Māori Grammar

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I have danced

kua

In English there are several ways to talk about the past. We can say: "I worked", "I was working", "I have worked", "I had worked" and "I had been working".

There are similar distinctions in te reo Māori.

I te mahi au.
I was working.

I mahi au.
I worked.

Kua mahi ai.
I have worked.

The word kua is always translated with "has", "had" or "have", and indicates a completed action:

Kua inu te tamaiti i te miraka.
The child has drunk the milk.

Kua kai au.
I have eaten.

Kua kite noa atu ahau ka ngaro te reo Māori.
I saw long ago that the Māori language will disappear.

Kua whakatika ia i ōna makawe.
He's straightened his hair.

Kua mā te wharepaku.
The toilet has been cleaned.

Kua toto tana ihu.
His nose has started bleeding.

Kua riro ia i te ringa o Aituā.
He has been taken by the hands of Misfortune.

Kua mutu tāku mahi i a au.
My work has been finished by me. (I've stopped working)

Kua mahia te mahi pai e kōrua.
The good work has been done by you two

Kua mamae tōku kakī.
My neck is sore.

Kua pau ngā moni.
They money is all gone.

Kua pakaru i a Tawa?
Did Tawa break it?

Kua pau i a ia te kōrero tēnei pukapuka.
He has read this book right through.

Kua mīia e koe tō kope.
You peed your nappy.

Kua rite kōrua?
Are you two ready?

Kua kitea e koe? Ko te aha? Ko tāku waea pūkoro?
Have you seen it? What? My cell phone?

Kua oti tā māua mahi.
Our (two people) work is done.

Kua kī te waka.
The car is full.

Kua kite ahau i a koe.
I have seen you.

Kāore anō au kia kai, ernmgari kei te matekei au.
I have not yet eaten, but I am starving.

Kua horahia te kai.
This food has been spread out before us.

Kua reri te kai.
The food is ready.

Kua tango au i ōku hū.
I have removed my shoes.

Kua tākaro rāua i te whutupaoro.
They have played rugby.

Kua haere a Tame ki tāwāhi.
Tame's gone overseas.

Kua reri?
(Are you) ready?

Kua ako koe i te reo Māori?
Have you learned te reo Māori?

Kua ruaki koe ki runga i a Pāpā.
You just threw up on Daddy.

Kua tika katoa kai me ngā mīti atu.
All the food, including the meat, should be ready now.

Kua mutu i a koe tō mahi?
Have you finished your work?

Kua maroke pai koe ināianei.
You're all dry now.

Kua tae katoa mai rātou.
They have all arrived.

Kua uru ia ki te kura
She entered the school.

Kua hokona tēnei rorohiko māu.
This computer has been bought for you.

Kua ngaro taku pukapuka.
My book is lost.

Kua whakapai ngā rīhi.
The dishes have been cleaned.

Kua mārama au ki tōu whakautu.
I've understood your response.

Kua hoki te waka ki te kāinga.
The car has returned home.

Kua kī kē te hōro i te tamariki.
The hall was full of children.

Kua mutu i a koe?
Have you finished?

Kua pakaru te hīrere.
The shower has broken!

Kua reri te parakuihi.
Breakfast is ready.

Kua mutu ngā kōrerorero.
The discussions were over.

Kua tiki koe i te kai?
Have you got the food?

Kua rongo koe i te waiata hou?
Have you heard the new song?

Kua ahatia tērā tāne?
What happened to that man?

Kua whakahokia ki a ia te tamaiti i mauria e ngā pirihimana i te marama o Oktopa.
The child who was taken by the police in October has been returned to her.

Kua uhia te maunga ki te hukarere.
The mountain is covered in snow.

Kua tīmata te kēmu.
The game has started.

Kua tae mai ngā tītī.
The muttonbirds have arrived.

Kua mau te ika i a Pani.
Pani has caught the fish.

Kua kai-tohetaka koe.
You have eaten dandelion.

Kua horoi koe i ngā pereti?
Have you done the dishes?

Kua eke atu ia ki ngā taumata o te waru tekau mā whitu tau.
She has reached the age of eighty seven years.

Kua oti i taku pāpā te kai te tunu.
My father has finished cooking.

Kua piki te ngeru ki runga i te tūru.
The cat has climbed onto the chair.

Kua pau te moni i a au.
The money has been spent by me.

Kua haere ia ki te toa ki te hoko hikareti.
She's gone to the store to buy cigarattes.

Kua whakatika au i te moenga.
I've made the bed.

Kua whai tohu koe?
Do you have a degree?

Kua oma ngā tamariki i te papa tākaro.
The children have run in the playground.

Kua mutu te hui.
The meeting has finished.

Kua whakamutu koe i tāu mahi?
Have you finished your work?

Kua mōhio ia ki te kōrero pukapuka.
She knows how to book read.

Kua tīkina e Mere te kai.
Mere has fetched the food.

Kua hora a Ataahua i te tēpu.
Ataahua's set the table.

Kua tū a Hine hei kaiārahi.
Hine has stood as a leader.

Kua tae te rīpoata ki te kaiako.
The report has been given to the teacher.

Kua paru te kāuta.
The kitchen has been dirtied.

Kua tae mai rātou?
Have they arrived?

Kua hora te tēpu?
Has the table been set?

Kua kai pāua koe?
Have you eaten pāua?

Kua mutu tana mahi whakareri i ngā kai.
He has finished preparing the food.

Kua haere kē i mua tata o taku taenga atu.
He left just before I arrived.

Kua moumou rātou i te rehu horoi.
They have wasted the soap powder.

Kua haere.
[He] has gone.

Kua hoki mai rāua i te toa.
They have returned from the shop.

Kua tae mai a Hemi.
Hemi has arrived.

Kua hōhā katoa au ki a koe.
I'm totally annoyed with you.

Kua pari te tai.
The tide is high.

Kua rima ōna tau.
She has reached five years.

Kua moe a Tamahae i runga i te tēpu.
Tamahae has gone to sleep on the table.

Kua tae atu koe ki tāwāhi?
Have you been overseas?

Kua haere ia ki te kura.
She's gone to school.

Kua roa ake te mahi i tāku i whakaaro ai.
The job has taken longer than I thought.

Kua mārama a Rangi i te kaupapa.
Rangi has understood the topic.

Kua tīkina ngā kākahu horoi e ngā tamariki.
The clean clothes have been fetched by the children.

Kua mimi te pēpi.
The baby peed.

Kua mutu koe?
Have you finished?

Kua kitea e koe?
Have you seen it?

Kua mā katoa koe ināianei.
You're all clean now.

Kua waiho taua wāhi hei urupā mō ngā tūpāpaku.
That place was left as a burial ground for the dead.

Kua haere ngā tamariki ki te kura.
The children have gone to school.

Kua mā tō kanohi ināianei.
Your face is all clean now.

Kua ako a Mere i te waiata.
Mere has learnt the song.

Kua mutu tō mahi?
Have (you) finished your work.

Kua kai au i te pūhā.
I have eaten pūhā.

Kua pau katoa te kai i a koutou!
You have eaten up all the food!

Kua mutu?
Have you finished?

Kua rongo au kei te haere mai koe.
I heard you were coming.

Kua moe ia
He has slept

Kua kite koe i taku pene? He mā whero te mea na.
Have you seen my pen? It's a pink one.

Kua pānui koe i te puka wetereo?
Have you read the grammar guide?

Kua mā katoa koe!
You are completely clean!

Kua mutu te mahi.
Work has finished.

Kua mutu tāu mahi, ka haere tātou.
When your job's finished we shall go.

Kua mā te ipupara?
Is the rubbish bin clean?

Kua pakaru te rama i runga ake i te tēpu.
The light above the table is broken.

Kua riro te mahi uaua i a au.
The hard work has been received by me.

Kua kai kamokamo koe?
Have you tried kamokamo?

Kua mā ināianei?
Is it clean now?

Kua kai koe i tō parakuihi?
Have you had your breakfast?

Kua rongo koe i te tītī?
Have you heard the muttonbird?

Kua mā te ruma?
Is the room clean?

Kua horoia e koe ō niho?
Have you cleaned your teeth?

Kua whana te tama i te pōro.
The boy has kicked the ball.

Kua tino ora a roto.
The inside is very well.

Kua hōhā au ki tēnei tū āhuatanga.
I'm sick (bored) of this carry on.

Kua piki au i te maunga o Tongariro.
I've climbed the mountain Tongariro.