Māori Grammar
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Identity sentences start with ko.
The basic structure is:
Ko + [Thing being identified] + [Identifying information]
For example:
Ko Rangi tōku ingoa.
My name is Rangi
These sentences are negated with ehara (not kāore):
Ehara tōku ingoa i a Rangi.
My name is not Rangi.
Note that the order of the parts of the sentence are reversed.
Categorising sentences that start with he are also negated by ehara and so the precise meaning is determined by context.
He ngeru tērā.
That is a cat.
Ko ngeru tērā.
That is the cat.
Ehara tērā i te ngeru.
That is not a cat.
That is not the cat.
Ehara koe i te āwhina.
You are not a helper.Ehara ia i te tāne ranginamu.
He is not a handsome man.Ehara tērā i a Hēmi.
That is not Hēmi.Ehara tō hoa i te tangata anuhea.
Your friend isn't an ugly person.Ehara koe i te tangata mohio.
You are not a knowledgeable person.Ehara koe i te kaikōrero.
You are not a speaker.Ehara ngā tamariki i te kaitākaro.
The children are not athletes.Ehara a Pita i te pirihimana.
Pita is not a policeman.Ehara tēnei i te mahi uaua.
This is not a difficult task.Ehara a Aria i te kaiako.
Aria isn't a teacher.Ehara te tāne i te kaihanga.
The man is not a builder.Ehara a Hēmi rāua ko Aria i te mātua.
Hēmi and Aria are not parents.Ehara tērā i te kārearea, he kāhu kē.
That is not a falcon, it is actually a hawk.Ehara te manu pango i te manu māori.
The blackbird is not a native bird.Ehara i te mīti kau (te hapa pai ki a au).
It's not meat (the dinner that I like).Ehara ngā tēina i te tohunga whakairo.
The younger ones are not master carvers.Ehara te ākonga i te māngai.
The student is not a representative.Ehara i te miti kau te hapa pai ki a au.
It's not meat that I like for dinner.Ehara mō Māui taku kōrero.
My talk is not about Māui.Ehara koe i te tangata mākoko.
You're not a lazy person.Ehara a Manu i te matua.
Manu is not a parent.Ehara i a au te karakia i taki.
I was not the one who recited the prayer.Ehara ngā rangatira i a Moki rāua ko Tū-te-kawa.
Moki and Tū-te-kawa were not the chiefs.Ehara te kaiako i te kaikōrero.
The teacher is not a speaker.Ehara ia i te tangata.
Ehara is not a man.Ehara tōku whaea i te kuia.
My mother is not an elder.Ehara ia i te kaitākaro whutupōro.
She is not a rugby player.Ehara ia i te tamaiti kaha.
He is not a strong child.Ehara tōku pāpā i te rangatira.
My father is not a leader.Ehara koe i te hoa pai.
You are not a good friend.Ehara tērā rākau i te tōtara, he rimu kē.
That is not a tōtara, it's actually a rimu.Ehara tēnei i te hokomaha.
This is not a supermarket.Ehara rāua i te kaiwhakaako.
They are not teachers.Ehara tērā i te mea tawhito.
That is not the old one.Ehara au i te kaiako.
I am not a teacher.Ehara au i te ākonga.
I am not a student.Ehara tēnei mahi i te mahi ngāwari.
This work isn't easy work.Ehara tēnā pereti i te wera.
That plate is not hot.Ehara tērā i te Pirimia.
That's not the Prime Minister.Ehara a Mere i te kaiako nui.
Mere is not an important teacher.Ehara ia i te nēhi.
She is not a nurse.Ehara a Nikau i te tangata mahi kai.
Nikau isn't a hunter-gatherer-grower of food.Ehara māu te kai nei.
This food isn't for you.Ehara ia i te hamo pango.
She's not a coward.Ehara tērā rākau i te tōtara.
That tree is not a tōtara.Ehara ērā i ngā mea tawhito.
Those are not the old ones.Ēhara i a Ponga te hē nei.
The fault is not Ponga's.Ehara tērā i a Hera, ko Koa kē.
That person is not Hera, it is Koa.Ehara i a Mia ēnei putiputi i katokato.
Mia didn't pick these flowers.Ehara a Aroha i te kaitaraiwa pahi.
Aroha is not a bus driver.Ehara ērā i te ngeru.
Those are not cats.Ehara tērā wahine i te kaiako.
That woman isn't a teacher.Ehara ēnei i te ara kikino.
These are not bad roads.Ehara tēnei i te ara kino.
This is not a bad road.Ehara ia i te wahine atamai.
She is not a clever woman.Ehara tēnei i te motokā.
This is not a car.Ehara āu i ēnā.
Those ones are not yours.Ehara tēnei i te papa tākaro.
This is not a playground.Ehara tēnā i te whakaaro pai e tama.
That's not a good idea guys.Ehara ia i te kaiako.
He is not a teacher.Ehara tērā tāne i te rangatira.
That man is not the boss.Ehara ōna waka i a Aotea, i a Tākitimu, i a Mataaua.
Aotea, Tākitimu and Mataaua are not his canoes.Ehara ia i te tāne ranginamu.
He is not a handsome man.Ehara ia i te tangata atawhai.
He is not a kind person.Ehara koe i te tangata poto.
You aren't a short person.Ehara a Rangi i te tangata pakari.
Rangi is not a mature person.