Māori Grammar

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You should talk to your mother

me

Me is a mild imperative. It is used to say that someone should do something (such as "you should get up!"). It is not quite a direct command (like "get up!").

Me haere au.
I should go.

Me mutu tō kai paipa, kei mate koe.
You should stop smoking in case you get sick or die.

Me kake ki runga
He should climb to the top

Me kī te pātaka i ngā kai.
The pantry should be filled with food.

Me oma au ia rā, ia rā.
I had better run each and every day.

Me whakaronga ngā tamariki ki ngā mātua.
Children should listen to the parents.

Me haere tāua ki te hokomoaha.
Let's go to the supermarket.

Me haere tāua ki tātahi.
Lets got to the beach.

Me aha ngā tamariki?
What shall the children do?

Me toropuku te haere!
We should go secretly/quietly.

Me tunu kai koe!
You should cook!

Me haere koe ki te wharepaku.
You'd better go to the toilet.

Me moe te pēpi.
The baby should sleep.

Me whakareri te whare mō ngā manuhiri.
The house should be prepared for the guests.

Me noho koutou ki Te Wānanga o Raukawa.
You (3+ including listener) should stay at the Wānanga.

Me tiki atu rāua i a Tame.
Those two should fetch Tame.

Me mihi ka tika ki a kōrua.
It is entirely appropriate I acknowledge you both.

Me tuhi a Aroha i ana mahi kāinga.
Aroha should write her homework.

Me toa!
You should be determined!

Me haere tāua ki te inu kawhe.
We should go for a coffee.

Me haere tātou.
We ought to go.

Me haere koutou ko Pita ko Taika ki te tāone.
You and Pita and Taika should go to town.

Me haere koutou ki te hui kei hinga te take.
You should go to the meeting, or the matter might be defeated.

Me haere mai ki taku kāinga ki te kai.
(You) should come to my house to dinner.

Me whakarite koe i te kai.
You should prepare the food.

Me tunu te kai.
The food should be cooked.

Me tatari rāua
The two should wait.

Me ako whakataukī kia mōhio ai koe ki ngā whakaaro o ōu tīpuna.
Learn proverbs so you know the thoughts of your ancestors.

Me tuhituhi koe i roto i tō rātaka.
You should write in your diary.

Me titiro ki te karoro!
You should look at the seagull!

Me haere mai!
You should come here!

Me tango tāua i ō kākahu moe.
Let's take off your pyjamas.

Me tāpuke te tūpāpaku i roto i te toru rā.
The body must be buried within three days.

Me hoatu he kapi ki a Hare.
You should give Hare a copy.

Me haere mai koe ki te tina.
You should come for dinner.

Me titiro mai!
You should look here!

Me haere koe.
You should go.

Me āta whakarongo koe ki a ia.
You should listen carefully to her.

Me haere koe ki te kaiwhakahaere.
You should go to the co-ordinator.

Me waiata tāua?
Shall we sing a song?

Me āta tiaki ō tamariki.
Take care of your children.

Me kai ia.
She should eat.

Me pono koe.
You should be honest.

Me haere koe ki te hui.
You should go to the meeting.

Me horoi ngā rīhi.
The dishes should be washed.

Me inu wai tātou i ngā wā katoa.
We should drink water all of the time.

Me tīmata tātau i ngā mahi ināianei.
We had better start the work now.

Me hoki koe ki tōu ake marae ki te ako i te kawa.
You should return to your own marae to learn protocol.

Me tiki ngā pukapuka.
The books should be fetched.

Me purumu au i te papa.
I'd better sweep the floor.

Me whakarite ngā taputapu.
You should get the equipment ready.

Me āwhina koe i a ia.
You should help her.

Me aha ai?
What should he do?

Me maranga!
You should get up!

Me kai waiū ngā pēpi ka tika.
It's right that babies have breast milk.

Me tūpato!
You should be careful!

Me tere a Tipi.
Tipi should be quick.

Me kai koe.
You should eat.

Me noko koe ki konei.
You should sit here.

Me haere au i nāianei.
I'd better go now.

Me pātai ngā tauira i ngā pātai.
The students should ask the questions.

Me haere ai.
I should go.

Me tākaro!
We should play!

Me mōhio koe ki te kawa o tōu marae.
You should know the protocol of your marae.

Me hoatu ngā kī ki a ia.
The keys should be given to him/her.

Me aroha tētahi ki tētahi.
We should love one another.

Me whakaaro koe.
You should think.

Me kimi hoa ako.
Find a friend to learn with.

Me mahi koe i tō mahi kāinga.
You had better do your homework.

Me mahi tahi tātou.
Let's all work together.

Me āta noho koe i runga i tēnā tūru!
You'd better sit carefully on that chair!

Me mihi ka tika ki a koutou.
It is entirely appropriate I acknowledge you people.

Me noho ki muri.
You should sit at the back.

Me haere koe ki te toa ki te hoko miraka.
You should go the shop and buy milk.

Me aha au?
What must I do?

Me mahi tāua, nē?
We should do some work, eh?

Me whakamau i tō tarau.
Let's put your trousers on.

Me āta whakaaro koe!
You should be careful!

Me heru ō makawe.
You should comb your hair.

Me ako tētahi wāhi ia rā, ia rā.
You should learn part each day.

Me whakakāhore e koe ēnei tū whakaaro.
You should resist these kinds of thoughts.

Me whakatika tātou i te akomanga.
We should tidy the classroom.

Me tino haere ngā tamariki ki te kura.
Children have to go to schol.

Me hoki kōrua ki te kāinga.
You both must return home.

Me tino mārena e koe taku mokopuna nāu hoki is i hapū au.
You must marry my granddaughter since you got her pregnant.

Me moe koe.
You should sleep.

Me haere tātou mā raro.
We should go by foot.

Me tū koe.
You should stand.

Me oma tātou ki te awa.
We (3+ including listener) should run to the river.

Me kōrero tātou i te reo Māori i te kāinga.
We (3/+inclusive) should speak the Māori language at home.

Me kōreroreo kōrua ko te kaiako.
You and the teacher should have a talk.

Me manawanui!
You should be steadfast!

Me ohu.
We should work together.

Me tapahi e Niko te wahia.
Niko had better cut the firewood.

Me ūkui atu i te tiko.
We'd better wipe the tiko off.

Me aha a Mere?
What should Mere do?

Me whakahokia ngā pukapuka ki te whare pukapuka.
The books should be returned to the library.

Me whakapai koe i te kai.
You had better bless the food.

Me ruirui he paura ki runga i a koe.
Let's sprinkle some powder on you.

Me waihotia ngā taputapu ki te tēpu.
The tools should be left on the table.

Me noho koe ki raro.
You should sit down.

Me paraihe koe i ō makawe.
You should brush your hair.

Me mātakitaki koe i te kēmu.
You should watch the game.

Me pānui te kaiako i te reta.
The teacher should read the letter.

Me whakatika koe i tō rūma.
You'd better tidy up your room.

Me tino āta haere.
We should go carefully.

Me haere tāua.
We should go.

Me haere koe ki te kaukau.
You should go for a swim.

Me paraihe ō niho.
You should brush your teeth.

Me whakatā ia
He should rest

Me haere tāua ki te taone.
We should got to town.

Me horoi koe, e te tau!
You should wash, my darling!

Me pukumahi koe!
You should work hard!

Me kai hoki koe i ngā waewae kōura.
You should also eat the cray legs.

Me hoki tātou ki te kāinga.
We (3+ inclusive) should return (go back) home.

Me tino haere koe ki te hui.
You really must go to the meeting.

Me utu te nama.
The debt should be paid.

Me horoi au i ngā rīhi.
I should wash the dishes.

Me paraihe koe i ō niho.
You should brush your teeth.

Me whakaoti koe i ō mahi.
You should complete your work.

Me mau ngā tamariki i ngā pōtae.
The children should wear hats.

Me ako ngā tamariki o Aotearoa i te reo Māori ka tika, nē rā?
It's fitting that New Zealand children learn Māori, isn't it?

Me mihi ka tika ki a koe.
It is entirely appropriate I acknowledge you.

Me aha rātou?
What should they do?

Me tāria te waka.
The car should be waited for.

Me aha a Liam rāua ko Kaia?
What should Liam and Kaia do?

Me kai i te rūma kai, kaua e kai i tō rūma moe.
You should eat in the dining room not in your bedroom.

Me whakapakari ia
He should train

Me kuhu anō tō tarau.
Let's put your pants back on.

Me tuhi koe i ō hiahia mō te keke.
You should write down what you want for the cake.

Me oho!
You should wake up!

Me hangaia te whare hou.
The new house should be built.

Me horoi ngā rīhi.
The dishes should be washed.

Me kaukau koe ka tika!
Too right you should bathe!

Me noho ngā tamariki ki te whāriki.
The children should sit on the mat.

Me haere ahau
I had better go.

Me aha ahau ki ngā toenga kai?
What should I do with the leftovers?

Me hoki ahau.
I'd better go.

Me āta pao te māhunga ki te rākau.
Hit the head gently with the stick.

Me tuhi kōrero koutou inaianei.
You should write a story now.

Me noho koe ki te tēpu i a koe e kai ana.
You should sit at the table while you are eating.

Me kaute tāua ki te tekau.
Let's count to ten.

Me kimi kaiwhakaako mātau ki te ako, matatau ki te reo Māori.
Find an experienced teacher and knowledgeable friend in te reo.

Me haere au ki taku karaehe.
I'd better go to my class.

Me kōmuhu mai koe ki a au.
You should whisper it to me.

Me tiki ia i te tītāora.
He should get the tea towel.

Me tahu te ahi.
We should light the fire.

Me mātua paku kōrero te take, kātahi ka whakatau.
We should first discuss the issue a bit, then decide.

Me pēnā.
(You should do it) like that.

Me tuku tēnei karere ki tēnā marae, ki tēnā marae o te motu.
This message should be sent to every marae in the country.

Me oma!
You should run!

Me mutu ngā mahi i konei.
We should finish our work here.

Me haere au ki te whare hokomaha.
I'd better go to the supermarket.

Me waiata a Mere.
Mere should sing.

Me whakatika te tēpu.
The table should be set.

Me aha a Kōuraraka ki te pāreti?
What should Goldilocks do with the porridge?

Me taitai te tama i ōna niho.
The boy should brush his teeth

Me horoi koe i ō toroiho.
You should wash your underwear.

Me horopuehu a Mere i te papa.
Mere should vauum the floor.

Me noho ia.
He should sit.

Me ārahi a Rangi i te tira.
Rangi should lead the group.

Me haere ngā wāhine ki mua.
The women should go to the front.

Me haere koe ki te toa!
You should go to the shop!

Me whakatā koe!
You should rest!

Me haere māua ki te hoko parāoa.
We two had better go and buy some bread.

Me haere koe ki te mahi ākuanei.
You'd better go to work soon.

Me whakatā koe.
You need to rest.

Me whakatika koe i ō kākahu kura.
You should fix your uniform.

Me inu!
You should drink!

Me tunu a pāpā i te kai.
Dad should cook the food.

Me noho koe.
You should sit.

Me haere tonu tāua ki te tāone.
We should still go to town.

Me kuhu atu koe ki te tāpu.
Get in the bathtub.

Me kokoti ngā rōhi i a Hōngongoi.
The roses should be pruned in July.

Me karakia tātou.
We should say a karakia.

Me waiho a Kōuraraka i te pāreti!
Goldilocks should leave the porridge!

Me tiki ngā tamariki i te kura.
The children should be picked up from school.

Me aha tātou?
What should we do?

Me horoi ō ringaringa.
You'd better wash your hands.

Me whakamau tāua i tō tātua.
Let's put your seatbelt on.

Me nohopuku tāua.
Let's sit in silence.

Me whakarongo!
You should listen!