Greeting a friend using "e" as the particle of address.
Greeting more than one person using mā.
Use of tēnā koe as a more formal greeting than kia ora.
Saying goodbye - if you are leaving or staying.
Kei te means "at the moment". It can be used with an adjective to say how you are now. "Kei te pai" means "at the moment, I am well", and "kei te ora koe" means "you are well now".
What an adjective is. Kei te ora ahau (I am well(. Kei te ngenge ahau (I am tired).
Use of tino and ahua to mean "very" and "somewhat".
"Kei te tino pai" means "I am very well and "Kei te āhua ora koe" means "you are somewhat well".
More adjectives. Using koe with an adjective. Kei te ātaahua koe.
Personal pronouns: ahau, koe, koutou.
The question "how are you? Kei te pēhea koe?"
And you? Me koe?
Āe, kao, auē!
Simple sentences that describe someone doing something in the present.
Plural personal pronouns, including "us but not you".
Direction markers: ake (up), atu (away), iho (down) and mai (towards the speaker).
Simple sentences in the present tense with a verb and a noun as a subject.
Simple sentences with a noun and an adjective. Unlike in English, the adjective follows the noun (the house big, the cer red). For example: "Kei te oma te tāne nui" (the big man is running).
Usually, nouns don't change in the plural.
Māori pronunciation.
A handful of words change their forms in Māori by lengthening the vowel: wahine becomes wāhine.
A handful of words change slightly in the plural (eg, wahine becomes wāhine). The exception to the rule that words in Māori don't change in the plural is the word for child (tamaiti) which because tamariki is plural.
Using ki to indicate direction.
Indicating direction from using i.
The object of a sentence (a book being read, a cake being eaten) is marked by "i" in a sentence.
Some verbs, such as arohoa, take "ki".
We can have both i and ki in the same sentence. (I am reading the book to the children, the woman is singing the song to the people.)
Using 'a' as a personal article before a name.
ki a au, ki a koe, but not ki a ahau.
Dual pronouncs: me, not you; you and me, those two, you two.
A conjunction joins two phrases together to make a longer sentence. In te reo Māori, two common conjunctions are ā (and) and engari (but)
.
"a" and "some"
The tense marker kua is translated with "has" or "have".
Instead of using "the" or "a", we can use words like "this" or "those". In te reo Māori we have tēnei (this near me), tēnā (that near you) and tērā (that over there) amd the plurals ēnei, ēnā and ērā.
Sentences that start with he are called "categorizing sentences" and put something into a class or category. For example "he pene tēnei" means "this is a pen", or, literally "in the category of pen this is".
How to say "my", "your" and "his/her".
In te reo Māori, He X ahau means “I am X,” not “I have X.”
To say “I have,” you must use possessives like tāku (one thing) and āku (more than one).
Some people and family words also change in the plural by lengthening the vowel, like tuakana → tuākana.
In Māori, neutral possessives are "taku" (my), "tō" (your), "tana" (his/her). Using the "a" and "o" categories: "tāku" (my, a), "tōku" (my, o). Transport falls into the "o" category, as do body-related items, like a hat.
Possession with groups uses the personal pronouns with tā (a-category) or tō (o-category). For example, tō tātou whare means “our house” (belonging to all of us), and tō rāua whare means “their house” (belonging to those two). If two people share something but not the listener, we use tō māua, as in tō māua waka (“our car, not yours”).
Possessive pronouns in the a category correspond to the 11 personal pronouns. The forms are tāku, tāu, tāna, tā tāua, tā māua, tā kōrua, tā rāua, tā tātou, tā mātou, tā koutou, tā rātou. They indicate possession of a-category items such as food, work, pets, or created things, matching the person or group involved.
Whether a possessive takes a or o depends on the relationship. A horse can be tāu if it is a pet (a-category) or tōu if it is used for transport (o-category). Most food and drink take a, but water and medicine take o. Houses, parents, and other higher relationships also take o, so we say tōu whare, tōku māmā, etc.
In the o category, possessive pronouns show who something belongs to. Examples include tōku (my), tōu (your), tōna (his/her), tō tāua (ours including you), tō māua (ours excluding you), tō kōrua (yours two), tō rāua (theirs two), tō tātou (ours all), tō mātou (ours not you), tō koutou (yours all), and tō rātou (theirs).
Possessive pronouns exist in both a and o categories and change for singular and plural possessions. The plural form usually drops the initial t (e.g., tōku → ōku, tā rātou → ā rātou). Thus the pronoun stays the same, but the prefix changes to show whether one thing or several things are possessed.
Parts of things take the o category, because they belong to or form part of something else. For example, ngā rau o te rākau (the leaves of the tree) and te waewae o te tēpu (the leg of the table). Possession can also shift meaning: tōku hui means the group I belong to, while tāku hui means the group I created or run.
Sentences can contain multiple possessive relationships. Each possessive reflects the category of the item it relates to. For example, in te whare o tāku tama, the o relates to house (an o-category item) while tāku relates to son (an a-category relationship). Complex phrases simply chain these relationships to show who or what belongs to whom.
Possessive categories reflect hierarchy and relationship. People of your generation and above—such as parents, grandparents, siblings, and superiors—generally take the o category, while those of the next generation down take the a category. Thus tōku rangatira (my boss) and tōku teina (my sibling) use o, while workers or subordinates may take a.
While a and o possessive categories follow general patterns, some items depend on how they are understood. Objects associated with the body (like rings) or shelter (like umbrellas) often fall into the o category. A partner can be either a or i: tāku wahine/tāne (spouse) uses a, but tōku hoa wahine/tāne (partner or friend) uses o.
A practical way to remember o-category possessives is to group them into ten areas: body and personal attributes, water and medicine, home and land, thoughts and feelings, parents and older generations, transport, friends or partners, superiors or authorities, parts of things, and places of belonging such as one’s mountain, river, iwi, or whenua. Everything else generally takes the a-category.
Two structures describe actions. A full verb clause uses kei te + verb + i + object (e.g., Kei te kai au i tētahi āporo – I am eating an apple). A shorter activity expression drops i and places the noun after the verb (e.g., Kei te kai āporo au – I am apple-eating), describing the general activity rather than a specific act.
E … ana is a verbal structure where the verb appears between e and ana. It indicates continuous or ongoing action but does not specify time. The action may be past, present, or future, with context determining when it occurs (e.g., E kōrero ana rātou – they speaking).
E … ana can appear in a subclause to describe an action connected to a noun. The clause adds extra information, similar to “who is…” or “that is…” in English. For example, te wahine e waiata ana means “the woman who is singing,” adding detail about the person or thing being described.
The particle me expresses advice, obligation, or suggestion. It is used to say that someone should or ought to do something. For example, Me haere atu māua (“We should go”) or Me ako koe (“You should study”). It commonly gives guidance about what someone should do.
The particle ai can indicate habitual or regular action when it appears after the verb near the beginning of a sentence. It shows that something happens repeatedly or all the time, such as Kōrero ai tērā tāne (“That man is always talking”) or Hīkoi ai a Aroha ki te kura (“Aroha always walks to school”).
There are two types of non-verbal sentences. He sentences are categorising, placing something into a class (e.g., He waka tērā – that is a car). Ko sentences are equalising, identifying one thing as the same as another (e.g., Ko Jeff tōku ingoa – my name is Jeff). Thus he describes membership in a category, while ko identifies a specific relationship or identity.
Ko is a noun emphatic, used to emphasise the noun that follows it. While he simply classifies something (He naihi tēnei – this is a knife), ko identifies a specific item with emphasis (Ko naihi tēnei – THIS is the knife). It highlights that the object is the particular one being referred to.
Ko emphasises the noun that follows it. It works like bold or vocal stress in English, highlighting the key identity of something. For example, Ko kuri tēnei stresses that it is a dog, not something else. The emphasis falls on the word that follows ko.
Statements identifying something must begin with he or ko. He classifies something within a category (e.g., He pukapuka tēnei – this is a book). Ko emphasises or identifies a specific item (e.g., Ko tāku pukapuka tēnei – this is my book). The ko construction highlights or singles out the item being referred to.
Ko wai is used to ask who someone is. Answers keep ko and replace wai with the person’s name, emphasizing identity (e.g., Ko Rangi te rangatira). This pattern can also include clauses and different tenses, allowing questions like who is speaking, who came, or who ate something, with answers highlighting the person involved.
Basic questions include who and what. Ko wai asks who, and the answer keeps ko, replacing wai with the name (e.g., Ko Rangi tērā). He aha asks what, and the reply keeps he while replacing aha (e.g., He pukapuka tēnei). However, names use Ko wai tō ingoa?, not He aha tō ingoa?.
Kei hea is used to ask where someone or something is. The reply keeps kei and replaces hea with the location, such as Kei te hokomaha ahau. The phrase kei te is locative in origin, meaning someone is located at a place or activity, which explains forms like kei te kōrero ia (I am located at the talking.)
Questions follow a pattern where the question word is replaced by the answer. Ko wai asks who, he aha asks what, and kei hea asks where. The answer keeps the same structure: kei for present location and i for past location. Possessives or place names can specify the location.
Kei hea asks where something is. Simple answers give a location, but more precise descriptions use locatives such as runga (on), raro (under), mua (in front of), muri (behind), or mauī/matau (left/right). These sentences identify the object and then specify its position relative to something else.
Locatives describe position. Runga means on, runga ake above, raro under, mua in front, and muri behind. These usually take i to mark the reference object. Mauī (left) and matau (right) use o instead. Sentences can also shift order without changing meaning. Past location uses i, present uses kei.
Locatives describe position or place, such as roto (inside) and waho (outside). A key rule is that locatives do not take te before them. For example, Kei waho i te whare te kurī (“The dog is outside the house”). Some words like tātahi (“at the beach”) are locatives, so we say kei tātahi ahau, not kei te tātahi.
Mua means in front in space and also the past in time, while muri means behind and also the future. This reflects a Māori perspective where the past is in front because it is known and visible, while the future lies behind because it cannot yet be seen.
I marks past time, appearing in past sentences and time phrases (e.g., i tērā wiki, inanahi, inapō). Ā marks future time, used with expressions like ā tērā wiki, āpōpō, and ākuanei. I indicates actions that have already happened, while ā indicates actions that will happen later.
Mā runga expresses traveling by a means of transport (bus, car, plane, etc.). It literally relates to being “on” something. The vehicle usually appears without te unless referring to a specific one. For example: Kei te haere ahau mā runga pahi (“I am travelling by bus”). Walking uses a different phrase: i te wāwae.
He aha ai? means “why?” because he aha means “what” and ai refers to the reason or purpose for something happening. The particle ai can indicate purpose in sentences, often placed at the end of a clause. Combining them forms the question asking for the reason something happens.
He aha ai? means “why?” because he aha means “what” and ai refers to the reason something happens. To ask why in the past, the structure is He aha + subject + i + verb + ai?. The particle i marks the past, asking what reason caused the action.
The structure He aha … i … ai? asks “why?” by referring to a cause in the past. The particle i marks that something happened earlier which led to the current action. Therefore the question can mean either “why did…?” or “why is…?” when the present situation results from something that happened previously.
To ask why, different structures mark tense. He aha … i … ai? asks why something happened (past) or what caused something happening now. He aha … e … ai? asks why something will happen (future). The particles i and e signal past and future causes within these “why” questions.
Several structures ask why. He aha ai? is a general “why?”. He aha … i … ai? asks why something happened, referring to a past cause. He aha … e … ai? asks why something will happen. For present situations, He aha … e … nei? asks what is happening right now to cause the action.
He aha te take e … ana? is a common way to ask “why?” in present-tense situations. He aha means “what,” te take means “the reason,” and the clause e … ana describes the action. The structure asks for the reason something is happening now.
Ko tēhea? asks “which one?” and ko ēhea? asks “which ones?”. These forms follow the pattern where singular words beginning with t lose the t in the plural. They are used to select from a group, and answers replace tēhea/ēhea with the correct item.
Aha means “what” and appears in different question patterns. He aha? asks what something is. Kei te aha…? asks what someone is doing, with the answer replacing aha with a verb. Aha can also ask about objects (e.g., kei te kai koe i te aha?), meaning “what are you eating?”.
i hea? asks where something was (location in the past). E hia? asks how many things there are, while tokohia? asks how many people there are. The difference is subtle: i signals past location, whereas e relates to counting numbers. The similar sounds make them easy to confuse.
In te reo Māori, e hia asks “how many things?” and tokohia asks “how many people?”. When counting things, numbers 2–9 take the prefix e (e.g., E toru ngā pukapuka). When counting people, numbers 2–9 take toko (e.g., Tokotoru ngā tāngata). These prefixes are not used with tekau (ten).
In Māori, numbers 2–9 take e when counting things (e.g., E whā ngā pukapuka) and toko when counting people (e.g., Tokorima ngā tamariki). Kotahi is used for one. After nine, tekau is used without these prefixes. Larger numbers combine digits with mā (“and”), rau (hundred), and mano (thousand).
In te reo Māori, cardinal numbers count quantity (tahi–tekau). When counting things, numbers 2–9 take e (e.g., E whā ngā waea). When counting people, they take toko (e.g., Tokoono ngā kaikōrero). Ordinal numbers such as first, second, and third are formed with the prefix tua- (e.g., tuatahi, tuarua, tuatoru).
In te reo Māori, kia expresses how things should be or should exist, often translated as “let there be” or “may there be.” It is commonly used with numbers in recipes and instructions (e.g., Kia rua ngā kapu miraka – “There should be two cups of milk”). It can also express wishes or desired situations.
In Māori recipes, kia indicates the required quantity, such as Kia rua ngā kapu miraka (“Use two cups of milk”). Instructions are often given as commands. Short verbs use e (e.g., E tū! “Stand!”). Longer verbs usually take passive suffixes like -hia, -tia, or -a, creating commands such as Tapahia ngā huawhenua (“Chop the vegetables”).
In te reo Māori, commands are often formed using the passive imperative, where a passive suffix such as -hia, -tia, or -a is added to the verb (e.g., Tapahia ngā huawhenua – “Chop the vegetables”). These instructions are common in recipes, classrooms, and homes. In command sentences, the object does not take i. This structure is widely used for everyday instructions.
In te reo Māori, words can change meaning using suffixes (added to the end) and prefixes (added to the beginning). The prefix kai- indicates a person who performs an action (e.g., kaiako – teacher). The prefix whaka- means “to cause something to happen.” Combined with passive suffixes like -hia, these forms often create commands such as Whakapaihia tō rūma (“Tidy your room”).
Passive forms are very important in te reo Māori. Unlike English, which usually prefers active sentences, Māori frequently uses passive constructions. A passive verb is formed by adding a passive suffix (e.g., kai → kainga). The thing affected becomes the subject, and the person who performed the action is introduced with e, e.g., I kainga te keke e au (“The cake was eaten by me”).
Active sentences describe someone doing an action, and in Māori the object is marked with i, e.g., Kei te pānui a Rangi i te pukapuka (“Rangi is reading the book”). Passive sentences describe something having an action done to it. The affected thing becomes the focus, and the agent is marked with e, e.g., Kei te pānuitia te pukapuka e Rangi. In active sentences the doer is required but the object is optional; in passive sentences the affected thing is required while the agent may be omitted.
In Māori, passive sentences can be confusing when two people are involved. In a passive sentence, the person affected comes first and the agent (the one doing the action) is marked with e: Kei te āwhinatia a Rangi e Mere (“Rangi is being helped by Mere”). In an active sentence, the doer comes first and the object is marked with i: Kei te āwhina a Rangi i a Mere (“Rangi is helping Mere”).
In Māori, i marks the object in active sentences, e.g., Kei te kai ahau i te keke (“I am eating the cake”). i is not used in commands or passive sentences. In passive sentences, the person performing the action (the agent) is marked with e, e.g., Kei te kainga te keke e au (“The cake is being eaten by me”).
In Māori, hōmai means “give to me” and hōatu means “give away from me to someone else.” They function like command forms and follow similar rules to passive imperatives, so i is not used before the object (e.g., Hōmai te waea ki a au). Quantities can be added using kia. These forms are commonly used for requests and instructions.
In Māori, nouns require a determiner before them to indicate which, how many, or whose item is meant. Common determiners include te (the, singular), ngā (the, plural), he (a/some), tētahi (a), and ētahi (some), as well as possessive and demonstrative forms like tēnei, tēnā, tērā. The determiner taua refers to something previously mentioned (“that aforementioned thing”), with plural aua.
To negate a verbal sentence in te reo Māori, three steps are used. First, place kāore at the beginning of the sentence. Second, move the subject directly after kāore. Third, change the present marker kei te to i te. For example, Kei te waiata ahau becomes Kāore au i te waiata (“I am not singing”).
Different tense markers in te reo Māori have specific negation patterns using kāore. For kei te (present) and i te (past continuous), the negative form is kāore + subject + i te + verb, e.g., Kāore au i te haere (“I am/was not going”). For i (simple past), the form is kāore + subject + i + verb, e.g., Kāore a Rangi i katakata (“Rangi did not laugh”). Because present and past continuous negatives look identical, context or time words such as inanahi (yesterday) or ināianei (now) clarify the meaning.
The tense marker e…ana describes ongoing action and can refer to past, present, or future depending on context (e.g., E kai ana ahau). Its negation is formed with kāore + subject + e + verb + ana, such as Kāore au e kai ana (“I am/was/will not be eating”). This structure can also appear in relative clauses.
The future marker ka is negated with kāore + subject + e + verb, not ka. For example, Ka kai au (“I will eat”) becomes Kāore au e kai (“I will not eat”). The particle e indicates unrealised action—something that has not happened and will not happen. The same particle appears in other structures, including commands, counting, passive agents, and ongoing actions.
The tense marker kua (has/have) is negated using the structure kāore anō … kia …. This expresses that something has not happened yet, e.g., Kāore anō au kia kai (“I have not eaten yet”). It differs from kāore au e…, which means someone will not do something in the future.
Māori verbal negation depends on the tense marker. Kei te and i te become kāore + subject + i te + verb. I becomes kāore + subject + i + verb. E…ana becomes kāore + subject + e + verb + ana. Ka becomes kāore + subject + e + verb. Kua uses kāore anō … kia …, meaning “not yet.”
In te reo Māori, conjunctions connect clauses to form longer sentences. Common conjunctions include ā (“and”), engari (“but”), and heoi anō (“however” or “on the other hand”). These link positive and negative statements, contrast ideas, or add additional information. Heoi anō often introduces a contrasting point similar to “however.”
In te reo Māori, the idea of “because” is expressed with the phrase nā te mea, which links a result with its reason. It introduces the cause of something previously stated, creating a complex sentence. For example: Kāore harikoa a Rangi nā te mea kei te māuiui ia (“Rangi is not happy because he is sick”).
The discourse marker nō reira means “therefore” and introduces a result that follows from a previously stated idea. It contrasts with nā te mea (“because”), which explains the cause of something already mentioned. Nā te mea looks back to the reason, while nō reira points forward to the consequence.
Nā te mea means “because” and introduces the cause of something, while nō reira means “therefore” and introduces the result. Nā te mea looks back to explain why something happened, whereas nō reira points forward to the consequence that follows from what has just been said.
In te reo Māori, discourse markers such as heoi anō, nō reira, and nā te mea help organise conversation and connect ideas. They can function like conjunctions (“however,” “therefore,” “because”) but can also appear at the start or within sentences to guide the flow of speech, signal contrast, conclusions, or transitions in discourse.
In te reo Māori, mehemea (often shortened to mēnā) means “if” and introduces conditional sentences. It links a condition with a result, commonly using the pattern mehemea/mēnā … ka …. It can refer to past, present, future, or hypothetical situations and may appear at the beginning or middle of a sentence.
Another way to say “if” in Māori is ki te. Unlike mehemea/mēnā, ki te must be followed by a verb and usually refers to future or likely events. It often appears in the structure ki te … ka …. In contrast, mehemea/mēnā can describe past, present, future, or hypothetical situations.
In te reo Māori, ahakoa means “although” and links two ideas where the second is true despite expectations created by the first. It introduces a surprising contrast. For example: Ahakoa e ua ana, ka haere tātou ki te tātahi — although it is raining, we will go to the beach. It can appear at the start or in the middle of a sentence.
In te reo Māori, longer sentences can be created using conjunctions and discourse markers to connect ideas. Words like ā (and), engari (but), ahakoa (although), nā te mea (because), kātahi ka (then), nō reira (therefore), and heoi anō (however) link clauses, explain reasons, show contrast, or indicate sequence.
In te reo Māori, ki can indicate the tool or instrument used to perform an action. It corresponds to English “with” or “using.” For example, Ka tuhi ahau i te reta ki te pene means “I will write the letter with the pen.” The tool follows ki to show how the action is done.
In te reo Māori there are three common ways to talk about speaking: kōrero, mea, and kī. Kōrero describes the act of speaking without stating what was said. Mea reports what someone said indirectly. Kī is used to quote a person’s exact words. The word kī (with a macron) differs from ki (without one). The phrase e ai ki means “according to” and introduces reported sources, opinions, or traditional sayings.
In Māori, kī (with a macron) is used to quote someone directly. Another word, ki, appears in the phrase e ai ki, meaning “according to.” It introduces reported statements, sources, or sayings, such as news reports, people’s claims, or traditional proverbs. A related form, ki tā, expresses someone’s opinion rather than reporting their words. Thus e ai ki reports what someone said, while ki tā indicates what someone thinks.
In te reo Māori, ki can express personal feeling or preference using the pattern he pai … ki a …, meaning something is “good to” someone, or simply “someone likes something.” For example, He pai te waiata ki a au means “I like the song.” This structure can be used with people, things, or places. It can be negated with kāore e pai ki a… (“does not like”). The order can vary slightly, but the meaning remains the same. This pattern differs from possession sentences such as He pai tāku kawhe (“My coffee is good”).
In te reo Māori, negation depends on the type of sentence. Verbal sentences (those with verbs) are negated with kāore, for example Kāore ngā tamariki i te takaro (“The children are not playing”). Non-verbal sentences, such as those beginning with he or ko, are negated with ehara, for example Ehara te kurī i te pai (“The dog is not good”). In both cases the subject follows the negation, and i te often appears in present-tense negative forms.
In te reo Māori, he and ko sentences (non-verbal sentences) are both negated with ehara. For example, He maunga tērā (“That is a mountain”) becomes Ehara tērā i te maunga (“That is not a mountain”), and Ko te maunga tērā (“That is the mountain”) is negated the same way. Because both structures use ehara, the negation looks identical. The difference between he and ko is that he classifies something, while ko emphasizes or identifies it. However, in practice you can simply use ehara to negate either type.
At the beginning of a sentence ehara functions as a negation used to contradict he or ko statements, meaning “is not”. However, ehara alone can also act as an interjection expressing surprise, agreement, or emphasis, similar to “sure enough” or “indeed.” The idiom ehara ehara! is an emphatic affirmation meaning “absolutely.” Ehara can also contradict negative questions, meaning “on the contrary.”
Ehara normally functions as a negation meaning “not.” However, expressions such as ehara! or ehara, ehara! can be used colloquially as kīwaha, where the literal meaning shifts and the phrase expresses strong agreement or emphasis, similar to English idioms like “wicked,” “sick,” or “yeah, right.”
English “and” has three different uses that are expressed differently in te reo Māori. Ā joins two clauses (“I am happy and well”). Me joins nouns in a list (“fish and chips”). Rāua ko joins two people, while rātou ko joins three or more people in sentences.
Rāua refers to two people (not including the speaker or listener), while rātou refers to three or more. When naming people, Māori uses rāua ko or rātou ko. For “someone and I,” use māua ko without ahau. For three or more including the speaker, use mātou ko followed by each person’s name.
Te reo Māori distinguishes between possession and ownership.
Kei a koe he pukapuka? asks if a book is with you (locative possession).
He pukapuka āu? asks if you own a book (possessive).
Negation differs: Kāore he pukapuka kei a au (none with me) versus Kāore āku pukapuka (I own none, using plural possessive).
Sentences starting with he are negated with kāore he, meaning "there are no...". For example "kāore he pene" (there are no pens). This is different from "kāore āku pene" (I have no pens).
Kāore + possessive expresses not having or owning something. Use kāore + ā/ō + pronoun + noun, depending on the a/ō category. The ā/ō is required before pronouns, and the noun is typically plural. For example: kāore ā rāua kurī — those two don’t have any dogs.
This lesson explains the difference between owning something and simply having it with you in te reo Māori. Ownership uses tā/ā and is negated with “kāore āku…”, while possession as location uses “kei a…”. Because kei is locative, it is negated like present actions using “kāore… i (te)…”. Thus, “kāore tō pukapuka i a au” means the book is not with me.
Te reo Māori uses various commands: gentle (kia), should (me), direct (e), and intense (passive). Prohibitions use kaua e + verb, with pronouns and objects possible. Kāti stops an ongoing action, taihoa delays, and kaua rawa forbids forever. Active objects use i, passives use e.
Kaua e is used for direct prohibitions (e.g. Kaua e oma – don’t run). Kei is used for warnings about possible consequences (e.g. Kei hinga – don’t fall). Kei te marks present tense, but kei alone signals warning. Often used in phrases like kia tūpato kei… or alongside kaua e to express “lest.”
Passive sentences describe actions done to something, using a verb with a passive suffix (e.g. pānuitia). The object marker (i/ki) disappears, and the agent is marked with e. To negate passives, use kāore…i te…. Passive commands use kaua e before the passive verb.
In Māori, asking “why” uses he aha with different particles for past (i…ai), present (e…ana, or e…nei for right now), and future (e…ai). To negate (“why didn’t/aren’t/won’t”), add kore: he aha [subject] i kore ai e [verb] (past), e kore ai e (future), or i kore ai e…ana (present).
In te reo Māori, "ka taea e" expresses ability (e.g., "Ka taea e au te tunu" – I can cook). Negation uses "kāore e taea e" for present/future ("can't") and "kāore i taea e" for past ("couldn't"). Examples: "Kāore e taea e au te pānui" (I can't read).
The Māori phrase "ka taea e..." expresses ability (can/able) in present or future tense. Past tense uses "i" instead of "ka". Negation requires "kāore e" (present) or "kāore i" (past). An alternative word order exists (agent, object, verb). Importantly, it asks about capability, not intent to act.
In te reo Māori, ka taea e... expresses ability (“I am able to…”), while ahei expresses permission (“I am allowed to…”). For example: Ka taea e au te taraiwa (I can drive) vs. Kei te ahei au ki te taraiwa (I am allowed to drive). Negatives use kāore.
The agent emphatic in te reo Māori emphasizes who did an action, using nā for past and mā for future. For example, Nā Rangi te pānui i te pukapuka means “It was Rangi who read the book.” Pronouns like nāku (“it was me”) are also used.
In Māori, mā marks the future agent emphatic, highlighting who will do the action. Use māku (I will), māu (you will), māna (he/she will), plus dual/plural forms like mā tātou (we all will). Example: Mā Pāpā te kōrero – It will be Father who speaks.
In te reo Māori, nō indicates origin or belonging (o-category). It answers Nō hea? “Where from?”: Nō Kāpiti ahau (I’m from Kāpiti), Nō Tainui ia (he belongs to Tainui). Unlike nā (agent emphatic, a-category), nō is used for home, iwi, and place of belonging.
In te reo Māori, nā/nāku (a-category) emphasizes the doer of an action (e.g., Nāku te waiata – I was the one who sang). Nō/nōku (o-category) indicates origin or belonging (e.g., Nō Kāpiti ahau – I’m from Kāpiti). The choice follows the a/o possession rules: mahi vs. home/land/iwi.
In te reo Māori, nā marks possessive time phrases like “from the 1960s” or “belonging to last week.” It adds emphasis, translating as “it was [time] that…,” often paired with ai (“when”). Example: Nā tērā wiki ahau i haere atu — “It was last week that I went.”
The n-class possessives (nā, nō) add emphasis. They highlight the owner (e.g., “MY pen”), the doer (e.g., “Rangi spoke”), or the time (“last week”). Their core function is to stress a specific element—possession, action, or time—in a statement.
In Māori, m-class possessives (mā, mō) indicate future or unrealised possession—something not yet owned. They also show who will perform an action (e.g., māku = for me to do). Unlike t-class, plurals retain the initial letter (māku, not āku). Mō can also mark future time.
Use nā wai + i for past actions (“who did?”), and mā wai + e for future (“who will?”). Answer with nā or mā plus the doer. Use nā/mā (not nō/mō) because actions (mahi) are in the ‘a’ category. Examples given.
In Māori, nā and nō can mean “because” (belonging to a reason). Often used with ai, e.g., Nā te ua te tāne i mākū ai (“because of the rain, the man got wet”). Nā te mea also means “because.”
In Māori, "for" is expressed using mā (a category) or mō (o category), depending on possession. Examples: mā te tina (for dinner), mō te whare. SlMamy speakers use mō universally, which is also acceptable.
Use koia (e) te take "that's the reason," then i + ai for past, ka + ai for future, or e + ai for present. The i marks past reason; ka marks future; e marks present. Example: Kei te hiakai ahau, koia te take i kai ai ahau.
The Māori particle ai has two key uses: marking habitual actions (e.g., Kōrero ai ia – she always talks) and indicating purpose or reason (ki te hoko ai – in order to buy). It also forms why questions (He aha ai?) and negative why didn’t/won’t questions using i kore ai or e kore ai.