light (weight) |
| Like | List, Programme, Rules | Listen |
| Little, Few | Live, Reside | Look after |
| Look, Watch | Look for | Looks like |
| Lose | Love | Lunch |
| Labour Weekend | Lake | Land, Park |
| Language | Laptop | Last (version 1) |
| Last (version 2) | Last name | Later (version 1) |
| Later (version 2) | Laugh, Laughter | Lazy |
| Learn (see also Ako) | Left, Left handed | Light (weight) |
| Like | List, Programme, Rules | Listen |
| Little, Few | Live, Reside | Look after |
| Look, Watch | Look for | Looks like |
| Lose | Love | Lunch |
Words beginning with M
| Man | Maths (including school subject - version 1) | |
| Maths (including school subject - version 2) | Medal | |
| Meet | Meeting (see also Hui) | Milk |
| Mistake | Mix, Stir | |
| Mobile phone, Text (phone) Monday to Friday | Money, Price | |
| Month | Moon | Morning |
| Morning tea | Motorbike | |
| Mountain (see also Maunga) | Move | Movie |
| Museum | Music (including school subject) | |
| Man | Maths (including school subject - version 1) | |
| Maths (including school subject - version 2) | Medal | |
| Meet | Meeting (see also Hui) | Milk |
| Mistake | Mix, Stir | |
| Mobile phone, Text (phone) Monday to Friday | Money, Price | |
| Month | Moon | Morning |
| Morning tea | Motorbike | |
| Mountain (see also Maunga) | Move | Movie |
| Museum | Music (including school subject) | |
Words beginning with N
Words beginning with P-T
Words beginning with P
Words beginning with R
Words beginning with S
Words beginning with T
Words beginning with U-Z
Words beginning with U
Words beginning with V
Words beginning with W
| Wait a minute | Wake up | Walk, Walking |
| Want | Wash | Wash hands |
| Watch, Wristwatch | Water | Water (drink of) |
| We (dual) | We, Our, Us | Week (version 1) |
| Week (version 2) | Weekend | Welcome (see also Pōwhiri) |
| Well | Wellington | West |
| What | When | Where |
| Which | Who (version 1) | Who (version 2) |
| Who I am | Why | Wifi |
| Will, Will be | Win | Wind, Windy |
| Window (version 1) | Window (version 2) | Winner |
| With | Woman, Female | Wonderful, Amazing |
| Word | Work (see also Mahi) | Workshop (version 1) |
| Workshop (version 2) | World | Worry |
| Worse, Even more | Wow, Amazing | Write, Pen |
| Wait a minute | Wake up | Walk, Walking |
| Want | Wash | Wash hands |
| Watch, Wristwatch | Water | Water (drink of) |
| We (dual) | We, Our, Us | Week (version 1) |
| Week (version 2) | Weekend | Welcome (see also Pōwhiri) |
| Well | Wellington | West |
| What | When | Where |
| Which | Who (version 1) | Who (version 2) |
| Who I am | Why | Wifi |
| Will, Will be | Win | Wind, Windy |
| Window (version 1) | Window (version 2) | Winner |
| With | Woman, Female | Wonderful, Amazing |
| Word | Work (see also Mahi) | Workshop (version 1) |
| Workshop (version 2) | World | Worry |
| Worse, Even more | Wow, Amazing | Write, Pen |
Acknowledgements
The NCEA Level 1 Vocabulary List for NZSL references sign videos from the NZSL Online Dictionary (https://www.nzsl.nz). These materials are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
The NCEA Level 1 Vocabulary List for NZSL references sign videos from the NZSL Online Dictionary (https://www.nzsl.nz). These materials are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.