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 i te miti kau te hapa pai ki a au.
It's not meat that I like for dinner.Ehara tōku pāpā i te rangatira.
My father is not a leader.Ehara au i te ākonga.
I am not a student.Ehara tēnei i te mahi uaua.
This is not a difficult task.Ehara tērā i te kārearea, he kāhu kē.
That is not a falcon, it is actually a hawk.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 au i te kaiako.
I am not a teacher.Ehara tērā wahine i te kaiako.
That woman isn't a teacher.Ehara a Tawa i te kaiako.
Tawa isn't a teacher.Ehara koe i te hoa pai.
You are not a good friend.Ehara koe i te kaikōrero.
You are not a speaker.Ehara koe i te tangata mohio.
You are not a knowledgeable person.Ehara ngā tamariki i te kaitākaro.
The children are not athletes.Ehara a Kauri i te pirihimana.
Kauri is not a policeman.Ehara a Mere i te kaiako nui.
Mere is not an important teacher.Ehara ia i te hamo pango.
She's not a coward.Ehara tērā rākau i te tōtara, he rimu kē.
That is not a tōtara, it's actually a rimu.Ehara mō Māui taku kōrero.
My talk is not about Māui.Ehara koe i te āwhina.
You are not a helper.Ehara ngā tēina i te tohunga whakairo.
The younger ones are not master carvers.Ehara tērā i a Koa, ko Hēmi kē.
That person is not Koa, it is Hēmi.Ehara tō hoa i te tangata anuhea.
Your friend isn't an ugly person.Ehara i te mīti kau (te hapa pai ki a au).
It's not meat (the dinner that I like).Ehara ia i te kaiako.
He is not a teacher.Ehara i a Aroha ēnei putiputi i katokato.
Aroha didn't pick these flowers.Ehara ia i te nēhi.
She is not a nurse.Ehara āu i ēnā.
Those ones are not yours.Ehara ōna waka i a Aotea, i a Tākitimu, i a Mataaua.
Aotea, Tākitimu and Mataaua are not his canoes.Ehara tērā tāne i te rangatira.
That man is not the boss.Ehara ia i te tāne ranginamu.
He is not a handsome man.Ehara tēnā pereti i te wera.
That plate is not hot.Ehara tēnā i te whakaaro pai e tama.
That's not a good idea guys.Ehara ia i te wahine atamai.
She is not a clever woman.Ehara tāu i tēnā.
That one is not yours.Ehara tēnei i te ara kino.
This is not a bad road.Ehara tēnei i te hokomaha.
This is not a supermarket.Ehara a Ari i te matua.
Ari is not a parent.Ehara a Manu i te tangata mahi kai.
Manu isn't a hunter-gatherer-grower of food.Ehara a Rangi i te tangata pakari.
Rangi is not a mature person.Ehara a Tawa rāua ko Ani i te mātua.
Tawa and Ani are not parents.Ehara ia i te tamaiti kaha.
He is not a strong child.Ēhara i a Ponga te hē nei.
The fault is not Ponga's.Ehara rāua i te kaiwhakaako.
They are not teachers.Ehara tērā i a Hēmi.
That is not Hēmi.Ehara ērā i te ngeru.
Those are not cats.Ehara a Rangi i te kaitaraiwa pahi.
Rangi is not a bus driver.Ehara ia i te tāne ranginamu.
He is not a handsome man.Ehara te tāne i te kaihanga.
The man is not a builder.Ehara tēnei mahi i te mahi ngāwari.
This work isn't easy work.Ehara te kaiako i te kaikōrero.
The teacher is not a speaker.Ehara tērā i te Pirimia.
That's not the Prime Minister.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 tērā rākau i te tōtara.
That tree is not a tōtara.Ehara koe i te tangata mākoko.
You're not a lazy person.Ehara tērā i te mea tawhito.
That is not the old one.Ehara tōku whaea i te kuia.
My mother is not an elder.Ehara ngā rangatira i a Moki rāua ko Tū-te-kawa.
Moki and Tū-te-kawa were not the chiefs.Ehara ēnei i te ara kikino.
These are not bad roads.Ehara i a au te karakia i taki.
I was not the one who recited the prayer.Ehara ia i te tangata.
Ehara is not a man.Ehara ia i te tangata atawhai.
He is not a kind person.Ehara koe i te tangata poto.
You aren't a short person.Ehara māu te kai nei.
This food isn't for you.