Māori Grammar


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

Level 1
Present Tense (kei te)

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

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

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

Level 1
Past tense

5. Simple sentences: past tense - i te

6. Past - specifying a particular time - i te

Level 1
Use of ka

7. Simple sentences: future tense - ka

8. Ka used to indicate the past - ka

Level 1
E... ana

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

10. Simple sentences: past tense - i

Level 1
Commands

11. Command with e! - e!

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

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

Level 1
The definite and indefinite articles (te, ngā, he)

14. The article - te, ngā, he

15. Some - tētahi, ētahi

16. The use of 'e' - e

Level 1
Use of 'i' and 'ki'

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

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

Level 2
Simple sentences

64. Simple sentences: past completed tense - kua

65. Simple sentences: you should - me

Level 2
Locatives

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

67. Future locatives - kei te

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

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

Level 2
Negations

70. Negations of identity sentences - ehara...

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

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

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

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

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

Level 2
Questions

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

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

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

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

Level 2
Possession

80. I have no... - Kāore aku...

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

82. Let there be... - kia...

83. Established possession - nāku, nōku...

84. Unrealised possession - mā, māku

Level 2
Commands

85. Belonging to the past -

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

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

Level 2
Direction and location (mai, atu, ake, iho)

88. Towards - mai

89. Away - atu

90. Up - ake

91. Down - iho

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

Level 2
Pronouns

93. Pronouns - dual, inclusive of listener - tāua

94. Pronouns - dual, exclusive of listener - māua

95. Pronouns - dual - kōrua

96. Pronouns - dual - rāua

97. Pronouns - plural, exclusive of listener - mātou

Level 2
Family relationships (mātāmua, pōtiki)

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

99. Family relationships - oldest - mātāmua

100. Family relationships - youngest - pōtiki

Level 2
Statives and Passives

101. Statives - mate, ngaro, mau...

102. Passive sentences - tikina...

Level 2
Transitives and Intransitives

103. Transitive verbs -

104. Intransitive verbs -

Level 2
Conjuctions (therefore, but, and then...)

105. Conjunctions - and - ā

106. Conjunctions - but - engari

107. Conjunctions - if - mēnā

Level 2
Time and numbers

108. Counting over ten -

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

110. Telling time - kara

Level 2
Other sentence structures

111. Travelling by means of - mā runga

112. Perhaps - Tērā pea

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

114. The use of 'a' - a

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

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

Level 3
About someone - mō

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

118. Different from... - rerekē

Level 3
I am able to, I am allowed to

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

120. To be unable - Kāore... taea...

121. Allowed to do something - āhei

Level 3
Conditional statements (if...)

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

123. If using ki - ki

124. If... (using me) - me

125. If not... - ki te kore...

Level 3
Uses of 'ai'

126. Habitual action - ai

127. Direction - ...ai

128. In order to... - kia... ai...

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

130. Specifically - ai

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

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

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

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

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

136. For what reason? - nā te aha ai?

137. Why not? - nā te aha i kore ai?

138. Using "ai" instead of ka - ai

Level 3
Uses of 'kē'

139. Actually -

Level 3
Uses of 'kia'

140. A certain amount - kia

141. Kia for second verb after a passive - kia

Level 3
Uses of 'kei'

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

143. In case... - kei

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

Level 3
Negations

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

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

147. Negating locatives - kāore... i runga...

148. Negating statives - kāore i... i ahau...

149. Negation of locatives - kāore...

150. Negating māku possessives - ehara... mō...; ehara... mā

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

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

153. Negating nāku possessives - Ehara i...

154. Negating passive sentences - Kāore... e...

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

Level 3
That thing I talked about - taua, aua

156. That aforementioned thing - taua, aua

Level 3
Uses of 'hei'

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

158. For the purpose of - hei

159. Future locative - hei

160. Negating future locatives - Kāore... hei...

161. Future categorising sentences - hei

162. Negating future categorising sentences - hei

Level 3
Uses of 'hoki'

163. How... - Te... hoki...

164. How... - tō... hoki

Level 3
Statives

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

Level 3
Conjunctions

166. Conjugations - therefore - nā reira, nō reira

167. Conjunctions - however - otirā

168. Conjunctions - although - ahakoa

169. Conjuctions - because - nā te mea

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

Level 3
Uses of 'kātahi' and 'ka'

171. And then... - kātahi ka...

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

173. What a... - kātahi te...

174. Has just... - kātahi anō...

175. While - i... ka...

176. When... - ka... ka; kia... ka

Level 3
Time and numbers

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

178. Negating counting things - Kāore e...

179. Who didn't? - Ko wai kāore...

180. Not allowed - kāore... e āhei

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

Level 3
Questions

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

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

184. How many are needed? - Kia hia

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

186. Answering when (in the past) -

187. Answering when (in the future) -

Level 3
The agent emphatic

188. Past agent emphatic - nā - agent emphatic

189. Who will? - mā wai?

190. Future agent emphatic - māku

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

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

Level 3
Uses of 'e... ana...'

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

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

Level 3
Various sentences structures

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

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

197. Over there - āra

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

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

200. I thought mistakenly - Pēnei au...

201. This is just like that - he rite tonu

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

203. To like - rata

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

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

206. Be waited for - tāria

207. Serves you right! - kaitoa

208. Each - ia

209. Intensifier - ia

210. Because - he... nō

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

212. What happened to...? - ahatia?

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

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

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

216. Because - he... nō...

217. By means of - ki

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

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

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

221. Not -

222. Or... - ...rānei

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

224. When, whenever - ka... ana, ka...

225. Lucky, fortunate - nōku te whiwhi

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

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

228. Another, a different - tētahi atu

229. Kei... - Don't...

230. Via -

231. Achieved the state of... - kua...

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

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

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

235. Absolutely don't - kaua rawa!

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

237. Not here - kāore i konei

238. If... then.. - ko... ko...

239. Negating he with characteristic - Kāore

240. Nominaliztion, noun endings - -nga

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

242. It was as if - ānō nei

243. You go on ahead - hoatu koe

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

255. All of a sudden - Mea ake

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

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

258. When - Kia

259. The pseudo-passive - he mea...

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