Māori Grammar

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Te Reo Māori Level 2
Simple sentences: past completed tense - 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 te waka.
The car is full.

Kua rima ōna tau.
She has reached five years.

Kua pari te tai.
The tide is high.

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

Kua mīia e koe kope.
You peed your nappy.

Kua moe ia
He has slept

Kua kaha mātou mahi.
We have worked hard.

Kua ināianei?
Is it clean now?

Kua kai au.
I have eaten.

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

Kua mimi te pēpi.
The baby peed.

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

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

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

Kua tae katoa mai rātou.
They have all arrived.

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

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

Kua mutu te hui.
The meeting has finished.

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

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

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

Kua kanohi ināianei.
Your face is all clean now.

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

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

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

Kua paru te kāuta.
The kitchen has been dirtied.

Kua tīmata ngā mihimihi.
The speeches have begun.

Kua tae mai ngā tītī.
The muttonbirds have arrived.

Kua haere mai rātou kia whakaakona ai ki te reo Māori.
They have come in order to be taught Māori.

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

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

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

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

Kua kōrero ngā wāhine.
The women have spoken.

Kua tae mai tātou manuhiri.
Our visitors have arrived.

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

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

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

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

Kua reri?
(Are you) ready?

Kua ngaro taku pukapuka.
My book is lost.

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

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

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

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

Kua mutu te mahi.
Work has finished.

Kua te ipupara?
Is the rubbish bin clean?

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

Kua hora te tēpu?
Has the table been set?

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

Kua ora mai anō te tamaiti.
The child is well again.

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

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

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

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

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

Kua te ruma?
Is the room clean?

Kua tino tāroaroa haere tamaiti!
Your son has become taller!

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

Kua hoki mai ia.
She has returned.

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

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

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

Kua ora mai anō ōna mātua.
His parents have got well again.

Kua haere au.
I'm off.

Kua tīmata te kēmu.
The game has started.

Kua reri te kai.
The food is ready.

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

Kua rongo rātou i te kai.
They (3/+) have perceived (tasted, smelt) the food.

Kua tae mai rātou i Rotorua.
They have arrived here from Rototua.

Kua tākarohia e mātou ngā kēmu e rua.
We've played two games.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kua ahatia tērā tāne?
What happened to that man?

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

Kua te wharepaku.
The toilet has been cleaned.

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

Kua tae mai a Hemi.
Hemi has arrived.

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

Kua mutu ngā kōrerorero.
The discussions were over.

Kua mutu koe?
Have you finished?

Kua whakapai ngā rīhi.
The dishes have been cleaned.

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

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

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

Kua mutu?
Have you finished?

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

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

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

Kua kai pāua koe?
Have you eaten pāua?

Kua tae mai rātou?
Have they arrived?

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

Kua uru ia ki te kura
She entered the school.

Kua rite kōrua?
Are you two ready?

Kua pau ngā moni.
They money is all gone.

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

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

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

Kua pakaru i a Honi?
Did Honi break it?

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

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

Kua kitea e koe?
Have you seen it?

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

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

Kua mamae tōku kakī.
My neck is sore.

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

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

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

Kua pakaru te hīrere.
The shower has broken!

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

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

Kua kai-tohetaka koe.
You have eaten dandelion.

Kua mutu i a koe?
Have you finished?

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

Kua reri te parakuihi.
Breakfast is ready.

Kua kai kamokamo koe?
Have you tried kamokamo?

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

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

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

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

Kua haere.
[He] has gone.

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

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 katoa koe!
You are completely clean!

Kua toto tana ihu.
His nose has started bleeding.

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

Kua whai tohu koe?
Do you have a degree?