Māori Grammar


Level 1
Present Tense (kei te)

1. Simple sentences - present tense with an adjective - kei te

2. Simple sentences: present tense with a verb - kei te

3. Locatives (at the moment, something is somewhere) - kei te

Level 1
Past tense

4. Simple sentences: past tense - i te

5. Past - specifying a particular time - i te

Level 1
Use of ka

6. Simple sentences: future tense - ka

7. Ka used to indicate the past - ka

Level 1
E... ana

8. Simple sentences: present tense - e... ana

9. Simple sentences: past tense - i

Level 1
Commands

10. Command with e! - e!

11. Commands without e or the passive - Homai! Whakarongo!

12. Negative active commands - Don't! - Kaua e..., kāti...

Level 1
The definite and indefinite articles (te, ngā, he)

13. The article - te, ngā, he

14. Some - tētahi, ētahi

15. The use of 'e' - e

Level 1
Use of 'i' and 'ki'

16. Using 'ki' to indicate direction towards something - ki

17. Using 'i' to indicate direction away from something - i - i

18. Using 'i' to mean 'in', 'by' or 'at' - i

19. Sentences with i - i

20. Sentences with ki - ki

21. Verbs that take 'i' (kite, etc) - i

22. Verbs that take 'ki' - ki

23. Verbs that take 'i' or 'ki' - i, ki

Level 1
Sentences using 'he' and 'ko'

24. Identity sentences - ko...

25. Categorizing sentences - he

Level 1
Asking questions

26. What? - He aha?

27. Asking 'are you a...?' - He... ?

28. What is this for? - hei aha?

29. Asking who - Ko wai...?

30. How is...? - E pēwhea ana, he pēwhea?

31. What is happening at the moment? - kei te aha?

32. Which - Ko tēhea?

Level 1
This and that

33. This - tēnei, te nei

34. That (near you) - tēnā, te... nā

35. That (over there) - tērā

36. These - ēnei

37. Those (near you) - ēnā

38. Those (over there) - ērā

Level 1
Pronouns

39. Pronouns - singular - au, ahau

40. Pronouns - singular - koe

41. Pronouns - singular - ia

42. Pronouns - plural, inclusive of listener - tātou

43. Pronouns - plural - koutou

44. Pronouns - plural - rātou

Level 1
Family relationships (tēina, tuakana...)

45. Family relationships - father - papa

46. Family relationships - mother - mama, whaea

47. Family relationships - parents - matua, mātua

48. Family relationships - brother to a girl - tungāne

49. Family relationships - sister to a boy - tamahine

50. Family relationships - older sibling of the same sex - tuakana

51. Family relationships - younger sibling of the same sex - teina

Level 1
Counting and numbers

52. Counting 1-10 -

53. Numbering people - tokorua, tokotahi...

54. Numbering things - e rua, e toru...

55. This week, this month, this year - i tēnei wiki, i tēnei marama...

56. Last week, last month, last year - tērā

Level 1
Possessives

57. Possessives - 'a' class - ā, tāku...

58. Possessives - 'o' class - ō, tōku...

59. Possessives - neuter - taku, tō...

60. Words that can be 'a' or 'o' categories - o, a

61. Sentences with two possessives - a, o

62. Belonging to a place -

Level 2
Simple sentences

63. Simple sentences: past completed tense - kua

64. Simple sentences: you should - me

Level 2
Locatives

65. Locatives - past (something was somewhere) - i te

66. Future locatives - kei te

67. In, on, by, under... - kei runga...

68. Above, underneath, outside of - runga ake, raro iho, waho atu, roto atu

Level 2
Negations

69. Negations of identity sentences - ehara...

70. Negations of the past tense - Kāore... i...

71. Negations of the present tense (I am not working) - Kāore... i te...

72. Negations of the past tense - Kāore... i te...

73. Negations of e... ana... sentences - kāore... e... ana...

74. Negations of the future (I will not go) - Kāore... e...

Level 2
Questions

75. What are you doing? - He aha tāu mahi?

76. When? (in the future) - Āwhea? Āhea?

77. Is it OK if... ? - Ka pai taku...?

78. Do you have any...? - He... ?

Level 2
Possession

79. I have no... - Kāore aku...

80. Mild imperatives (You should be...) - kia

81. Let there be... - kia...

82. Established possession - nāku, nōku...

83. Unrealised possession - mā, māku

Level 2
Commands

84. Belonging to the past -

85. Commands using the passive - Tāpirihia, Tīkina...

86. Negative passive commands (Don't be...) - Kaua... e...

Level 2
Direction and location (mai, atu, ake, iho)

87. Towards - mai

88. Away - atu

89. Up - ake

90. Down - iho

91. Direction markers with adverbs - tonu mai, kā atu, rawa mai...

Level 2
Pronouns

92. Pronouns - dual, inclusive of listener - tāua

93. Pronouns - dual, exclusive of listener - māua

94. Pronouns - dual - kōrua

95. Pronouns - dual - rāua

96. Pronouns - plural, exclusive of listener - mātou

Level 2
Family relationships (mātāmua, pōtiki)

97. Talking about more than one person - ...rāua ko..., rātou ko...

98. Family relationships - oldest - mātāmua

99. Family relationships - youngest - pōtiki

Level 2
Statives and Passives

100. Statives - mate, ngaro, mau...

101. Passive sentences - tikina...

Level 2
Transitives and Intransitives

102. Transitive verbs -

103. Intransitive verbs -

Level 2
Conjuctions (therefore, but, and then...)

104. Conjunctions - and - ā

105. Conjunctions - but - engari

106. Conjunctions - if - mēnā

Level 2
Time and numbers

107. Counting over ten -

108. Ordindinal numbers (First, second, third...) - tuatahi, tuarua...

109. Telling time - kara

Level 2
Other sentence structures

110. Travelling by means of - mā runga

111. Perhaps - Tērā pea

112. I like... - He pai ki a au...

113. The use of 'a' - a

114. Asking who - i... wai? ka... wai?

115. I don't like... - Ehara... i te pai...

Level 3
About someone - mō

116. About someone - mōku, mōu, mōna...

117. Different from... - rerekē

Level 3
I am able to, I am allowed to

118. I am able... - Ka taea e...

119. To be unable - Kāore... taea...

120. Allowed to do something - āhei

Level 3
Conditional statements (if...)

121. If (using mehemea) - mehemea, mehe, mēnā

122. If using ki - ki

123. If... (using me) - me

124. If not... - ki te kore...

Level 3
Uses of 'ai'

125. Habitual action - ai

126. Direction - ...ai

127. In order to... - kia... ai...

128. In order not to... - kia... kore ai

129. Specifically - ai

130. The reason for an action - ...ai.

131. Asking "when" with ai - ā hea... ai?

132. Why did? - He aha... i... ai?

133. Why will? - He aha... e... ai?

134. Why didn't? - he aha i kore ai e?

135. For what reason? - nā te aha ai?

136. Why not? - nā te aha i kore ai?

137. Using "ai" instead of ka - ai

Level 3
Uses of 'kē'

138. Actually -

Level 3
Uses of 'kia'

139. A certain amount - kia

140. Kia for second verb after a passive - kia

Level 3
Uses of 'kei'

141. Be careful... lest! - kia... kei...

142. In case... - kei

143. Don't even think about... - kei noho... ka...

Level 3
Negations

144. Negations of kua (I haven't yet...) - Kāore ano... kia...

145. Negations of 'me' - We shouldn't... - Kaua... (passive) e...

146. Negating locatives - kāore... i runga...

147. Negating statives - kāore i... i ahau...

148. Negation of locatives - kāore...

149. Negating māku possessives - ehara... mō...; ehara... mā

150. Negating t possessives - kāore i a...

151. Do you not have any? - Kāore āu...

152. Negating nāku possessives - Ehara i...

153. Negating passive sentences - Kāore... e...

154. Negate anything - ehara i te mea...

Level 3
That thing I talked about - taua, aua

155. That aforementioned thing - taua, aua

Level 3
Uses of 'hei'

156. Never mind the... No worries! - Hei aha te..., Kia ahatia@

157. For the purpose of - hei

158. Future locative - hei

159. Negating future locatives - Kāore... hei...

160. Future categorising sentences - hei

161. Negating future categorising sentences - hei

Level 3
Uses of 'hoki'

162. How... - Te... hoki...

163. How... - tō... hoki

Level 3
Statives

164. Statives with 'i' - i a, i te, i ngā

Level 3
Conjunctions

165. Conjugations - therefore - nā reira, nō reira

166. Conjunctions - however - otirā

167. Conjunctions - although - ahakoa

168. Conjuctions - because - nā te mea

169. Conjunctions - on the other hand, however - heoi anō

Level 3
Uses of 'kātahi' and 'ka'

170. And then... - kātahi ka...

171. And then... - ...ka/kātahi... ai...

172. What a... - kātahi te...

173. Has just... - kātahi anō...

174. While - i... ka...

175. When... - ka... ka; kia... ka

Level 3
Time and numbers

176. Negating counting people - Kāore e toko...

177. Negating counting things - Kāore e...

178. Who didn't? - Ko wai kāore...

179. Not allowed - kāore... e āhei

180. The day before yesterday, etc - inatahīrā, inaoake...

Level 3
Questions

181. Who is going to... - Ki a wai te...?

182. How many are there? - E hia? Tokohia?

183. How many are needed? - Kia hia

184. Asking 'when was?' When did something happen? - Nōnahea, inahea

185. Answering when (in the past) -

186. Answering when (in the future) -

Level 3
The agent emphatic

187. Past agent emphatic - nā - agent emphatic

188. Who will? - mā wai?

189. Future agent emphatic - māku

190. Negating the future agent emphatic - ehara mā..

191. Negating the past agent emphatic - ehara i...

Level 3
Uses of 'e... ana...'

192. Sentences with a subclause - e... ana

193. While... - i... e... ana, ka...

Level 3
Various sentences structures

194. Comparatives (better than...) - pai ake...

195. Like this, like that - pēnei, pēna, pēra

196. Over there - āra

197. There's no one better than... - Kāore i...

198. That's the reason... - Koirā te take...

199. I thought mistakenly - Pēnei au...

200. This is just like that - he rite tonu

201. Don't... just yet! - Taihoa... e

202. To like - rata

203. According to... - E ai ki.../E ai ki tā... /Ki tā

204. A strong or emphatic negative. - Nō hea, nō whea

205. Be waited for - tāria

206. Serves you right! - kaitoa

207. Each - ia

208. Intensifier - ia

209. Because - he... nō

210. Why didn't... - He aha... i kore... aib e

211. What happened to...? - ahatia?

212. So something can happen... - ...e taea ai hoki tērā...

213. You forgot to... - Ka mahue tō...

214. I was forced to... - ...mate... ki...

215. Because - he... nō...

216. By means of - ki

217. This could have happened to you - Me... ai...

218. There were lots of... - te maha a te...

219. All we have to do... - heoi anō tā tātou... he...

220. Not -

221. Or... - ...rānei

222. Why... now? - He aha... e... nei?

223. When, whenever - ka... ana, ka...

224. Lucky, fortunate - nōku te whiwhi

225. Why won't... - He aha... e kore ai e...

226. Why aren't... - he aha... e kore nei e...

227. Another, a different - tētahi atu

228. Kei... - Don't...

229. Via -

230. Achieved the state of... - kua...

231. Not with someone, not at a place - kaua i...

232. Not to, not with, not against - ...kaua ki...

233. Not that - kaua ko.. tēnei, tēnā, tērā

234. Absolutely don't - kaua rawa!

235. No sweat to you... - Mō te... he painga i a koe...

236. Not here - kāore i konei

237. If... then.. - ko... ko...

238. Negating he with characteristic - Kāore

239. Nominaliztion, noun endings - -nga

240. Could you please make me... - Tēnā mahia mai he... māku.

241. It was as if - ānō nei

242. You go on ahead - hoatu koe

243. It won't be long before... - kāore e roa...; kāori i roa...

244. Through (one thing/action), (a second thing) will be achieved. - Mā te... ka...; mā... e... ai

245. Almost/just about - kua/i tata...

246. While at the same time/and in addition - me te... anō

247. Gerund phrases (fence building, bread baking, dishes washing...) - tunu parāoa...

248. It is becoming... - E... haere ana

249. Certainly, almost certainly, no doubt - Kāore e kore

250. So that something can happen for someone else - kia

251. ...and also, moreover - ...ka mutu

252. there wasn't any... absolutely no... - Kāore kau...

253. When I was young - I a e tamariki ana

254. All of a sudden - Mea ake

255. It carried on like this... - Pēnei tonu...

256. You’d better watch it! - Ākuanei!

257. When - Kia

258. The pseudo-passive - he mea...

259. Agreeing, disagreeing with a negative question - āe, kao