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