Māori Grammar

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Chop the vegetables

Commands using passives

There are some words which describe an action that can be done on its own, without reference to anything else. For example, I can run. The word "run" is known as an "intransitive verb". There other words that describe an action that does relate to something else. While I can say "I am reading" or "I am singing", it is implied that I am reading something or singing something. I might be reading a book or singing a song. These kind of verbs are known as "transitive verbs".

When giving a command to a person to do something, if the verb is transitive, then we use a passive ending. For example:

Pānuihia!
Read!

Because the verb "read" is transitive (we read something), then the passive ending is used to make this word a command. This true of other words that are transitive. 

Riringihia!
Pour!

Kohia ngā parapara.
Collect up the rubbish.

When giving commands, we do not use a passive ending for intransitive verbs. For example, the word "stand" is intransitive and so would simply say: e tu! to give someone the command to stand - it does not take a passive ending.

When giving commands using the passive, we do not use i or ki to identifty the object of the sentence. For example, we would say:

Tikina tō pōtae.
Fetch your hat

and not:

*Tikina i tō pōtae.*
Fetch your hat

Compare the following, where an active command uses ki but the passive command does not:

Titiro ki te mainga!
Look at the mountain!

Titirohia te mainga!
Look at the mountain!

See also:

• The pseudo-passive - he mea...

Haria ngā tamariki ki te kura i te ata.
Take the children to school in the morning.

Homai ana pukapuka!
Give me her books!

Pānuitia te reo Māori ki a koe anō.
Read Māori aloud.

Whengua tō ihu!
Blow your nose!

Taupokitia te miraka.
Put the lid on the milk.

Whakapiatia ō hū!
Polish your shoes!

Haria ēnei!
Carry these!

Me whakapono mai!
You should believe in me!

Titiro atu!
Look over there!

Nekehia ki Kapiti!
Move to Kapiti!

Hoatu te huka ki roto i te kāpata.
Put the sugar into the cupboard.

Arohatia te reo!
Love the language!

Tuatahi, horoia ōu ringaringa!
Firstly, wash your hands!

Tīkina ōu kākahu paru!
Fetch your dirty clothes!

Kainga ō tōhi!
Eat your toast!

Waruhia te kiri rēmana.
Grate the lemon rind.

Whakarewa!
Melt!

Kōmuhua mai.
Whisper it to me!

Awhinatia tāu tuahine ki te kuhu i ōna kākahu!
Help your sister put her clothes on!

Kainga tāu āporo!
Eat your apple!

Tāpirihia he huka.
Add some sugar.

Katia ngā ārai.
Shut the curtains.

Tīkina he pune.
Get a spoon.

Tāpapa!
Lie face down!

Hōmai he parāoa māku.
Give me some bread.

Awhinatia tāu tuahine ki te whakakākahu i a ia anō!
Help your sister to get herself dressed!

Tangohia ō hū!
Take off your shoes!

Hoatu te tuna ki te pēke!
Put the eel in the sack!

Whakarongo!
Listen!

Tīkina atu te pukapuka mai i te tēpu.
Fetch the book from the table.

Whakatikaina ēnei rerenga!
Correct these sentences.

Kainga tō parakuihi!
Eat your breakfast!

Tīkina te waka ki te marae.
Fetch the car from the marae.

Tahia te ara!
Sweep the path!

Mahia te mahi!
Do the work!

Kei te whakatikaina te waka.
The car is being fixed.

Katia ngā ārai.
Shut the curtains.

Tangohia tō hingareti!
Take off your singlet!

Pānuitia te pukapuka.
Read the book.

Homai ēnā māti!
Pass me those matches!

Kātia te kuaha kia kaua e uru mai te hau.
Close the door to prevent the wind from coming in.

Whakakāngia te umu.
Turn on the oven.

Waihotia ngā kai ki runga i te tēpu mō te rā whānau.
Leave the food on the table for the birthday.

Riringihia te miraka.
Pour the milk.

Hūtia ngā taru!
Pull the weeds out!

Unuhia ki te uru tapu nui!
Draw on the superme sacredness!

Whakatikahia ngā mahi i te whare mō te hui.
Prepare the work at the house for the meeting.

Maranga mai!
Get up!

Tīkina he tūru anō.
Fetch another chair.

Huakina te matapihi!
Open the window!

Katia te kuaha.
Close the door.

Pataina tr parāoa.
Butter the bread.

Pupuritia taku ringaringa.
Hold my hand.

Whāia te mātauranga!
Pursue education!

Whakatakotoria te koha!
Lay the gift down!

Tīkina he wai!
Fetch some water!

Waiho ō hū ki te kūaha.
Leave your shoes at the door.

Tīkina te maripi.
Get a knife.

Tīkina te ūkui papa.
Get the mop.

Whakapaitia ngā moenga!
Make the beds!

Tikina tō pōtae.
Fetch your hat.

Homai he wai arani māku.
Pass an orange juice for me.

Tiakina a Tawa!
Look after Tawa!

Meatia ki roto!
Put it in!

Āwhinatia rātou!
Look after them!

Topea te rākau!
Chop the tree!

Tātaihia!
Recite it!

Mahia atu!
Get into it!

Pāwhiritia te tohu tīwhiri ka whakautu ai i te pātai.
Click the clue symbol in each box to reveal the question.

Tukua ki te nūpepa!
Send it to the newspaper!

Whakairihia ngā kākahu ki runga i te rākau.
Hang the clothes on the line.

Katia ō whatu.
Close your eyes.

Nō wai ēnei hū māwhero?
To whom do these pink shoes belong?

Riringihia he wai ki roto.
Pour in some water.

Mauria atu ērā oka!
Take those knives away!

Whakapaitia tōu rūma moe.
Tidy your bedroom.

Mauria atu te pukapuka rā!
Bring me that book!

Tīkina tō pukapuka.
Fetch your book.

Tapahia kia ono ngā topenga.
Cut it up into six slices.

Manaakitia ngā manuhiri ki te kai, ki te kōrero.
Look after the guests with food and good conversation.

Tikina atu tāu pukapuka!
Go and get your book!

Tīkina ōu kākahu paru!
Fetch your dirty clothes!

Haria mai koa te arawhata!
Please bring me the ladder!

Me pukumahi koe.
You should work hard!

Whakahanumitia ngā mea mākū.
Mix together the wet ingredients.

Āwhinatia te ngeru kia piki ki runga i te tūru.
Help the cat climb onto the chair.

Tīkina atu he huka.
Fetch some sugar.

Whakarerea ngā tūru ki roto i te rūma hui.
Leave the chairs in the meeting room.

Whakawāteahia he wāhi ki te kāuta.
Clear a space in the kitchen.

Tirohia te rā!
Look at the sun!

Tiakina te tangata whana!
See to the injured person!

Kohimutia mai ki taku taringa.
Whisper it in my ear.

Whakarongo ki tēnei waiata!
Listen to this song!

Tangohia ō hū!
Take off your shoes!

Whakapaingia te whare i mua i te taenga mai o ngā manuhiri.
Clean the house before the guests arrive.

Kaita te kūwaha.
Shut the door.

Mauria mai ētahi parāoa parai.,
bring me some fried bread.

Whakapaitia tō moenga!
Make your bed!

Ringihia mai te wai ki tāku kapu.
Pour the water into my cup.

Whakahokia ngā rīhi ki te kāpata i muri i te kai.
Return the dishes to the cupboard after the meal.

Tangohia ō kākahu!
Take off your clothes!

Whakamaua ngā tōkena!
Put on the socks!

Tikina atu āu pukapuka!
Go and get your books!

Inumia te miraka!
Drink the milk!

Katia te kuaha o te motokā.
Close the car door.

Hoatu ngā pukapuka ki runga i te papa pukapuka.
Put the books on the bookshelf.

Inumia te wai!
Drink the water!

Whakatikahia te tēpu mō te kai.
Set the table for the meal.

Haria atu te motokā ki tō Honi whare.
Take the car to Honi's house.

Ka tāpirihia ngā panana.
Add the banana.

Tīkina kia whā ngā hēki.
Get four eggs

Whakapaitia te ruma!
Tidy the room!

Maranga!
Get up!

Puritia ngā taha o te waka kei taka koe!
Hold on to the sides of the waka lest you fall!

Katia te kūaha!
Close the door!

Tāpirihia te miraka.
Put in the milk.

Tangohia ō tōkena!
Take off your socks!

Tapahia kia ono ngā topenga.
Cut it up into six slices.

Huakina te kūwaha.
Open the door.

Tīkina atu tō pāpā!
Go and get your father!

Tīkina ngā taputapu i te rūma ki te hanga i te whare.
Fetch the tools from the room to build the house.

Horoia ngā kanohi o ngā tamariki nohinohi!
Wash the little children's faces!

Kōrerotia te reo Māori!
Speak the Māori language!

Whakahokia atu to motokā ki a Pāora.
Return the car to Pāora.

Whakahokia mai te motokā ki a au.
Return the car to me.