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...

Mahia te mahi!
Do the work!

Āwhinatia rātou!
Look after them!

Haria ēnei!
Carry these!

Whakakāngia te umu.
Turn on the oven.

Tīkina atu tō pāpā!
Go and get your father!

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

Huakina te kūwaha.
Open the door.

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

Kainga ō tōhi!
Eat your toast!

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

Whakarongo ki tēnei waiata!
Listen to this song!

Homai ana pukapuka!
Give me her books!

Nekehia ki Kapiti!
Move to Kapiti!

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

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

Pānuitia te pukapuka.
Read the book.

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

Katia ō whatu.
Close your eyes.

Whakarewa!
Melt!

Kaita te kūwaha.
Shut the door.

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

Whakarongo!
Listen!

Tirohia te rā!
Look at the sun!

Tangohia ō hū!
Take off your shoes!

Katia te kūaha!
Close the door!

Mauria atu ērā oka!
Take those knives away!

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

Tikina atu tāu pukapuka!
Go and get your book!

Arohatia te reo!
Love the language!

Riringihia he wai ki roto.
Pour in some water.

Inumia te wai!
Drink the water!

Kōrerotia te reo Māori!
Speak the Māori language!

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

Tangohia tō hingareti!
Take off your singlet!

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

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

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

Tīkina he tūru anō.
Fetch another chair.

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

Whakahanumitia ngā mea mākū.
Mix together the wet ingredients.

Tahia te ara!
Sweep the path!

Maranga mai!
Get up!

Tukua ki te nūpepa!
Send it to the newspaper!

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

Tāpirihia he huka.
Add some sugar.

Ka tāpirihia ngā panana.
Add the banana.

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

Inumia te miraka!
Drink the milk!

Waruhia te kiri rēmana.
Grate the lemon rind.

Tīkina kia whā ngā hēki.
Get four eggs

Tangohia ō tōkena!
Take off your socks!

Katia ngā ārai.
Shut the curtains.

Tīkina te ūkui papa.
Get the mop.

Tīkina ōu kākahu paru!
Fetch your dirty clothes!

Pupuritia taku ringaringa.
Hold my hand.

Tīkina te maripi.
Get a knife.

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

Whakapaitia ngā moenga!
Make the beds!

Mauria atu te pukapuka rā!
Bring me that book!

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

Tīkina tō pukapuka.
Fetch your book.

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

Tīkina atu he huka.
Fetch some sugar.

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

Tikina atu āu pukapuka!
Go and get your books!

Pataina tr parāoa.
Butter the bread.

Taupokitia te miraka.
Put the lid on the milk.

Whakapiatia ō hū!
Polish your shoes!

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

Me whakapono mai!
You should believe in me!

Meatia ki roto!
Put it in!

Hūtia ngā taru!
Pull the weeds out!

Whāia te mātauranga!
Pursue education!

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

Tangohia ō hū!
Take off your shoes!

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

Topea te rākau!
Chop the tree!

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

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

Whengua tō ihu!
Blow your nose!

Whakapaitia te ruma!
Tidy the room!

Hōmai he parāoa māku.
Give me some bread.

Maranga!
Get up!

Mahia atu!
Get into it!

Whakatikaina ēnei rerenga!
Correct these sentences.

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

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

Whakamaua ngā tōkena!
Put on the socks!

Whakatakotoria te koha!
Lay the gift down!

Tīkina he pune.
Get a spoon.

Homai ēnā māti!
Pass me those matches!

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

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

Huakina te matapihi!
Open the window!

Tāpapa!
Lie face down!

Katia te kuaha.
Close the door.

Kainga tāu āporo!
Eat your apple!

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

Riringihia te miraka.
Pour the milk.

Tiakina a Taika!
Look after Taika!

Tangohia ō kākahu!
Take off your clothes!

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

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

Titiro atu!
Look over there!

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

Me pukumahi koe.
You should work hard!

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

Whakapaitia tōu rūma moe.
Tidy your bedroom.

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

Kōmuhua mai.
Whisper it to me!

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

Tiakina te tangata whana!
See to the injured person!

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

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

Tikina tō pōtae.
Fetch your hat.

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

Kainga tō parakuihi!
Eat your breakfast!

Tīkina ōu kākahu paru!
Fetch your dirty clothes!

Tātaihia!
Recite it!

Tīkina he wai!
Fetch some water!

Katia ngā ārai.
Shut the curtains.

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

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

Tāpirihia te miraka.
Put in the milk.

Whakapaitia tō moenga!
Make your bed!