Māori Grammar

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Chop the vegetables

Commands using passives

There are some words which describe an action that can be done on its own, without reference to anything else. For example, I can run. The word "run" is known as an "intransitive verb". There other words that describe an action that does relate to something else. While I can say "I am reading" or "I am singing", it is implied that I am reading something or singing something. I might be reading a book or singing a song. These kind of verbs are known as "transitive verbs".

When giving a command to a person to do something, if the verb is transitive, then we use a passive ending. For example:

Pānuihia!
Read!

Because the verb "read" is transitive (we read something), then the passive ending is used to make this word a command. This true of other words that are transitive. 

Riringihia!
Pour!

Kohia ngā parapara.
Collect up the rubbish.

When giving commands, we do not use a passive ending for intransitive verbs. For example, the word "stand" is intransitive and so would simply say: e tu! to give someone the command to stand - it does not take a passive ending.

When giving commands using the passive, we do not use i or ki to identifty the object of the sentence. For example, we would say:

Tikina tō pōtae.
Fetch your hat

and not:

*Tikina i tō pōtae.*
Fetch your hat

Compare the following, where an active command uses ki but the passive command does not:

Titiro ki te mainga!
Look at the mountain!

Titirohia te mainga!
Look at the mountain!

See also:

• The pseudo-passive - he mea...

Katia te kuaha.
Close the door.

Tīkina he tūru anō.
Fetch another chair.

Hoatu ngā pukapuka ki runga i te papa pukapuka.
Put the books on the bookshelf.

Maranga mai!
Get up!

Tiakina te tangata whana!
See to the injured person!

Tāpapa!
Lie face down!

Tangohia tō hingareti!
Take off your singlet!

Meatia ki roto!
Put it in!

Kātia te kuaha kia kaua e uru mai te hau.
Close the door to prevent the wind from coming in.

Whakatikaina ēnei rerenga!
Correct these sentences.

Huakina te kūwaha.
Open the door.

Whakatikahia ngā mahi i te whare mō te hui.
Prepare the work at the house for the meeting.

Katia te kūaha!
Close the door!

Waiho ō hū ki te kūaha.
Leave your shoes at the door.

Katia ngā ārai.
Shut the curtains.

Tangohia ō hū!
Take off your shoes!

Inumia te miraka!
Drink the milk!

Haria mai koa te arawhata!
Please bring me the ladder!

Manaakitia ngā manuhiri ki te kai, ki te kōrero.
Look after the guests with food and good conversation.

Topea te rākau!
Chop the tree!

Mahia atu!
Get into it!

Pānuitia te pukapuka.
Read the book.

Mahia te mahi!
Do the work!

Āwhinatia rātou!
Look after them!

Pāwhiritia te tohu tīwhiri ka whakautu ai i te pātai.
Click the clue symbol in each box to reveal the question.

Whakatikahia te tēpu mō te kai.
Set the table for the meal.

Tikina atu āu pukapuka!
Go and get your books!

Tīkina he pune.
Get a spoon.

Ringihia mai te wai ki tāku kapu.
Pour the water into my cup.

Arohatia te reo!
Love the language!

Tikina atu tāu pukapuka!
Go and get your book!

Whakapaitia tōu rūma moe.
Tidy your bedroom.

Puritia ngā taha o te waka kei taka koe!
Hold on to the sides of the waka lest you fall!

Whakahokia mai te motokā ki a au.
Return the car to me.

Tīkina te ūkui papa.
Get the mop.

Haria atu te motokā ki tō Niko whare.
Take the car to Niko's house.

Titiro atu!
Look over there!

Homai ana pukapuka!
Give me her books!

Pānuitia te reo Māori ki a koe anō.
Read Māori aloud.

Kainga tāu āporo!
Eat your apple!

Waruhia te kiri rēmana.
Grate the lemon rind.

Tangohia ō kākahu!
Take off your clothes!

Riringihia he wai ki roto.
Pour in some water.

Homai he wai arani māku.
Pass an orange juice for me.

Hūtia ngā taru!
Pull the weeds out!

Whengua tō ihu!
Blow your nose!

Kohimutia mai ki taku taringa.
Whisper it in my ear.

Kainga ō tōhi!
Eat your toast!

Tiakina a Ari!
Look after Ari!

Tīkina te maripi.
Get a knife.

Whakakāngia te umu.
Turn on the oven.

Tīkina tō pukapuka.
Fetch your book.

Tirohia te rā!
Look at the sun!

Tīkina kia whā ngā hēki.
Get four eggs

Inumia te wai!
Drink the water!

Mauria mai ētahi parāoa parai.,
bring me some fried bread.

Maranga!
Get up!

Haria ēnei!
Carry these!

Taupokitia te miraka.
Put the lid on the milk.

Hoatu te huka ki roto i te kāpata.
Put the sugar into the cupboard.

Whakarerea ngā tūru ki roto i te rūma hui.
Leave the chairs in the meeting room.

Awhinatia tāu tuahine ki te kuhu i ōna kākahu!
Help your sister put her clothes on!

Tīkina atu tō pāpā!
Go and get your father!

Katia te kuaha o te motokā.
Close the car door.

Whakairihia ngā kākahu ki runga i te rākau.
Hang the clothes on the line.

Tātaihia!
Recite it!

Riringihia te miraka.
Pour the milk.

Whakahokia atu to motokā ki a Manu.
Return the car to Manu.

Kainga tō parakuihi!
Eat your breakfast!

Kaita te kūwaha.
Shut the door.

Me pukumahi koe.
You should work hard!

Tīkina atu he huka.
Fetch some sugar.

Unuhia ki te uru tapu nui!
Draw on the superme sacredness!

Nō wai ēnei hū māwhero?
To whom do these pink shoes belong?

Āwhinatia te ngeru kia piki ki runga i te tūru.
Help the cat climb onto the chair.

Whakapiatia ō hū!
Polish your shoes!

Kōmuhua mai.
Whisper it to me!

Whakamaua ngā tōkena!
Put on the socks!

Tīkina ngā taputapu i te rūma ki te hanga i te whare.
Fetch the tools from the room to build the house.

Whakarongo!
Listen!

Tangohia ō tōkena!
Take off your socks!

Tīkina ōu kākahu paru!
Fetch your dirty clothes!

Whakapaingia te whare i mua i te taenga mai o ngā manuhiri.
Clean the house before the guests arrive.

Tuatahi, horoia ōu ringaringa!
Firstly, wash your hands!

Me whakapono mai!
You should believe in me!

Tāpirihia te miraka.
Put in the milk.

Whakapaitia ngā moenga!
Make the beds!

Tīkina te waka ki te marae.
Fetch the car from the marae.

Ka tāpirihia ngā panana.
Add the banana.

Nekehia ki Kapiti!
Move to Kapiti!

Tapahia kia ono ngā topenga.
Cut it up into six slices.

Whakarewa!
Melt!

Waihotia ngā kai ki runga i te tēpu mō te rā whānau.
Leave the food on the table for the birthday.

Hōmai he parāoa māku.
Give me some bread.

Whakapaitia te ruma!
Tidy the room!

Whakatakotoria te koha!
Lay the gift down!

Tīkina he wai!
Fetch some water!

Tīkina atu te pukapuka mai i te tēpu.
Fetch the book from the table.

Haria ngā tamariki ki te kura i te ata.
Take the children to school in the morning.

Homai ēnā māti!
Pass me those matches!

Whakawāteahia he wāhi ki te kāuta.
Clear a space in the kitchen.

Pupuritia taku ringaringa.
Hold my hand.

Tāpirihia he huka.
Add some sugar.

Pataina tr parāoa.
Butter the bread.

Mauria atu te pukapuka rā!
Bring me that book!

Katia ō whatu.
Close your eyes.

Awhinatia tāu tuahine ki te whakakākahu i a ia anō!
Help your sister to get herself dressed!

Kōrerotia te reo Māori!
Speak the Māori language!

Whakahokia ngā rīhi ki te kāpata i muri i te kai.
Return the dishes to the cupboard after the meal.