Māori Grammar


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

2. ā - ā to indicate the future

3. ā - Conjunctions - and

4. A and o categories intro - a, o

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

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

7. ā to indicate the future - ā

8. a, o - Sentences with two possessives

9. a, o - A and o categories intro

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

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

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

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

14. ai - Habitual action

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

16. And then... - kātahi ka...

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

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

19. Asking who - Ko wai...?

20. atu - Away

21. au, ahau - Pronouns - singular

22. Away - atu

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

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

25. Because - he... nō...

26. Belonging to a place -

27. Belonging to the past -

28. Categorizing sentences - he

29. Command with e! - e!

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

31. Commands without any verb signs - Haere!

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

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

34. Conjunctions - and - ā

35. Conjunctions - but - engari

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

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

38. e - The use of 'e'

39. e - e as a particle of address

40. e as a particle of address - e

41. e or e ka - if and when

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

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

44. e! - Command with e!

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

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

47. ehara... - Negations of identity sentences

48. engari - Conjunctions - but

49. Established possession - nāku, nōku...

50. For the purpose of - hei

51. Future agent emphatic - māku

52. Future locative - hei

53. Habitual action - ai

54. Haere! - Commands without any verb signs

55. Has just... - kātahi anō...

56. he - Categorizing sentences

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

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

59. He aha? - What?

60. he mea... - The pseudo-passive

61. he rite tonu - This is just like that

62. he... nō... - Because

63. hei - Hei for future location in time

64. hei - For the purpose of

65. hei - The reason for an action

66. hei - Future locative

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

68. hei aha? - What is this for?

69. Hei for future location in time - hei

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

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

72. i - Sentences with i

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

74. i - Simple sentences: past tense

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

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

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

78. i te - Past - specifying a particular time

79. i te - Simple sentences: past tense

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

81. I thought mistakenly - Pēnei au...

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

83. Identity sentences - ko...

84. if and when - e or e ka

85. If... (using me) - me

86. In order to - kia... ai

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

88. ka - Simple sentences: future tense

89. ka - Ka used to indicate the past

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

91. Ka used to indicate the past - ka

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

93. Kāore... e... - Negating passive sentences

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

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

96. kara - Telling time

97. kātahi anō... - Has just...

98. kātahi ka... - And then...

99. kātahi te... - What a...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

109. ki - Verbs that take 'ki'

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

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

112. kia - Kite takes kia rather than ki

113. kia... ai - In order to

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

115. Kite takes kia rather than ki - kia

116. Ko wai...? - Asking who

117. ko... - Identity sentences

118. kua - Simple sentences: past completed tense

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

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

121. mā runga - Travelling by means of

122. mā, māku - Unrealised possession

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

124. mai - Towards

125. māku - Future agent emphatic

126. mate, ngaro, mau... - Statives

127. me - Simple sentences: you should

128. me - If... (using me)

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

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

131. nā - agent emphatic - Past agent emphatic

132. nā reira, nō reira - Therefore

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

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

135. nāku, nōku... - Established possession

136. Negating passive sentences - Kāore... e...

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

138. Negations of identity sentences - ehara...

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

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

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

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

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

144. -nga - Nominaliztion, noun endings

145. - Belonging to a place

146. - Belonging to the past

147. Nominaliztion, noun endings - -nga

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

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

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

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

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

153. Passive sentences - tikina...

154. Past - specifying a particular time - i te

155. Past agent emphatic - nā - agent emphatic

156. Pēnei au... - I thought mistakenly

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

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

159. Pronouns - singular - au, ahau

160. rata - To like

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

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

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

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

165. Sentences with i - i

166. Sentences with two possessives - a, o

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

168. Simple sentences: future tense - ka

169. Simple sentences: past completed tense - kua

170. Simple sentences: past tense - i

171. Simple sentences: past tense - i te

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

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

174. Simple sentences: you should - me

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

176. Statives - mate, ngaro, mau...

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

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

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

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

181. taua, aua - That aforementioned thing

182. te, ngā, he - The article

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

184. Telling time - kara

185. tēnei, te nei - This

186. That aforementioned thing - taua, aua

187. The article - te, ngā, he

188. The pseudo-passive - he mea...

189. The reason for an action - hei

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

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

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

193. The use of 'e' - e

194. Therefore - nā reira, nō reira

195. This - tēnei, te nei

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

197. This is just like that - he rite tonu

198. tikina... - Passive sentences

199. To like - rata

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

201. Towards - mai

202. Travelling by means of - mā runga

203. Unrealised possession - mā, māku

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

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

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

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

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

209. Verbs that take 'ki' - ki

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

211. What a... - kātahi te...

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

213. What is this for? - hei aha?

214. What? - He aha?

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

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

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

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

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

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