Māori Grammar

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I have danced

kua

In English there are several ways to talk about the past. We can say: "I worked", "I was working", "I have worked", "I had worked" and "I had been working".

There are similar distinctions in te reo Māori.

I te mahi au.
I was working.

I mahi au.
I worked.

Kua mahi ai.
I have worked.

The word kua is always translated with "has", "had" or "have", and indicates a completed action:

Kua inu te tamaiti i te miraka.
The child has drunk the milk.

Kua tae mai ngā tītī.
The muttonbirds have arrived.

Kua tae mai rātou?
Have they arrived?

Kua pakaru te rama i runga ake i te tēpu.
The light above the table is broken.

Kua tiki koe i te kai?
Have you got the food?

Kua horahia te kai.
This food has been spread out before us.

Kua mutu koe?
Have you finished?

Kua pari te tai.
The tide is high.

Kua ako a Mere i te waiata.
Mere has learnt the song.

Kua hoki mai rāua i te toa.
They have returned from the shop.

Kua reri te kai.
The food is ready.

Kua tino ora a roto.
The inside is very well.

Kua horoi koe i ngā pereti?
Have you done the dishes?

Kua hōhā katoa au ki a koe.
I'm totally annoyed with you.

Kua kitea e koe? Ko te aha? Ko tāku waea pūkoro?
Have you seen it? What? My cell phone?

Kua ahatia tērā tāne?
What happened to that man?

Kua mā katoa koe ināianei.
You're all clean now.

Kua piki te ngeru ki runga i te tūru.
The cat has climbed onto the chair.

Kua mamae tōku kakī.
My neck is sore.

Kua oma ngā tamariki i te papa tākaro.
The children have run in the playground.

Kua mā ināianei?
Is it clean now?

Kua kai au.
I have eaten.

Kua mutu tana mahi whakareri i ngā kai.
He has finished preparing the food.

Kua hora te tēpu?
Has the table been set?

Kua ngaro taku pukapuka.
My book is lost.

Kua mahia te mahi pai e kōrua.
The good work has been done by you two

Kua mutu i a koe tō mahi?
Have you finished your work?

Kua horoia e koe ō niho?
Have you cleaned your teeth?

Kua whakahokia ki a ia te tamaiti i mauria e ngā pirihimana i te marama o Oktopa.
The child who was taken by the police in October has been returned to her.

Kua roa ake te mahi i tāku i whakaaro ai.
The job has taken longer than I thought.

Kua ruaki koe ki runga i a Pāpā.
You just threw up on Daddy.

Kua mā te wharepaku.
The toilet has been cleaned.

Kua kite ahau i a koe.
I have seen you.

Kua toto tana ihu.
His nose has started bleeding.

Kua moe a Tamahae i runga i te tēpu.
Tamahae has gone to sleep on the table.

Kua mōhio ia ki te kōrero pukapuka.
She knows how to book read.

Kua uru ia ki te kura
She entered the school.

Kāore anō au kia kai, ernmgari kei te matekei au.
I have not yet eaten, but I am starving.

Kua whai tohu koe?
Do you have a degree?

Kua tae mai a Hemi.
Hemi has arrived.

Kua mutu tāu mahi, ka haere tātou.
When your job's finished we shall go.

Kua moe ia
He has slept

Kua reri?
(Are you) ready?

Kua haere ia ki te kura.
She's gone to school.

Kua mau te ika i a Pani.
Pani has caught the fish.

Kua tango au i ōku hū.
I have removed my shoes.

Kua kai kamokamo koe?
Have you tried kamokamo?

Kua pau te moni i a au.
The money has been spent by me.

Kua tīmata te kēmu.
The game has started.

Kua tae atu koe ki tāwāhi?
Have you been overseas?

Kua rongo koe i te waiata hou?
Have you heard the new song?

Kua piki au i te maunga o Tongariro.
I've climbed the mountain Tongariro.

Kua kitea e koe?
Have you seen it?

Kua paru te kāuta.
The kitchen has been dirtied.

Kua whana te tama i te pōro.
The boy has kicked the ball.

Kua whakapai ngā rīhi.
The dishes have been cleaned.

Kua pau ngā moni.
They money is all gone.

Kua pakaru i a Pita?
Did Pita break it?

Kua eke atu ia ki ngā taumata o te waru tekau mā whitu tau.
She has reached the age of eighty seven years.

Kua ako koe i te reo Māori?
Have you learned te reo Māori?

Kua mimi te pēpi.
The baby peed.

Kua tīkina e Mere te kai.
Mere has fetched the food.

Kua mutu?
Have you finished?

Kua mutu tāku mahi i a au.
My work has been finished by me. (I've stopped working)

Kua tū a Hine hei kaiārahi.
Hine has stood as a leader.

Kua mārama au ki tōu whakautu.
I've understood your response.

Kua rima ōna tau.
She has reached five years.

Kua mīia e koe tō kope.
You peed your nappy.

Kua oti tā māua mahi.
Our (two people) work is done.

Kua rongo au kei te haere mai koe.
I heard you were coming.

Kua mutu i a koe?
Have you finished?

Kua kī te waka.
The car is full.

Kua mutu ngā kōrerorero.
The discussions were over.

Kua haere a Pāora ki tāwāhi.
Pāora's gone overseas.

Kua uhia te maunga ki te hukarere.
The mountain is covered in snow.

Kua haere ngā tamariki ki te kura.
The children have gone to school.

Kua kite noa atu ahau ka ngaro te reo Māori.
I saw long ago that the Māori language will disappear.

Kua mutu tō mahi?
Have (you) finished your work.

Kua pānui koe i te puka wetereo?
Have you read the grammar guide?

Kua rongo koe i te tītī?
Have you heard the muttonbird?

Kua moumou rātou i te rehu horoi.
They have wasted the soap powder.

Kua tīkina ngā kākahu horoi e ngā tamariki.
The clean clothes have been fetched by the children.

Kua mārama a Rangi i te kaupapa.
Rangi has understood the topic.

Kua whakatika au i te moenga.
I've made the bed.

Kua pau i a ia te kōrero tēnei pukapuka.
He has read this book right through.

Kua mā te ruma?
Is the room clean?

Kua whakatika ia i ōna makawe.
He's straightened his hair.

Kua hokona tēnei rorohiko māu.
This computer has been bought for you.

Kua tika katoa kai me ngā mīti atu.
All the food, including the meat, should be ready now.

Kua haere kē i mua tata o taku taenga atu.
He left just before I arrived.

Kua kī kē te hōro i te tamariki.
The hall was full of children.

Kua riro ia i te ringa o Aituā.
He has been taken by the hands of Misfortune.

Kua mutu te mahi.
Work has finished.

Kua pau katoa te kai i a koutou!
You have eaten up all the food!

Kua kai pāua koe?
Have you eaten pāua?

Kua mā katoa koe!
You are completely clean!

Kua hoki te waka ki te kāinga.
The car has returned home.

Kua hōhā au ki tēnei tū āhuatanga.
I'm sick (bored) of this carry on.

Kua tae te rīpoata ki te kaiako.
The report has been given to the teacher.

Kua haere ia ki te toa ki te hoko hikareti.
She's gone to the store to buy cigarattes.

Kua riro te mahi uaua i a au.
The hard work has been received by me.

Kua pakaru te hīrere.
The shower has broken!

Kua tae katoa mai rātou.
They have all arrived.

Kua whakamutu koe i tāu mahi?
Have you finished your work?

Kua maroke pai koe ināianei.
You're all dry now.

Kua mā tō kanohi ināianei.
Your face is all clean now.

Kua tākaro rāua i te whutupaoro.
They have played rugby.

Kua kai au i te pūhā.
I have eaten pūhā.

Kua waiho taua wāhi hei urupā mō ngā tūpāpaku.
That place was left as a burial ground for the dead.

Kua reri te parakuihi.
Breakfast is ready.

Kua kai-tohetaka koe.
You have eaten dandelion.

Kua rite kōrua?
Are you two ready?

Kua mā te ipupara?
Is the rubbish bin clean?

Kua haere.
[He] has gone.

Kua hora a Manu i te tēpu.
Manu's set the table.

Kua kai koe i tō parakuihi?
Have you had your breakfast?

Kua oti i taku pāpā te kai te tunu.
My father has finished cooking.

Kua mutu te hui.
The meeting has finished.

Kua kite koe i taku pene? He mā whero te mea na.
Have you seen my pen? It's a pink one.