Māori Grammar

Commands using the passive - Tāpirihia, Tīkina...

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!

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Chop the vegetables

Commands using passives

Tīkina te ūkui papa.
Get the mop.

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

Tīkina ōu kākahu paru!
Fetch your dirty clothes!

Tikina atu āu pukapuka!
Go and get your books!

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

Kaita te kūwaha.
Shut the door.

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

Haria ēnei!
Carry these!

Taupokitia te miraka.
Put the lid on the milk.

Maranga!
Get up!

Meatia ki roto!
Put it in!

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

Pānuitia te pukapuka.
Read the book.

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

Tangohia ō kākahu!
Take off your clothes!

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

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

Huakina te matapihi!
Open the window!

Homai ēnā māti!
Pass me those matches!

Whakarewa!
Melt!

Kainga ō tōhi!
Eat your toast!

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

Kōmuhua mai.
Whisper it to me!

Nekehia ki Kapiti!
Move to Kapiti!

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

Tikina atu tāu pukapuka!
Go and get your book!

Whakapaitia tōu rūma moe.
Tidy your bedroom.

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

Mahia te mahi!
Do the work!

Tirohia te rā!
Look at the sun!

Inumia te wai!
Drink the water!

Whakapaitia ngā moenga!
Make the beds!

Inumia te miraka!
Drink the milk!

Me pukumahi koe.
You should work hard!

Tukua ki te nūpepa!
Send it to the newspaper!

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

Āwhinatia rātou!
Look after them!

Arohatia te reo!
Love the language!

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

Tikina tō pōtae.
Fetch your hat.

Tāpapa!
Lie face down!

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

Whakatikaina ēnei rerenga!
Correct these sentences.

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

Tīkina te maripi.
Get a knife.

Whāia te mātauranga!
Pursue education!

Tīkina atu tō pāpā!
Go and get your father!

Whakapaitia tō moenga!
Make your bed!

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

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

Whakarongo ki tēnei waiata!
Listen to this song!

Tīkina tō pukapuka.
Fetch your book.

Riringihia te miraka.
Pour the milk.

Tiakina te tangata whana!
See to the injured person!

Hūtia ngā taru!
Pull the weeds out!

Katia te kuaha.
Close the door.

Ka tāpirihia ngā panana.
Add the banana.

Whengua tō ihu!
Blow your nose!

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

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

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

Hōmai he parāoa māku.
Give me some bread.

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

Whakahanumitia ngā mea mākū.
Mix together the wet ingredients.

Tīkina ōu kākahu paru!
Fetch your dirty clothes!

Tāpirihia he huka.
Add some sugar.

Pupuritia taku ringaringa.
Hold my hand.

Mahia atu!
Get into it!

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

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

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

Tangohia ō hū!
Take off your shoes!

Whakamaua ngā tōkena!
Put on the socks!

Waruhia te kiri rēmana.
Grate the lemon rind.

Tīkina he pune.
Get a spoon.

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

Maranga mai!
Get up!

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

Katia ō whatu.
Close your eyes.

Hoatu te tuna ki te pēke!
Put the eel in the sack!

Whakatakotoria te koha!
Lay the gift down!

Tīkina kia whā ngā hēki.
Get four eggs

Titiro atu!
Look over there!

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

Mauria atu te pukapuka rā!
Bring me that book!

Katia ngā ārai.
Shut the curtains.

Pataina tr parāoa.
Butter the bread.

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

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

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

Tahia te ara!
Sweep the path!

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

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

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

Huakina te kūwaha.
Open the door.

Me whakapono mai!
You should believe in me!

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

Whakarongo!
Listen!

Horoia ngā kanohi o ngā tamariki nohinohi!
Wash the little children's faces!

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

Kōrerotia te reo Māori!
Speak the Māori language!

Katia ngā ārai.
Shut the curtains.

Tiakina a Pita!
Look after Pita!

Katia te kūaha!
Close the door!

Tangohia tō hingareti!
Take off your singlet!

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

Riringihia he wai ki roto.
Pour in some water.

Tīkina he wai!
Fetch some water!

Tīkina atu he huka.
Fetch some sugar.

Kei te whakatikaina te waka.
The car is being fixed.

Homai ana pukapuka!
Give me her books!

Whakakāngia te umu.
Turn on the oven.

Topea te rākau!
Chop the tree!

Whakapaitia te ruma!
Tidy the room!

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

Whakapiatia ō hū!
Polish your shoes!

Tīkina he tūru anō.
Fetch another chair.

Tāpirihia te miraka.
Put in the milk.

Kainga tō parakuihi!
Eat your breakfast!

Tātaihia!
Recite it!

Tangohia ō hū!
Take off your shoes!

Kainga tāu āporo!
Eat your apple!

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

Mauria atu ērā oka!
Take those knives away!

Tangohia ō tōkena!
Take off your socks!