Māori Grammar


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

2. ā - Conjunctions - and

3. ā - ā to indicate the future

4. A and o categories intro - a, o

5. A chair to sit on is o category, if you make the chair is it a category - a, o

6. ā hea... ai? - Asking 'when' with ai

7. ā to indicate the future - ā

8. a, o - Sentences with two possessives

9. a, o - A and o categories intro

10. a, o - A chair to sit on is o category, if you make the chair is it a category

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

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

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

14. ai - Habitual action

15. Alike in what way? - rite pēwhea nei?

16. And then... - kātahi ka...

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

18. Asking 'when' with ai - ā hea... ai?

19. Asking who - Ko wai...?

20. atu - Away

21. au, ahau - Pronouns - singular

22. Away - atu

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

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

25. Because - he... nō...

26. Belonging to a place -

27. Belonging to the past -

28. Categorizing sentences - he

29. Command with e! - e!

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

31. Commands without any verb signs - Haere!

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

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

34. Conjunctions - and - ā

35. Conjunctions - but - engari

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

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

38. e - e as a particle of address

39. e - The use of 'e'

40. e as a particle of address - e

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

42. e or e ka - if and when

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

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

45. e! - Command with e!

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

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

48. Ehara i... - Negating nāku possessives

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

50. ehara... - Negations of identity sentences

51. engari - Conjunctions - but

52. Established possession - nāku, nōku...

53. For the purpose of - hei

54. Future agent emphatic - māku

55. Future locative - hei

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

57. Habitual action - ai

58. Haere! - Commands without any verb signs

59. Has just... - kātahi anō...

60. he - Categorizing sentences

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

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

63. He aha? - What?

64. he mea... - The pseudo-passive

65. he rite tonu - This is just like that

66. he... nō... - Because

67. hei - The reason for an action

68. hei - Hei for future location in time

69. hei - For the purpose of

70. hei - Future locative

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

72. hei aha? - What is this for?

73. Hei for future location in time - hei

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

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

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

77. i - Simple sentences: past tense

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

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

80. i - Sentences with i

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

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

83. i te - Simple sentences: past tense

84. i te - Past - specifying a particular time

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

86. I thought mistakenly - Pēnei au...

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

88. Identity sentences - ko...

89. if and when - e or e ka

90. If... (using me) - me

91. In order to - kia... ai

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

93. ka - Simple sentences: future tense

94. ka - Ka used to indicate the past

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

96. Ka used to indicate the past - ka

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

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

99. Kāore... e... - Negating passive sentences

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

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

102. kara - Telling time

103. kātahi anō... - Has just...

104. kātahi ka... - And then...

105. kātahi te... - What a...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

115. ki - Verbs that take 'ki'

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

117. kia - Kite takes kia rather than ki

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

119. kia... ai - In order to

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

121. Kite takes kia rather than ki - kia

122. Ko tēhea? - Which

123. Ko wai...? - Asking who

124. ko... - Identity sentences

125. kua - Simple sentences: past completed tense

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

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

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

129. mā runga - Travelling by means of

130. mā, māku - Unrealised possession

131. mā... e... ai - The reason why something will happen

132. mai - Towards

133. māku - Future agent emphatic

134. mate, ngaro, mau... - Statives

135. me - If... (using me)

136. me - Simple sentences: you should

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

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

139. nā - agent emphatic - Past agent emphatic

140. nā reira, nō reira - Therefore

141. nā... e... nei - The reason why something is happeneing

142. nā... i... ai - The reason why something happened

143. nāku, nōku... - Established possession

144. Negating nāku possessives - Ehara i...

145. Negating passive sentences - Kāore... e...

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

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

148. Negations of identity sentences - ehara...

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

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

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

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

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

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

155. -nga - Nominaliztion, noun endings

156. - Belonging to a place

157. - Belonging to the past

158. Nominaliztion, noun endings - -nga

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

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

161. Numbering people - tokorua, tokotahi...

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

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

164. Ordinal numbers (First, second, third...) - tuatahi, tuarua...

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

166. Passive sentences - tikina...

167. Past - specifying a particular time - i te

168. Past agent emphatic - nā - agent emphatic

169. Pēnei au... - I thought mistakenly

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

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

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

173. Pronouns - singular - au, ahau

174. rata - To like

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

176. rite pēwhea nei? - Alike in what way?

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

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

179. Sentences with i - i

180. Sentences with two possessives - a, o

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

182. Simple sentences: future tense - ka

183. Simple sentences: past completed tense - kua

184. Simple sentences: past tense - i te

185. Simple sentences: past tense - i

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

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

188. Simple sentences: you should - me

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

190. Statives - mate, ngaro, mau...

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

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

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

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

195. taua, aua - That aforementioned thing

196. te, ngā, he - The article

197. Te... nei, te... nā, te... rā - This and that thing over there

198. Telling time - kara

199. tēnei, te nei - This

200. That aforementioned thing - taua, aua

201. The article - te, ngā, he

202. The pseudo-passive - he mea...

203. The reason for an action - hei

204. The reason why something happened - nā... i... ai

205. The reason why something is happeneing - nā... e... nei

206. The reason why something will happen - mā... e... ai

207. The use of 'e' - e

208. Therefore - nā reira, nō reira

209. This - tēnei, te nei

210. This and that thing over there - Te... nei, te... nā, te... rā

211. This is just like that - he rite tonu

212. tikina... - Passive sentences

213. To like - rata

214. tokorua, tokotahi... - Numbering people

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

216. Towards - mai

217. Travelling by means of - mā runga

218. tuatahi, tuarua... - Ordinal numbers (First, second, third...)

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

220. Unrealised possession - mā, māku

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

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

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

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

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

226. Verbs that take 'ki' - ki

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

228. What a... - kātahi te...

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

230. What is this for? - hei aha?

231. What? - He aha?

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

233. Which - Ko tēhea?

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

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

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

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

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