Māori Grammar

Kīwaha -

Kīwaha are idioms or colloquial expressions that often have a meaning that is quite different from its literal meaning. It might not be possible to understand the expression if you look up the individual words in a dictionary.

Kei te mokemoke ia.
He or she is lonely.

Kei te āhua ora ahau.
I am somewhat well.

Kei te āhua wera ahau.
I am somewhat hot.

Kei te makariri ia?
Is he/she cold?

Kei te āhua hiamoe a Mere.
Mere is somewhat sleepy.

Kei te māuiui ia.
He or she is sick.

Kei te ngenge au.
I'm tired.

Kei te āhua māngere a Rangi.
Rangi is somewhat lazy.

Kei te āhua pukuriri rawa atu au.
I'm extremely grumpy.

Kei te tino hiakai ahau.
I am very hungry.

Kei te āhua riri au.
I'm somewhat angry.

Kei te whakahīhi ahau i te mea kua oti taku mahi.
I am proud because my work is finished.

Kei te māngere ahau.
I am lazy.

Kei te hari katoa.
I'm happy as ever.

Kei te hiamoe ngā kurī.
The dogs are sleepy.

Kei te pukuriri ngā tamariki.
The children are grumpy.

Kei te matekai koe?
Are you hungry?

Kei te kaha ngā toa.
The warriors are strong.

Kei te ngenge koe.
You are tired.

Kei te hiamoe ngā tamariki?
Are the children sleepy?

Kei te pōuri ahau.
I am sad.

Kei te āwangawanga ia.
He or she is worried.

Kei te tino makariri a Rangi.
Rangi is very cold.

Kei te āmaimai koe?
Are you nervous?

Kei te āhua māngere koe.
You are somewhat lazy.

Kei te riri!
I am angry!

Kei te māuiui koe?
Are you sick?

Kei te pai ahau.
I am good.

Kei te whakatā koe.
You are relaxed.

Kei te rūhā au.
I am worn out.

Kei te āhua ngenge koe.
You are somewhat tired.

Kei te tino pukuriri a Rangi.
Rangi is very grumpy.

Kei te pai rawa atu au.
I'm extremely good.

Kei te ora au.
I'm well.

Kei te āhua wera a Rangi.
Rangi is somewhat hot.

Kei te koa au.
I'm happy.

Kei te āhua āwangawanga a Rangi.
Rangi is somewhat worried.

Kei te tino whakatā koe.
You are very relaxed.

Kei te pōuri koe.
You are sad.

Kei te tino āwangawanga ahau.
I am very worried.

Kei te āhua māngere ahau.
I am somewhat lazy.

Kei te āhua hiamoe koe.
You are somewhat sleepy.

Kei te āhua mānukanuka au.
I'm somewhat anxious.

Kei te pai koe.
You're okay.

Kei te āhua māharahara ahau.
I am somewhat anxious.

Kei te ngenge koe?
Are you tired?

Kei te pōuri te tamaiti.
The child is sad.

Kei te āhua matekai a Mere.
Mere is somewhat starving.

Kei te tino māharahara a Hēmi.
Hēmi is very anxious.

Kei te tino pai a Hēmi.
Hēmi is very good.

Kei te makariri ahau.
I am cold.

Kei te pōuri ngā wāhine.
The women are sad.

Kei te āhua riri rawa atu au.
I'm extremely angry.

Kei te harikoa koutou?
Are you all happy?

Kei te āhua māuiui au.
I'm somewhat sick.

Kei te tino hiamoe au.
I'm very sleepy.

Kei te harikoa koe.
You are happy.

Kei te riri ia.
He or she is angry.

Kei te āhua wera a Hēmi.
Hēmi is somewhat hot.

Kei te āhua hiakai ahau.
I am somewhat hungry.

Kei te matekai a Pita.
Pita is hungry.

Kei te tino māngere ia.
He or she is very lazy.

Kei te āhua ora au.
I'm somewhat well.

Kei te āhua pukuriri koe.
You are somewhat grumpy.

Kei te mokemoke au.
I am lonely.

Kei te tino hiakai a Rangi.
Rangi is very hungry.

Kei te āmaimai ahau i te hui.
I'm nervous about the meeting.

Kei te pukuriri koe.
You are grumpy.

Kei te whakatā ia.
He or she is relaxed.

Kei te tino ngenge ahau.
I am very tired.

Kei te hiamoe koe.
You are sleepy.

Kei te tino pōuri ia.
He or she is very sad.

Kei te āhua pōuri ahau.
I am somewhat sad.

Kei te māuiui koe.
You are sick.

Kei te tino makariri koe.
You are very cold.

Kei te tino mokemoke koe.
You are very lonely.

Kei te tino riri a Hēmi.
Hēmi is very angry.

Kei te pukuriri ia.
He or she is grumpy.

Kei te tino hiakai au.
I'm very hungry.

Kei te āhua māuiui a Hēmi.
Hēmi is somewhat sick.

Kei te hiakai koe.
You are hungry.

Kei te āhua hiainu au.
I'm somewhat thirsty.

Kei te hiainu au.
I'm thirsty.

Kei te hiamoe au.
I am sleepy.

Kei te tino ngenge a Mere.
Mere is very tired.

Kei te āhua pukuriri a Mere.
Mere is somewhat grumpy.

Kei te tino hiamoe ahau.
I am very sleepy.

Kei te ora tonu.
Still alive!

Kei te tino riri koe.
You are very angry.

Kei te hanga a Kauri i te whare.
Kauri is building the house.

Kei te āwangawanga ahau.
I am worried.

Kei te wera ia.
He or she is hot.

Kei te pōuri rātou?
Are they sad?

Kei te tino hiainu ia.
He or she is very thirsty.

Kei te hiakai koe?
Are you hungry?

Kei te tino āwangawanga a Hēmi.
Hēmi is very worried.

Kei te tino matekai a Rangi.
Rangi is very starving.

Kei te āhua mokemoke a Hēmi.
Hēmi is somewhat lonely.

Kei te tino pōuri koe.
You are very sad.

Kei te harikoa ahau i te mea kei konei koutou.
I am happy because you are all here.

Kei te tino hiakai a Mere.
Mere is very hungry.

Kei te riri ngā pirihimana.
The policemen are angry.

Kei te āhua hiakai a Rangi.
Rangi is somewhat hungry.

Kei te āhua whakatā koe.
You are somewhat relaxed.

Kei te riri ngā kaiako?
Are the teachers angry?

Kei te āhua pai ahau.
I am somewhat good.

Kei te pai au, me koe?
I am good, and you?

Kei te tino riri a Mere.
Mere is very angry.

Kei te āhua māharahara a Hēmi.
Hēmi is somewhat anxious.

Kei te harikoa a Hine.
Hine is happy.

Kei te matekai ahau.
I am starving.

Kei te mahana te wai?
Is the water warm?

Kei te tino pukumahi ahau.
I am very busy.

Kei te pai au.
I'm okay.

Kei te āhua whakatā ia.
He or she is somewhat relaxed.

Kei te tino whakatā ahau.
I am very relaxed.

Kei te pai.
I'm good.

Kei te hiainu māua.
We're thirsty.

Kei te mokemoke ahau i te mea kei rohe kē taku whānau.
I am lonely because my family is in another region.

Kei te āhua mānukanuka.
A little anxious.

Kei te ngenge te kaimahi.
The worker is tired.

Kei te tino riri ia.
He or she is very angry.

Kei te āhua mokemoke a Mere.
Mere is somewhat lonely.

Kei te pai koe?
You're okay?

Kei te pukuriri ngā koroua.
The male elders are grumpy.

Kei te tino whakatā a Mere.
Mere is very relaxed.