Māori Grammar

Kua kikia te pāora e Rangi to Aroha.
The ball was kicked by Rangi to Aroha.

Kua whakamāramatia te mahi e te kaiako ki ngā tamariki.
The work has been explained to the children by the teacher.

Kua kōrerohia e ia tēnei pukapuka.
He has read this book right through.

Ka numia ki te pakitara maui o waho o te whare.
And led him past the outside of the left wall of the house.

I whakatikahia te waka hei painga mō te haere.
The car was fixed for the benefit of the trip.

Ka tukua te kurī e au.
The dog was released by me.

I whiria te tū harakeke e te kuia.
The flax belt was braided by the old woman.

Ka pīrangitia e ia ngā mea katoa.
All the things are wanted by him.

I mahia e ia he taonga wheua mō te rau tāra.
He made a bone pendant worth one hundred dollars.

Kua tapahia te pātītī e au.
The grass has been cut by me.

Kua tākarohia e mātou ngā kēmu e rua.
We've played the two games.

Kei te kōrerotia ia e te kuramāhita.
She is being spoken to by the headmaster.

E tapatapahia ana ngā aniana e ia.
The onions are being diced by him.

E waiatatia ana ngā waiata e ngā tauira.
The songs are being sung by the students.

Kua pāngia taua wahine e te mate.
That woman has been touched by sickness.

I runga i te paruone ka mahia e ia he raina mai i te kēti ki te whare ki tana rākau.
He drew a line in the dirt from the gate to the house with his stick.

Kei te kōrerohia te kaupapa e te kaiako.
The topic is being discussed by the teacher.

Kei te kitea te kōtiro e tōna māmā.
The girl is being seen by her mother.

Kia kauwhautia atu iana, e ahau, ki a koe.
Let me know recite this to you.

I hoea te waka e ngā manuhiri ki te motu.
The boat was paddled by the guests to the island.

Ka mutu ngā karakia a Te Aotaki ka werohia e ia a Rangipopo.
Te Aotaki finished his incantations and then he invoked Rangipopo.

Kei pāngia ia e te rūmātiki.
He might get rheumatism.

Ka mea atu ia ki a Mea kia meatia ngā mea katoa ki mea wāhi.
She told so-and-so to put all the things in such-and-such a place.

Ka rāhuitia ēnei tauranga ika mā Ngāti-Kahukoka.
These fishing grounds were set aside for Ngāti-Kahukoka.

Kia tae atu tātou ki Te Tairāwhitio, ka pōhiritia tātou.
When we get to the East Coast we will be welcomed.

Auē, kua rakahia te whare? Nā wai i raka te whare? Ehara i a au.
Oh no! Has the house been locked? Who locked the house? It wasn't me.

E tirohia ana ngā taonga tākaro ki te toa e ngā tamariki.
The toys in the shop are being looked at by the children.

I aukatingia ahau e te pirihimana.
I was stopped by the police officer.

Tapaia tonutia atu taua maunga nei ko Tirirau.
That mountain is still called Tihirua.

Mā te kōrerotia i ngā wā katoa e ora ai te reo.
It is through being spoken all the time that the language will survive.

Ka haria ngā tamariki e au ki te papa tākaro.
The children will be taken by me to the playground.

Ka tangihia ngā mate e tātou.
The deceased will be bereaved by us.

Kua whāngaia te ngeru e a Rangi.
The cat was fed by Rangi.

Kei te riro te mōhiohio e te pirihimana.
The information is being received by the policeman.

Kua tuhia te reta e Hine.
The letter has been written by Hine.

Kua kohia e ia ētahi waiata tawhito.
Some ancient songs have been collected by him.

I titoa te waiata nei e Jeff Simmonds.
This song was composed by Jeff Simmonds.

Kua tapahia te pātītī e au.
The grass was cut by me.

Kei te kimihia he whare mō te kura.
A house is being sought for the school.

Kua tangohia nā hū e tōnā matua.
His shoes have been removed by his father.

Mahia ai tēnei mahi i ngā rā omua.
This work was carried out in former times.

I kōrerohia te pūrākau ki te reo Māori.
They story was told in the Māori language.

E whitia ana au e te rā.
I am being shone on by the sun.

Ka inumia te miraka e koe.
The milk will be drunk by you.

I hokona ngā ika e ia.
The fish were bought by him.

Kei te tākarohia te pōro e ngā tamariki.
The ball is being played with by the children.

He marama pai a Hōngongoi kia kokotia ngā rōhi.
July is a good month to prune the roses.

Ka whakatauria te kēmu e te kaiwawao.
The game will be decided by the referee.

Kei te whitia au e te rā.
I am being shone on by the sun.

I mahia e ia te wini me ana ringa paruparu.
He mended the window with dirty hands.

Kei te tangohia ōna hū e Makere.
Her shoes are being removed by Makere.

I te pānuitia te kupu.
The message was being read out.

I pēhia rawatia ngā wāhine.
The women were severely oppressed.

I āwhinatia rātou e mātou ko aku tēina.
They were helped by me and my younger siblings.

Kua horoia ngā rīhi e ngā tamariki.
The dishes have been washed by the children.

I kohia ngā pipi e au.
I gathered the pipi.

Kei te āwhinatia te hoa e au.
The friend is being helped by me.

Tokohia ngā tāngata i tae atu ki reira?
How many people arrived there?

Ka horoia ngā kākahu mā e ia.
The white clothes will be washed by him.

Ka nōhia ngā tūru.
The chairs will be sat on.

I hopukia tēnei manu.
This bird was caught.

Kāore anō tēnei pānui kia pānuitia e au.
I have not yet read this notice.

Kei te tunua te kai ki te ahi.
The food is being cooked by fire.

Kua kauhoetia e ia te awa.
She has swum the river.

Ka pūhia e ia te manu.
The bird was shot by him.

I te mutunga iho, ka whakaaetia e te katoa.
In the end, it was agreed to unanimously.

E kimihia ana te kiore e te ngeru.
The cat is searching for the rat.

Haria ngā kākahu ki waho kia whitia ai e te rā.
Take the clothes outside so that they can be shone on by the sun

Ka arohaina te iwi e Te Atua.
The people will be looked after by God.

Ka āwhinatia a Taika e Pāora.
Taika was helped by Pāora.

Horoia e te ua
Washed by the rain

I whakatūngia ahau e te pirihimana.
I was stopped by the police officer.

I rurukutia ngā hokonga e ia.
The purchases were wrapped by him.

Kei te kōrerohia a Ataahua te pūrākau.
The story is being told by Ataahua.

I taupokitia te oneone e te paruauru.
The soil was dug by the gardener.

I whāngaihia ia e ōna kaumātua.
She was adopted her grandparents.

Kua waiatatia te waiata e ngā tauira.
The song was sung by the students.

Ka kimihia tētahi tikanga, e kitea ai he moni.
A plan will be sought whereby money will be found.

Kua tapahia te pātītī e au.
The grass has been cut by me.

I horoia tōna waka e Pita.
His car was washed by Peter.

I whakaakona ngā tamariki e te kaiako.
The children were taught by the teacher.

Kua haria ngā pouaka e au.
The boxes have been carried by me.

Kua mahia te mahi e ngā tamariki.
The work was done by the children.

Kotahi te poaka e pūhia ana a te Mane.
One pig will be shot on Monday.

I taiāwhiotia te whare i te ture.
The house was surrounded by the police.

E kimihia ana he tikanga.
A plan is/was being sought.

Ke tukuna e Wairangi tana taurekareka ki a Pare-whete.
His servant was sent by Wairangi to Para-whete.

Kua kimihia tāna waea pūkoro i ngā wāhi katoa.
His cell phone has been searched for everywhere.

Ka whakatikahia te whare e ngā kaimahi.
The house will be fixed by the workers.

I pōkia te rangi e ngā kapua.
They sky was covered over by the clouds.

Nō muri tata mai ka whakamihia ia mō āna mahi.
Shortly afterwards she was acknowledged for what she'd done.

E whakamākūtia ana ngā kākahu e te ua.
The clothes are being drenched by the rain.

Ka hokona te taonga e koe.
The gift will be bought by you.

I topea te rākau e Rōpata.
The tree was cut by Bob.

Ka horoia ngā kākahu mā e ia.
The white clothes will be washed by him.

Kitea rawatia ake rāua i runga i te maunga.
They were finally seen on the mountain.

E takahia ana te whenua e ngā waewae o ngā manuhiri.
The ground is trodden on by the feet of the visitors.

Kei te wetekia a Koa e tona hoa.
Koa is being untied by his friend.

I whakatōkia ngā tipu e te paruauru.
The seedlings were planted by the gardener.

Ka kīia te wharepaku e ngā manuhiri.
The bathroom will be used by the guests.

E tahia ana e Pita te papa.
The floor was swept by Pita.

Whitiwhitia e te rā.
Transformed by the sun.

I patua te kurī e te tamaiti.
The dog was hit by the child.

Kei te arohaina te tamaiti e tōna whaea.
The child is loved by his mother.

Ka karapotia te pā o Mātakiora.
The pā of Mōtakiora was surrounded.

I kainga katoatia te hākari.
The feast was all eaten up.

Ka manaakitia te harakeke e au.
The flax will be looked after by me.

I ngā rā o mua, kāore tēnei mahi e mahia ana e ngā Māori o Te Kaha.
Formerly, this activity was not performed by the Māori people of Te Kaha.

Ki te kitea noatia e tētahi tangata mea...
If someone just sees something...

Kua tirohia ngā tāonga e ngā tauira.
The treasures have been looked at by the students.

Ka hangaia te whare e au.
The house is built by me.

Kei te tahia te papa e ia.
The floor is being swept by him/her.

Ka puhia ia i te manu.
He shot the bird.

I whakairotia a mua o te whare.
The front of the house was carved.

Ka mihia mātou e te tangata whenua.
We were greeted by the home people.

Kua inumia ā tātou waireka.
Our fizzy drinks have all been drunk.

I tomokia te pā e ngā toa.
The pā was entered by the warriors.

I tīkina te māripi e ia, kātahi ka tapahi ia i te pāua.
He fetched the knife, then he chopped the pāua.

Kua haria haeretia ngā kōhatu ki te moana.
The stones have been progressively carried to the sea.

Ka kōrerotia au.
I am spoken to/about.

Kua whakarekatia te inu.
The drink has been sweetened.

Kua tāria koe e au.
You have been waited for by me.

E kimihia ana he tikanga e ngā āpiha.
A plan is being sought by the officials.

E kainga ana ngā rīwai e te pēpi.
The potatoes are being eaten by the baby.

Kua inumia ā tātou waireka e ngā pakeke.
Our soft drinks have been drunk by the adults.

Kua tonoa kētia atu ngā pānui e mātou.
The notices have already been sent out by us (3/+ exclusive).

I nukuhia e au ngā ahi wera mai i ngā kōhatu ki te pouaka ki tōku hawera.
The hot ashes were moved by me from the stones to the box with my shovel.

I te ngahuru i hauhaketia e rātou ngā riwai.
In the autumn, they harvested potatoes.

Muri iho ka whakaarahia e ia ōna hoa koroheke o roto i te whare ki te mātakitaki ki te ātaahuatanga o tana wahine.
Afterwars, his old cronies in the house were roused by him to gaze at the beauty of his wife.

Kua kimihia e ia āna kī i ngā wāhi katoa.
He has searched everywhere for his keys. (Literally, his keys have been searched for everywhere.).

Ka patua ia e te tamaiti rahi.
He was hit by the big boy.

Ka tohia te āporo e Mere.
The apple will be picked by Mere.

E waiatatia ana ngā waiata e ngā tauira.
The songs are being sung by the students.

I tāia ia e te moe.
He was overcome by sleep.

I utaina e au ngā kākahu ki roto i te mīhini horoi.
The clothes were loaded into the washing machine by me.

Kei te topea te rākau e ia.
The tree was felled (by him).

Kawea tētehi puka iti ki ngā wāhi kei reira te reo Māori e kōrerohia ana, tuhia ngā kupu me ngā kīanga ka rangona.
Bring a small book with you to the places where the Māori language is spoken, write down the words and phrases that are heard.

Kua hokona ngā hū e Hōne.
The shoes were bought by Hōne.

Kua tīkina ngā kākahu horoi e ngā tamariki.
The clean clothes have been fetched by the children.

Kei te whāia te pōro e ngā tamariki.
The ball is being chased by the children,

Ka mahia he waka mō tekau tāngata,.
A ten-man canoe was made.

Ka patua te ngeru e te kurī.
The cat will be attacked by the dog.

I horoia ngā kākahu e au i tērā Rāhoroi.
The clothes were washed by me on Saturday.

I utaina e au ngā kai ki roto i te torore.
The food was loaded into the trolley by me.

Kei whaia koe e te kurī.
You might get chased by the dog.

I kōhurutia te tangata ki te awa.
The man was murdered at the river.

Kua pānuitia taua pukapuka e au.
That aforementioned book has been read by me.

E nekehia ana ngā pouaka e ngā tamariki.
The boxes are being moved by the children.

I āta wāhia te wini e Koa.
Koa broke the window deliberately.

Kua whakakopaina ngā pūhera e ngā kaihoko.
The parcels have been wrapped by the shop assistants.

Kua pānuitia taua pukapuka e au.
I have read that (aforementioned) book.

Ka whāngaitioa ringaringatia hoki a Ruataupare e tētahi tohunga.
Ruataupere was also fed by hand by a tohunga.

Kua whakapaitia tōu ruma?
Has your room been tidied?

I kohia ngā pipi e au.
I gathered the pipi.

I kainga katoatia te kai.
The food was all eaten up.

He tūranga motuhake tō te reo Māori i waenganui i ngā reo e kōrerotia ana i Aotearoa nei.
Māori has a special position amongst the languages spoken here in Aotearoa.

Ka tāria te waka e ngā kaiako.
The car will be waited for by the teachers.

E whāngaihia ana ngā kurī e Niko.
The dogs are being fed by Niko.

Nōnahea rātou i pōwhiritia ai?
When were they welcomed?

Ka whakapaingia te papa e ngā tamariki.
The floor will be cleaned by the children.

Kāhore tēnei kete i rarangatia ki te raupō.
This kit was not woven out of bulrushes.

Ke rāhuitia ēnei tauranga ike mā Ngāti-Kahukoka.
These fishing grounds were set aside for Ngāti-Kahukoka.

E inumia ana te miraka e te ngeru.
The milk is being drunk by the cat.

E mōhiotia whānuitia ana a Te Puea Hērangi e ngā tāngata Māori o te motu.
Te Puea Hērangi is widely known by Māori people from all over the land.

Ka tuwherahia te tatau e te kaiako.
The door will be opened by the teacher.

E tapatapahia ana ngā aniana e ia.
The onions are being diced by him.

I patua te rango e te tangata.
The fly was hit by the man.

Kua kōrerotia te tamaiti e tōna kaiako.
The child has been spoken to by his/her teacher.

Kua inumia te miraka e te tamaiti.
The milk has been drunk by the child.

Kua mahia e Mia he kapu tī mā rātou.
Mia has made them a cup of tea.

I utaina e au ngā kākahu ki roto i te mīhini horoi.
The clothes were loaded into the washing machine by me.

Ka whāngaitia ringaringatia hoki a Ruataupare e tētehai tohunga.
Ruataupare was also fed by hand by a tohunga.

Kei te tāia te pepa e te kaituhi.
The paper is being printed by the author.

I hoea te waka e ngā manuhiri ki te motu.
The boat was paddled by the guests to the island.

I hokona ngā ika e ia.
The fish were bought by him.

E kōrerotia ana te karakia e te wahine.
The prayer is being spoken by the woman.

Kua haerea te ara ra.
That pathway has been travelled.

Kua kainga te parāoa e ngā rakiraki.
The bread has been eaten by the ducks.