Māori Grammar
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Identity sentences start with ko.
The basic structure is:
Ko + [Thing being identified] + [Identifying information]
For example:
Ko Rangi tōku ingoa.
My name is Rangi
These sentences are negated with ehara (not kāore):
Ehara tōku ingoa i a Rangi.
My name is not Rangi.
Note that the order of the parts of the sentence are reversed.
Categorising sentences that start with he are also negated by ehara and so the precise meaning is determined by context.
He ngeru tērā.
That is a cat.
Ko ngeru tērā.
That is the cat.
Ehara tērā i te ngeru.
That is not a cat.
That is not the cat.
Ehara māu te kai nei.
This food isn't for you.Ehara a Kauri i te matua.
Kauri is not a parent.Ehara ngā tēina i te tohunga whakairo.
The younger ones are not master carvers.Ehara a Manu i te pirihimana.
Manu is not a policeman.Ehara tōku pāpā i te rangatira.
My father is not a leader.Ehara a Koa i te kaitaraiwa pahi.
Koa is not a bus driver.Ehara i a Pita ēnei putiputi i katokato.
Pita didn't pick these flowers.Ehara tērā i a Pāora, ko Ari kē.
That person is not Pāora, it is Ari.Ehara tērā wahine i te kaiako.
That woman isn't a teacher.Ehara tēnā i te whakaaro pai e tama.
That's not a good idea guys.Ehara ia i te tamaiti kaha.
He is not a strong child.Ehara a Honi i te kaiako.
Honi isn't a teacher.Ehara ia i te tāne ranginamu.
He is not a handsome man.Ehara tēnei mahi i te mahi ngāwari.
This work isn't easy work.Ehara koe i te tangata mākoko.
You're not a lazy person.Ehara a Mere i te kaiako nui.
Mere is not an important teacher.Ehara tērā i te kārearea, he kāhu kē.
That is not a falcon, it is actually a hawk.Ehara a Manu rāua ko Ani i te mātua.
Manu and Ani are not parents.Ehara tērā i a Hēmi.
That is not Hēmi.Ehara tēnei i te mahi uaua.
This is not a difficult task.Ehara koe i te tangata poto.
You aren't a short person.Ehara koe i te tangata mohio.
You are not a knowledgeable person.Ehara te tāne i te kaihanga.
The man is not a builder.Ehara ērā i te ngeru.
Those are not cats.Ehara koe i te kaikōrero.
You are not a speaker.Ehara tērā rākau i te tōtara.
That tree is not a tōtara.Ehara tēnei i te hokomaha.
This is not a supermarket.Ehara tēnā pereti i te wera.
That plate is not hot.Ehara mō Māui taku kōrero.
My talk is not about Māui.Ehara rāua i te kaiwhakaako.
They are not teachers.Ehara ia i te kaiako.
He is not a teacher.Ehara ōna waka i a Aotea, i a Tākitimu, i a Mataaua.
Aotea, Tākitimu and Mataaua are not his canoes.Ehara ia i te hamo pango.
She's not a coward.Ehara tērā tāne i te rangatira.
That man is not the boss.Ehara tēnei i te ara kino.
This is not a bad road.Ehara ia i te tangata atawhai.
He is not a kind person.Ehara ia i te pēpi.
He isn't a baby.Ehara ia i te tangata.
Ehara is not a man.Ehara tōku whaea i te kuia.
My mother is not an elder.Ehara koe i te hoa pai.
You are not a good friend.Ehara ēnei i te ara kikino.
These are not bad roads.Ehara tērā i te Pirimia.
That's not the Prime Minister.Ehara ia i te tāne ranginamu.
He is not a handsome man.Ehara i te miti kau te hapa pai ki a au.
It's not meat that I like for dinner.Ehara te kaiako i te kaikōrero.
The teacher is not a speaker.Ehara ngā tamariki i te kaitākaro.
The children are not athletes.Ehara au i te ākonga.
I am not a student.Ehara tēnei i te motokā.
This is not a car.Ehara ngā rangatira i a Moki rāua ko Tū-te-kawa.
Moki and Tū-te-kawa were not the chiefs.Ehara te ākonga i te māngai.
The student is not a representative.Ehara ia i te kaitākaro whutupōro.
She is not a rugby player.Ehara ia i te nēhi.
She is not a nurse.Ehara au i te kaiako.
I am not a teacher.Ehara tō hoa i te tangata anuhea.
Your friend isn't an ugly person.Ehara i a au te karakia i taki.
I was not the one who recited the prayer.Ehara tērā i te mea tawhito.
That is not the old one.Ēhara i a Ponga te hē nei.
The fault is not Ponga's.Ehara i te mīti kau (te hapa pai ki a au).
It's not meat (the dinner that I like).Ehara tēnei i te papa tākaro.
This is not a playground.Ehara tērā rākau i te tōtara, he rimu kē.
That is not a tōtara, it's actually a rimu.Ehara ērā i ngā mea tawhito.
Those are not the old ones.Ehara te manu pango i te manu māori.
The blackbird is not a native bird.Ehara koe i te āwhina.
You are not a helper.Ehara te teina i te tohunga whakairo.
The younger one is not a master carver.Ehara tāu i tēnā.
That one is not yours.Ehara ia i te wahine atamai.
She is not a clever woman.Ehara rāua i te ākonga.
They aren't students.Ehara āu i ēnā.
Those ones are not yours.Ehara a Rangi i te tangata pakari.
Rangi is not a mature person.Ehara a Tame i te tangata mahi kai.
Tame isn't a hunter-gatherer-grower of food.