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