Māori Grammar

Sources

The grammars, courses and reference books this site draws on.

Maori

Maori

Winifred Bauer

London/New York: Routledge, 1993

Descriptive Grammars series.
The Reed Reference Grammar of Māori

The Reed Reference Grammar of Māori

Winifred Bauer, with William Parker, Te Kareongawai Evans and Te Aroha Noti Teepa

Auckland: Reed, 1997
Let’s Learn Maori

Let’s Learn Maori: A Guide to the Study of the Maori Language

Bruce Biggs

Wellington: A. H. & A. W. Reed, 1969

Revised edition: Auckland University Press, 1998.
Ngā Hapa Reo

Ngā Hapa Reo: Common Māori Language Errors

Hona Black and Te Aorangi Murphy-Fell

Auckland: Oratia, 2024
He Whakamārama

He Whakamārama: A Full Self-Help Course in Māori

John Foster

Auckland: Pearson, 2012

Earlier editions include Reed, 2007.
Ngā Kupu Whakamārama

Ngā Kupu Whakamārama: Māori Grammar

John Foster

Auckland: Pearson, 2012

Grammar resource accompanying He Whakamārama.
A Māori Reference Grammar

A Māori Reference Grammar

Ray Harlow

Auckland: Longman, 2001
Making Maori Sentences

Making Maori Sentences

Lyndsay Head

Auckland: Longman Paul, 1989

An earlier Book One version was published by the University of Canterbury Department of Maori in 1986.
Māori Language: Understanding the Grammar

Māori Language: Understanding the Grammar / Te Reo Māori: He Whakamārama Wetenga Reo

David Kārena-Holmes

Auckland: Reed, 2006

2nd revised edition.
Te Reo Māori: The Basics Explained

Te Reo Māori: The Basics Explained

David Kārena-Holmes

Auckland: Oratia Books, 2020
Tūmahi Māori

Tūmahi Māori: He Ara Whakamārama ki ngā Tūmahi Māori / A Pathway to Understanding Māori Verbs

Hone Waengarangi Morris
The Raupō Phrasebook of Modern Māori

The Raupō Phrasebook of Modern Māori

Scotty Morrison

Auckland: Raupō / Penguin Random House New Zealand

First published 2011; revised edition 2021.

All 501 Grammar Rules

1. A and o categories intro - a, o

2. A chair to sit on is o category, if you make the chair is it a category - a, o

3. A sentence with no subject - kei te kai i te tina

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

5. ā to indicate the future - ā

6. About someone - mōku, mōu, mōna...

7. About, approximately - tōna; āhua; pea

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

9. Absolutely don't - kaua rawa!

10. Absolutely! - ehara ehara!

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

12. Accordingly, as a result - heoi (anō)

13. Achieved the state of... - kua...

14. Actually - kē

15. Adding another description of the same person or thing - ki … ki …; ko … ko …

16. Adectives after a noun

17. Adjectives (statives)

18. Adjectives and a-type statives

19. adjectives used as nouns - te pai

20. Adverbs - slowly, happily

21. After that... - i muri

22. Afterwards, shortly after, much later - nō muri mai, nō muri tata mai, nō muri noa mai

23. Again - anō

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

25. Ai at the end of a sentence - ai

26. Alike in what way? - rite pēwhea nei?

27. All - katoa

28. All of a sudden - Mea ake

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

30. Allowed to do something - āhei

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

32. Also - hoki

33. Ana without e - ana

34. And abrupt siggestion with tātoy in a reversed order sentence - tātou

35. And also, moreover - ...ka mutu

36. And others - mā

37. And so on, et cetera - ki hea, ki hea; ko wai atu

38. And then... - kātahi ka...

39. And then... - ka... ai

40. Another, a different - tētahi atu

41. Answering a question using the same sentence structure

42. Answering an 'āhea' question with ai - āhea, ai

43. Answering this with that (but not today) - tēnei -> tēna tēna -> tēnei tēnei rā -> tēnei rā

44. Answering when (in the future)

45. Answering when (in the past)

46. Anything in a negative sentence - … i te aha

47. As a result - me te aha

48. As though, as if - me te mea nei

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

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

51. Asking 'when' with ai - ā hea... ai?

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

53. Asking who - Ko wai...?

54. Aspect markers

55. At least; better than nothing - mā te aha

56. Away - atu

57. Be careful! - Kia tūpato!

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

59. Be waited for - tāria

60. Because - nōnā

61. Because - he... nō...

62. Because - nō te... ai

63. Because - i te...

64. Being afraid or worried that … - kei …

65. Being afraid something might not happen - kei kore … e …

66. Being in a resulting state - ma-

67. Belonging to a place - nō

68. Belonging to a time with derived nouns - nō te...

69. Belonging to the past - nō

70. By means of - ki

71. By what route or transport? - mā hea … ai

72. Called, named - hua, tapa, kī; ko, he

73. Carefully - āta

74. Categorizing sentences - he

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

76. Colours

77. Combining words to make a new word (compounds) - wharenui; Rātapu; manawanui

78. Command with e! - e!

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

80. Commands with body parts - titiro!

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

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

83. Complex phrases (the good woman; running quickly)

84. Complex sentences with multiple constituents

85. Complex sentences with subordinate clauses - nei, na, ra, ai

86. Complex stative sentences (the bread has all been consumed (by eating))

87. Conjuctions - because - nā te mea

88. Conjunctions - and - ā

89. Conjunctions - but - engari

90. Conjunctions - however - otirā

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

92. Continuous agent emphatic - Nō... e...ana

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

94. Counting 1-10

95. Counting over ten

96. Decimals - ira

97. Declarative sentences

98. Definitives - te, ngā, tā, tō, tēnei...

99. Describing classes of things (horses are swift) - te

100. Describing how an action is done - I tere tā mātou haere; He pai tana mahi

101. Determiners intro (articles, possessive particles, t-class particles)

102. Did not - kore... ai

103. different - kē

104. Different from... - rerekē

105. Direct objects

106. Direction markers - mai, atu, ake, iho

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

108. Discourse markers - although - ahakoa

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

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

111. Does not have to; there is no obligation - ehara i te mea me …; hei aha … ai

112. Doing something a specified number of times - e toru aku haerenga

113. Doing something to one another - tau-

114. Doing something while going with haere - haere

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

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

117. Down - iho

118. e as a particle of address - e

119. E without ena for future time - e

120. Each - ia

121. Each other, one another - tētahi ki tētahi; tētahi i tētahi; tētahi mō tētahi

122. Established possession - nāku, nōku...

123. Everything in the o category - o

124. exactly (with numbers) - pū ānō

125. Exclamations - Hā! Ēhara! Taihoa! Aue!

126. Expressing a wish with ki te and kia - hiahia ki te, hiahia kia

127. Family relationships - brother to a girl - tungāne

128. Family relationships - father - papa

129. Family relationships - mother - mama, whaea

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

131. Family relationships - oldest - mātāmua

132. Family relationships - parents - matua, mātua

133. Family relationships - sister to a boy - tamahine

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

135. Family relationships - youngest - pōtiki

136. far side, near side - kō atu, kō mai

137. First - mātua

138. Food wanting, food sick - hiakai, hiamoe

139. For a period of time - mō te …

140. For the purpose of - hei

141. For what reason? - nā te aha ai?

142. Fortunately; thanks to someone being there - me kore ake …

143. Fractions - hau-; haurua; hauwhā

144. Freely - noa

145. Frequently, often - auau

146. Future agent emphatic - māku, mā... e..., mā... hei

147. Future categorising sentences - hei

148. Future locative - hei

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

150. Going somewhere to do something there - ki reira … ai.

151. Greetings - Tēnā koe, tēnā koutou

152. Habitual action - ai

153. Has just... - kātahi anō...

154. Have been doing something for a long time - kua roa … e … ana

155. Having something - whai; whairawa; whai tikanga

156. Having something with you - kei a …; i a …

157. He meaning a or some - he

158. Hei for future location in time - hei

159. Here is - anei, anā, arā

160. here, there by you with ko... - kō ,konei, tonā, korā

161. Horses can be in the a or the o category - a, o

162. How are you? - Kei te pehea koe?

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

164. How long? - e hia tō … roa; pēhea te roa …

165. How many are needed? - Kia hia

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

167. How... - tō... hoki, te hoki

168. How? - Me pēhea?

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

170. i and e in active and passive sentences - i, e

171. I and ki overview - i, ki

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

173. I have no... - Kāore aku...

174. I have... (possesion) - he... aku

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

176. I thought mistakenly - pohēhē

177. I thought mistakenly - Pēnei au...

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

179. Identifying the agent in a passive sentencre - e

180. Identity sentences - ko...

181. Idioms of time - i te atapō...

182. If - ka... ana

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

184. If and when - e or e ka

185. If not... - ki te kore...

186. If there were not - Mehemea kāore (he)

187. If using ki or mehemea - ki, mehemea

188. If... (using me) - me

189. If... then.. - ko... ko...

190. In case... - kei

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

192. In order to - kia... (without ai)

193. In order to - kia... ai

194. In order to - he aha ai

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

196. Indeed - koa

197. intensifier - tino

198. Intensifier - rawa

199. Intensifier - ia

200. Intensives - 'anō’, ‘hoki’, ‘rā’, and ‘tonu'

201. Interjections - kātahi anō, e hoa! inana

202. Interrogatives (asking questions)

203. Into - ki roto

204. Intransitive verbs

205. Irregular adverbs that precede the verb - mātua, āta, āhua

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

207. Isn’t it? Don’t they? - nē; nē rā; nē hā

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

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

210. It is easy or difficult to do something - he māmā te …; he uaua te …

211. It is nothing; it does not matter - ehara i te aha

212. It looks as though - te āhua nei

213. It was as if - ānō nei

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

215. Joining items by repeating a preposition - ko … ko …; ki … ki …; i … i …

216. Just that, nothing more - noa iho

217. Ka used to indicate the past - ka

218. Kāhore as a negation - kāhore

219. Kei te versus he (temporarl versus characteristic) - kei te, he

220. Kei... - Don't...

221. Ki before the second verb (to do something) - ki

222. Kia for second verb after a passive - kia

223. Kia... ai with passives - Kia ai

224. Kia... ai with statives - kia... ai

225. Kite takes kia rather than ki - kia

226. Kīwaha

227. ko as a noun emphatic - ko

228. ko versus he - the difference between a ko a d a he sentence - ko, he

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

230. Let there be a certain amount - kia

231. Let there be... - kia...

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

233. Locatives - kei, i, hei

234. Locatives - runga, raro, rōto, waho...

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

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

237. Locatives as the subject preceeded by a - a waho (outside)

238. Locatives: in front and behind, past and future, Idioms with locatives - mua, muri, i muri iho, ki roto...

239. Locatives: left and right, above and under - raro, maui

240. Lucky, fortunate - nōku te whiwhi

241. Mau

242. Mea (so-and-so)

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

244. Mood

245. Mora

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

247. Negating adjectives - kāhore, kore

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

249. Negating counting things - Kāore e...

250. Negating future categorising sentences - hei

251. Negating future locatives - Kāore... hei...

252. Negating he with characteristic - Kāore

253. Negating māku possessives - ehara... mā...; ehara... mā

254. Negating nāku possessives - Ehara i...

255. Negating passive sentences - Kāore... e...

256. Negating possession with ehara - Ehara

257. Negating possession with Kāhore - Kāhore

258. Negating statives - kāore i... i ahau...

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

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

261. Negating the inceptive tense with ka - e kore... e

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

263. Negating wishes, requirements and instructions - kia kaua … e …

264. Negation of locatives - kāore...

265. Negations - kīhai

266. Negations

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

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

269. Negations of identity sentences - ehara...

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

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

272. Negations of the past and present tense (I was not working, I am not working) - Kāore... i te...

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

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

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

276. Negative questions - Ehara rānei?

277. Negative tē - tē

278. Neutral plural possessives - aku, ō and ana

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

280. No i when using commands with the passive

281. No longer; not going to after all - kua kore … e …

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

283. Nominaliztion, noun endings - -nga

284. Not allowed - kāore... e āhei

285. Not here - kāore i konei

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

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

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

289. Nothing could be done - kāore i taea te pēhea

290. Nouns

291. Now (interjection) - nā

292. Numbering people - tokorua, tokotahi...

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

294. Numbers: taki the distributive prefix (in groups of) - taki-

295. o category for friends, a category for partners - a, o

296. o category: house and home - o

297. o category: parents and superiors - o

298. o category: things associated with the body - o

299. o category: water and medicine - o

300. Of using ā - waiata-ā-ringa = action songs

301. Of using nā/nō - nā, nō

302. On the other hand - Ke atu

303. One of, some of - tētahi o …; ētahi o …

304. Only - anake

305. Or... - ...rānei

306. Ordinal numbers (First, second, third...) - tuatahi, tuarua...

307. Other - atu

308. Over there - āra

309. Particles in the postposed perophery - rawa, tonu, kē, noa, pea, koa

310. Particles overview

311. Passive agreement

312. Passive sentences - tikina...

313. Past - specifying a particular time - i te

314. Past agent emphatic - nā - agent emphatic

315. Perhaps, quite possibly - Tērā pea, tērā tonu pea

316. Personal Pronouns

317. Personals

318. Placenames - kei Pōneke

319. Plural possessive pronouns - a, o

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

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

322. Possessives - belong to him or her - tōna, tāna

323. Possessives - belonging to us, them, you all - tā rātou, tō mātou, tā koutou...

324. Possessives - m and n class overview - mā, nā, mō, nō

325. Possessives - neuter - taku, tō...

326. Prepositions - ko, me, ma, ki, i...

327. Price of things, money - He aha te utu o

328. Pronouns - dual - kōrua

329. Pronouns - dual - rāua

330. Pronouns - dual, exclusive of listener - māua

331. Pronouns - dual, inclusive of listener - tāua

332. Pronouns - plural - koutou

333. Pronouns - plural - rātou

334. Pronouns - plural, exclusive of listener - mātou

335. Pronouns - plural, inclusive of listener - tātou

336. Pronouns - singular - au, ahau

337. Pronouns - singular - koe

338. Pronouns - singular - ia

339. Questions with intonation

340. Reduplication - mate, mamate, matamate

341. Reflexive pronouns - ake, ki a ia

342. Reflexive-Intensive Pronouns and Possessive Pronouns - anō, ake

343. Refusing to do something - Kāore a Hōne mō te haere

344. Reporting whether something is true - mehemea; āe rānei … kāore rānei

345. Reporting who, where or what someone asked - pātai; wai, hea, aha

346. Saying - kī, mea

347. Saying goodbye - Haere rā! E noho rā!

348. Seeing that (reason for an action) - inā hoki

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

350. Sentences with a subclause i or kua - i, kua

351. Sentences with a subclause kei te, i te - kei te, i te

352. Sentences with i - i

353. Sentences with ki - ki

354. Sentences with parts missing in casual conversation

355. Sentences with two possessives - a, o

356. Serves you right! - kaitoa

357. Should with a passive 'e' - me... e...

358. Simple possessives - a and o

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

360. Simple sentences with a noun + adjectiive

361. Simple sentences with a subject

362. Simple sentences: future tense - ka

363. Simple sentences: past completed tense - kua

364. Simple sentences: past tense - i te

365. Simple sentences: past tense - i

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

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

368. Simple sentences: you should - me

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

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

371. Some - tētahi, ētahi

372. Soon afterwards - muri iho

373. Specifically - ai

374. Stating and reaching an age - tau; pakeke; ka

375. Statives - mate, ngaro, mau...

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

377. Statives with whaka-

378. Stopping an activity - mutu …

379. Strong assertions - koia tērā! koia nei!

380. Subclause after a possessive - He aha tā rātou e hiahia ana?

381. t possessives - tāku, tōku

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

383. Talking about you and other poeple - māua ko, mātou ko

384. tātahi - at the beach as a locative - tātahi

385. Telling time - kara

386. Tense markers - ka, i, kua, kia, me, e kai

387. Thanking or acknowledging someone for an action - mōu i …; mōna i …

388. That (near you) - tēnā, te... nā

389. That (over there) - tērā

390. That aforementioned thing - taua, aua

391. That's the reason... - koirā te take...

392. The article - te, ngā, he

393. The causative prefix - whaka-

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

395. The predicate

396. The prefix kai- - kai

397. The pseudo-passive - he mea...

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

399. The reason for an action - hei

400. The reason why something happened - nā... i... ai

401. The reason why something is happeneing - nā... e... nei

402. The reason why something will happen - mā... e... ai

403. The use of 'e' - e

404. There is no... - Kāhore he...

405. There is, there are - he …

406. There was - tērā

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

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

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

410. There, at the previously mentioned place - reira

411. Thereat - e... ai (instead of e... ana) - e... ai

412. Therefore - nā reira, nō reira

413. These - ēnei

414. This - tēnei, te nei

415. This and that - tēnei, tēnā, tērā

416. This and that thing over there - Te... nei, te... nā, te... rā

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

418. This here - nei

419. This is just like that - he rite tonu

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

421. this, or that with e (instead of e... ana) - e... nei, e...nā, e.. rā

422. Those (near you) - ēnā

423. Those (over there) - ērā

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

425. through, by way of - rā

426. To achieve this, one must … - e … ai … me …

427. To be unable - Kāore... taea...

428. To like - rata

429. To see whether; in the hope that - me kore e …

430. To whom? - ki a wai

431. Together - tahi

432. Towards - whalamua, whakarunga...

433. Towards - mai

434. Transitive verbs

435. Travelling by means of - mā runga

436. Two adjectives for the same thing - he mea

437. Unrealised possession - mā, māku

438. Until - kia

439. Up - ake

440. Up to - tō

441. Use of 'a' as a personal article - a

442. Uses of tonu - tonu

443. Using "ai" instead of ka - ai

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

445. Using 'i' to indicate location - i

446. Using 'i' to mark the object of the sentence - i

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

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

449. Using 'ki' to indicate location - ki

450. Using ai to link two subclauses

451. Using ai to mean whom - ai

452. Using ai to specify a location - ai

453. Using ai to specify a time - ai

454. Using at to mea n that which - ai

455. Verbs

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

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

458. Verbs that take 'ki' - ki

459. Via - mā

460. Wait a while - taihoa*

461. What a... - kātahi te...

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

463. What happened to...? - ahatia?

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

465. What is this for? - hei aha?

466. What? - ko te aha?

467. What? - He aha?

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

469. When in the future - ana and ina

470. When, whenever - ka... ana, ka...

471. When... - ka... ka; kia... ka

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

473. Where is something from? - Nō hea ma?

474. Where? - kei hea?

475. Which - Ko tēhea?

476. While - kei... ana

477. While - i... ka...

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

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

480. Whilst... - Nōna e... ana...

481. Who did? - Nā wai?

482. Who didn't? - Ko wai kāore...

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

484. Who will? - mā wai?

485. Whose? - nā wai; nō wai

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

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

488. Why didn't... - He aha... i kore... ai e

489. Why is, what is the reason? - He aha te take... e... ana

490. Why not? - nā te aha i kore ai?

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

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

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

494. With, if, like, as - me

495. Without - -kore as a suffix - -kore

496. Words that are both verbs and nouns - waiata, kai

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

498. Words that change in the plural - wahine, wāhine

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

500. You go on ahead - hoatu koe

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