Māori Grammar

Level 1

Present Tense (kei te)

1. Simple sentences: present tense with a verb - kei te

2. Locatives (at the moment, something is somewhere) - kei te

Level 1

Past tense

3. Simple sentences: past tense - i te

4. Past - specifying a particular time - i te

Level 1

Use of ka

5. Simple sentences: future tense - ka

6. Ka used to indicate the past - ka

Level 1

E... ana

7. Simple sentences: present tense - e... ana

8. Simple sentences: past tense - i

Level 1

Commands

9. Command with e! - e!

10. Commands without e or the passive - Homai! Whakarongo!

11. Negative active commands - Don't! - Kaua e..., kāti...

Level 1

The definite and indefinite articles (te, ngā, he)

12. The article - te, ngā, he

13. Some - tētahi, ētahi

14. The use of 'e' - e

15. Use of 'a' as a personal article - a

Level 1

Use of 'i' and 'ki'

16. Using 'ki' to indicate direction towards something - ki

17. Using 'i' to indicate direction away from something - i - i

18. Using 'i' to mark the object of the sentence - i

19. Using 'i' to mean 'in', 'by' or 'at' - i

20. Sentences with i - i

21. Sentences with ki - ki

22. Verbs that take 'i' (kite, etc) - i

23. Verbs that take 'ki' - ki

24. Verbs that take 'i' or 'ki' - i, ki

Level 1

Sentences using 'he' and 'ko'

25. Identity sentences - ko...

26. Categorizing sentences - he

Level 1

Asking questions

27. What? - He aha?

28. Asking 'are you a...?' - He... ?

29. What is this for? - hei aha?

30. Asking who - Ko wai...?

31. How is...? - E pēwhea ana, he pēwhea?

32. What is happening at the moment? - kei te aha?

33. Which - Ko tēhea?

Level 1

This and that

34. This - tēnei, te nei

35. That (near you) - tēnā, te... nā

36. That (over there) - tērā

37. These - ēnei

38. Those (near you) - ēnā

39. Those (over there) - ērā

Level 1

Pronouns

40. Pronouns - singular - au, ahau

41. Pronouns - singular - koe

42. Pronouns - singular - ia

43. Pronouns - plural, inclusive of listener - tātou

44. Pronouns - plural - koutou

45. Pronouns - plural - rātou

Level 1

Family relationships (tēina, tuakana...)

46. Family relationships - father - papa

47. Family relationships - mother - mama, whaea

48. Family relationships - parents - matua, mātua

49. Family relationships - brother to a girl - tungāne

50. Family relationships - sister to a boy - tamahine

51. Family relationships - older sibling of the same sex - tuakana

52. Family relationships - younger sibling of the same sex - teina

Level 1

Counting and numbers

53. Counting 1-10 -

54. Numbering people - tokorua, tokotahi...

55. Numbering things - e rua, e toru...

56. This week, this month, this year - i tēnei wiki, i tēnei marama...

57. Last week, last month, last year - tērā

Level 1

Possessives

58. Possessives - 'a' class - ā, tāku...

59. Possessives - 'o' class - ō, tōku...

60. Possessives - neuter - taku, tō...

61. Words that can be 'a' or 'o' categories - o, a

62. Sentences with two possessives - a, o

63. Belonging to a place - nō

64. Tense markers - ka, i, kua, kia, me, e kai

65. Prononus - au, koe, ia, etc

66. Locatives - kei, i, hei

67. Locatives - runga, raro, rōto, waho...

68. Placenames - kei Pōneke

69. This and that - tēnei, tēnā, tērā

70. Simple possessives - a and o

71. t possessives - tāku, tōku

72. Definitives - te, ngā, tā, tō, tēnei...

73. this here - nei

74. I and ki overview - i, ki

75. He meaning a or some - he

76. Pronounciation -

77. Verbs -

78. Nouns -

79. Personal Pronouns -

80. Words that change in the plural - wahine, wāhine

81. With, if, like, as - me

82. intensifier - tino

83. Rangi is going - a

84. A and o categories intro - a, o

85. and others - mā

86. Interrogatives (asking questions) -

87. Where? - kei hea?

88. all - katoa

89. Greetings - Tēnā koe, tēnā koutou

90. Saying goodbye - Haere rā! E noho rā!

91. Active and passive sentences -

92. Declarative sentences -

93. Food wanting, food sick - hiakai, hiamoe

94. How are you? - Kei te pehea koe?

95. Simple sentences with a noun + adjectiive -

96. Tamariki -

97. Intro -

98. Simple sentences - present tense with an adjective - kei te

Level 2

Simple sentences

99. Simple sentences: past completed tense - kua

100. Simple sentences: you should - me

Level 2

Locatives

101. Locatives - past (something was somewhere) - i te

102. Future locatives - kei te

103. In, on, by, under... - kei runga...

104. Above, underneath, outside of - runga ake, raro iho, waho atu, roto atu

Level 2

Negations

105. Negations of identity sentences - ehara...

106. Negations of the past tense - Kāore... i...

107. Negations of the present tense (I am not working) - Kāore... i te...

108. Negations of the past tense - Kāore... i te...

109. Negations of e... ana... sentences - kāore... e... ana...

110. Negations of the future (I will not go) - Kāore... e...

Level 2

Questions

111. What are you doing? - He aha tāu mahi?

112. When? (in the future) - Āwhea? Āhea?

113. Is it OK if... ? - Ka pai taku...?

114. Do you have any...? - He... ?

Level 2

Possession

115. I have no... - Kāore aku...

116. Mild imperatives (You should be...) - kia

117. Let there be... - kia...

118. Established possession - nāku, nōku...

119. Unrealised possession - mā, māku

Level 2

Commands

120. Belonging to the past - nō

121. Commands using the passive - Tāpirihia, Tīkina...

122. Negative passive commands (Don't be...) - Kaua... e...

Level 2

Direction and location (mai, atu, ake, iho)

123. Towards - mai

124. Away - atu

125. Up - ake

126. Down - iho

127. Direction markers with adverbs - tonu mai, kā atu, rawa mai...

Level 2

Pronouns

128. Pronouns - dual, inclusive of listener - tāua

129. Pronouns - dual, exclusive of listener - māua

130. Pronouns - dual - kōrua

131. Pronouns - dual - rāua

132. Pronouns - plural, exclusive of listener - mātou

Level 2

Family relationships (mātāmua, pōtiki)

133. Talking about more than one person - ...rāua ko..., rātou ko...

134. Family relationships - oldest - mātāmua

135. Family relationships - youngest - pōtiki

Level 2

Statives and Passives

136. Statives - mate, ngaro, mau...

137. Passive sentences - tikina...

Level 2

Transitives and Intransitives

138. Transitive verbs -

139. Intransitive verbs -

Level 2

Conjuctions (therefore, but, and then...)

140. Conjunctions - and - ā

141. Conjunctions - but - engari

142. Conjunctions - if - mēnā

Level 2

Time and numbers

143. Counting over ten -

144. Ordindinal numbers (First, second, third...) - tuatahi, tuarua...

145. Telling time - kara

Level 2

Other sentence structures

146. Travelling by means of - mā runga

147. Perhaps - Tērā pea

148. I like... - He pai ki a au...

149. "Ki" before the second verb (to do something) - ki

150. Prepositions - ko, me, ma, ki, i...

151. Verb-Subject-Object (VSO) -

152. Particles overview -

153. Adjectives (statives) -

154. Determiners intro (articles, possessive particles, t-class particles) -

155. Direction markers - mai, atu, ake, iho

156. only - anake

157. also - hoki

158. Questions with intonation -

159. Using 'i' to indicate location - i

160. Using 'ki' to indicate location - ki

161. direct objects -

162. colours -

163. Neutral plural possessives - aku, ō and ana

164. I have... (possesion) - he... aku

165. o category: house and home - o

166. o category: things associated with the body - o

167. Identifying the agent in a passive sentencre - e

168. The use of 'a' - a

169. Asking who - i... wai? ka... wai?

170. I don't like... - Ehara... i te pai...

Level 3

About someone - mō

171. About someone - mōku, mōu, mōna...

172. Different from... - rerekē

Level 3

I am able to, I am allowed to

173. I am able... - Ka taea e...

174. To be unable - Kāore... taea...

175. Allowed to do something - āhei

Level 3

Conditional statements (if...)

176. If (using mehemea) - mehemea, mehe, mēnā

177. If using ki - ki

178. If... (using me) - me

179. If not... - ki te kore...

Level 3

Uses of 'ai'

180. Habitual action - ai

181. Direction - ...ai

182. In order to... - kia... ai...

183. In order not to... - kia... kore ai

184. Specifically - ai

185. The reason for an action - ...ai.

186. Asking "when" with ai - ā hea... ai?

187. Why did? - He aha... i... ai?

188. Why will? - He aha... e... ai?

189. Why didn't? - he aha i kore ai e?

190. For what reason? - nā te aha ai?

191. Why not? - nā te aha i kore ai?

192. Using "ai" instead of ka - ai

Level 3

Uses of 'kē'

193. Actually - kē

Level 3

Uses of 'kia'

194. A certain amount - kia

195. Kia for second verb after a passive - kia

Level 3

Uses of 'kei'

196. Be careful... lest! - kia... kei...

197. In case... - kei

198. Don't even think about... - kei noho... ka...

Level 3

Negations

199. Negations of kua (I haven't yet...) - Kāore ano... kia...

200. Negations of 'me' - We shouldn't... - Kaua... (passive) e...

201. Negating locatives - kāore... i runga...

202. Negating statives - kāore i... i ahau...

203. Negation of locatives - kāore...

204. Negating māku possessives - ehara... mā...; ehara... mā

205. Negating t possessives - kāore i a...

206. Do you not have any? - Kāore āu...

207. Negating nāku possessives - Ehara i...

208. Negating passive sentences - Kāore... e...

209. Negate anything - ehara i te mea...

Level 3

That thing I talked about - taua, aua

210. That aforementioned thing - taua, aua

Level 3

Uses of 'hei'

211. Never mind the... No worries! - Hei aha te..., Kia ahatia@

212. For the purpose of - hei

213. Future locative - hei

214. Negating future locatives - Kāore... hei...

215. Future categorising sentences - hei

216. Negating future categorising sentences - hei

Level 3

Uses of 'hoki'

217. How... - Te... hoki...

218. How... - tō... hoki

Level 3

Statives

219. Statives with 'i' - i a, i te, i ngā

Level 3

Conjunctions

220. Conjugations - therefore - nā reira, nō reira

221. Conjunctions - however - otirā

222. Conjunctions - although - ahakoa

223. Conjuctions - because - nā te mea

224. Conjunctions - on the other hand, however - heoi anō

Level 3

Uses of 'kātahi' and 'ka'

225. And then... - kātahi ka...

226. And then... - ...ka/kātahi... ai...

227. What a... - kātahi te...

228. Has just... - kātahi anō...

229. While - i... ka...

230. When... - ka... ka; kia... ka

Level 3

Time and numbers

231. Negating counting people - Kāore e toko...

232. Negating counting things - Kāore e...

233. Who didn't? - Ko wai kāore...

234. Not allowed - kāore... e āhei

235. The day before yesterday, etc - inatahīrā, inaoake...

Level 3

Questions

236. Who is going to... - Ki a wai te...?

237. How many are there? - E hia? Tokohia?

238. How many are needed? - Kia hia

239. Asking 'when was?' When did something happen? - Nōnahea, inahea

240. Answering when (in the past) -

241. Answering when (in the future) -

Level 3

The agent emphatic

242. Past agent emphatic - nā - agent emphatic

243. Who will? - mā wai?

244. Future agent emphatic - māku

245. Negating the future agent emphatic - ehara mā..

246. Negating the past agent emphatic - ehara i...

Level 3

Uses of 'e... ana...'

247. Sentences with a subclause - e... ana

248. While... - i... e... ana, ka...

Level 3

Various sentences structures

249. Comparatives (better than...) - pai ake...

250. Like this, like that - pēnei, pēna, pēra

251. Over there - āra

252. There's no one better than... - Kāore i...

253. That's the reason... - Koirā te take...

254. I thought mistakenly - Pēnei au...

255. This is just like that - he rite tonu

256. Don't... just yet! - Taihoa... e

257. To like - rata

258. According to... - E ai ki.../E ai ki tā... /Ki tā

259. A strong or emphatic negative. - Nō hea, nō whea

260. Be waited for - tāria

261. Serves you right! - kaitoa

262. Idioms with locatives - i muri iho, ki roto...

263. Personals -

264. Possessive preopositions - nā, nō, mā, mō

265. Commands with body parts - titiro!

266. Negations -

267. Negating the inceptive tense with ka - e kore... e

268. Reflexive pronouns - ake, ki a ia

269. Soon afterwards - muri iho

270. Intensifier - rawa

271. Freely - noa

272. Indeed - koa

273. Idioms of time - i te atapō...

274. The causative prefix - whaka-

275. Complex phrases (the good woman; running quickly) -

276. In order to - kia... (without ai)

277. While - kei... ana

278. Adverbs - slowly, happily

279. Adectives after a noun -

280. Carefully - āta

281. Again - anō

282. different - kē

283. adjectives used as nouns - te pai

284. Describing classes of things (horses are swift) - te

285. Kei te versus he (temporarl versus characteristic) - kei te, he

286. Each - ia

287. Intensifier - ia

288. Because - he... nō

289. Why didn't... - He aha... i kore... aib e

290. What happened to...? - ahatia?

291. So something can happen... - ...e taea ai hoki tērā...

292. You forgot to... - Ka mahue tō...

293. I was forced to... - ...mate... ki...

294. Because - he... nō...

295. By means of - ki

296. This could have happened to you - Me... ai...

297. There were lots of... - te maha a te...

298. All we have to do... - heoi anō tā tātou... he...

299. Not - tē

300. Or... - ...rānei

301. Why... now? - He aha... e... nei?

302. When, whenever - ka... ana, ka...

303. Lucky, fortunate - nōku te whiwhi

304. Why won't... - He aha... e kore ai e...

305. Why aren't... - he aha... e kore nei e...

306. Another, a different - tētahi atu

307. Kei... - Don't...

308. Via - mā

309. Achieved the state of... - kua...

310. Not with someone, not at a place - kaua i...

311. Not to, not with, not against - ...kaua ki...

312. Not that - kaua ko.. tēnei, tēnā, tērā

313. Absolutely don't - kaua rawa!

314. No sweat to you... - Mō te... he painga i a koe...

315. Not here - kāore i konei

316. If... then.. - ko... ko...

317. Negating he with characteristic - Kāore

318. Nominaliztion, noun endings - -nga

319. Could you please make me... - Tēnā mahia mai he... māku.

320. It was as if - ānō nei

321. You go on ahead - hoatu koe

322. It won't be long before... - kāore e roa...; kāori i roa...

323. Through (one thing/action), (a second thing) will be achieved. - Mā te... ka...; mā... e... ai

324. Almost/just about - kua/i tata...

325. While at the same time/and in addition - me te... anō

326. Gerund phrases (fence building, bread baking, dishes washing...) - tunu parāoa...

327. It is becoming... - E... haere ana

328. Certainly, almost certainly, no doubt - Kāore e kore

329. So that something can happen for someone else - kia

330. ...and also, moreover - ...ka mutu

331. there wasn't any... absolutely no... - Kāore kau...

332. When I was young - I a e tamariki ana

333. All of a sudden - Mea ake

334. It carried on like this... - Pēnei tonu...

335. You’d better watch it! - Ākuanei!

336. When - Kia

337. The pseudo-passive - he mea...

338. Agreeing, disagreeing with a negative question - āe, kao

339. Bigg's bases -

340. Uses of tonu - tonu

341. Ana without e - ana

342. Ai at the end of a sentence - ai

343. Continuous agent emphatic - Nō... e...ana

344. If - ka... ana

345. Bigg's nucleus -

346. Bigg -

347. Duplication -

348. Words that are both verbs and nouns - waiata, kai

349. Mea (so-and-so) -

350. Simple sentences with a subject -

351. through, by way of - rā

352. up to - tō

353. First - mātua

354. Negations - kīhai

355. "Should" with a passive "e" - me... e...

356. Particles in the postposed perophery - rawa, tonu, kē, noa, pea, koa

357. Aspect markers -

358. Mood -

359. Mora -

360. Refusing to do something - Kāore a Hōne mō te haere

A list of Māori words: