Māori Grammar

The Māori alphabet has 15 letters: 5 vowels (a, e, i, o, u) with long/short distinction marked by macrons (tohutō), and 10 consonants (h, k, m, n, ng, p, r, t, w, wh). Vowel length changes meaning.

Māori uses Verb-Subject-Object word order. Sentences begin with a tense/aspect particle, then verb, then subject. 'Kei te kai te tamaiti.' (The child is eating.)

Māori has two definite articles: 'te' (singular: the) and 'ngā' (plural: the). Indefinite uses 'he' (a/some) or 'tētahi' (a certain). 'Ko' introduces proper nouns and pronouns.

Māori pronouns distinguish singular, dual, and plural. First person non-singular distinguishes inclusive (tāua, tātou: you and me) vs exclusive (māua, mātou: us, not you).

The particle 'kei te' before the verb marks present progressive action (happening now). 'Kei te mahi au' (I am working). This is the most common present tense form.

Māori numbers: tahi (1), rua (2), toru (3), whā (4), rima (5), ono (6), whitu (7), waru (8), iwa (9), tekau (10). Counting uses 'e' prefix: e rua ngā kurī (two dogs).

Question words: aha (what), wai (who), hea (where), āhea (when), pēhea (how), he aha te take (why). Questions often begin with the question word or use 'he aha'.

Māori uses stative verbs where English uses adjectives. They can be predicates: 'He nui te whare' (The house is big). Or modify nouns: 'te whare nui' (the big house).

Negation varies by tense: 'kāore...i' (past negative), 'e kore...e' (future negative), 'kāore...e...ana' (present negative). 'Kaua' for negative commands.

Essential expressions: tēnā koe (hello, 1 person), kia ora (hi/thanks), ka kite (goodbye), āe (yes), kāo (no), tēnā koutou (hello, 3+ people).

Key prepositions: ki (to/towards), i (at/in, past location or object marker), kei (at/in, present location), mō (for/about), nō (from/belonging to).

Time words: ināianei (now), inanahi (yesterday), āpōpō (tomorrow), tēnei wiki (this week). Days of the week use 'Rāhina' (Monday) through 'Rāhoroi' (Saturday).

Existential sentences use 'he' (there is/are): 'He nui ngā tangata' (There are many people). Location: 'Kei' + place: 'Kei te tēpu te pukapuka' (The book is on the table).

Family vocabulary: māmā/whaea (mother), pāpā/matua (father), tamaiti (child), tamāhine (daughter), tama (son), kuia (grandmother), koroua (grandfather), tuakana (older sibling of same sex).

Body part vocabulary: māhunga/ūpoko (head), kanohi (face/eye), waha (mouth), ringaringa (hand/arm), waewae (foot/leg), taringa (ear), ihu (nose), puku (stomach).

Common food and drink: kai (food), ika (fish), mīti (meat), rīwai (potato), parāoa (bread), wai (water), tī (tea), miraka (milk). Food vocabulary reflects traditional and modern Māori diet.

Essential everyday verbs: haere (go), kai (eat), inu (drink), noho (sit/live), tū (stand), mahi (work), kite (see), rongo (hear), hiahia (want), mōhio (know).

Common places: whare (house), kura (school), toa (shop), wharekai (dining hall), marae (meeting ground). Location words: runga (above), raro (below), roto (inside), waho (outside).

Nature vocabulary: rā (sun/day), marama (moon/month), whetū (star), ua (rain), hau (wind), moana (sea/ocean), maunga (mountain), rākau (tree), pua (flower).

Color words: whero (red), kōwhai (yellow), kākāriki (green), kikorangi (blue), mā (white), mangu (black), karaka (orange), waiporoporo (purple), parauri (brown).

Daily routine vocabulary: ara (wake up), moe (sleep), horoi (wash), kai (eat), mahi (work), whakatā (rest), tākaro (play), pānui (read), tuhi (write).

Simple connecting words: me (and/with), engari (but), rānei (or, in questions), kātahi (then). Used to link words and simple clauses.

Animal vocabulary: kurī (dog), ngeru (cat), kau (cow), poaka (pig), heihei (chicken), ika (fish), manu (bird), kēhua (ghost), kiwi (kiwi bird), taniwha (water creature).

Expressing desires: 'Kei te hiahia au ki te...' (I want to...), 'Me...' (should/must), 'Kei te mate au i te hiakai' (I am hungry, lit. dying of hunger). Basic modal expressions.

Introducing yourself: Ko [name] tōku ingoa (My name is...), Nō [place] au (I am from...), He [role] au (I am a...). Māori introductions often include genealogy (whakapapa).

Essential nouns for people: tangata (person), wahine (woman), tāne (man), tamaiti (child), hoa (friend). Things: whare (house), waka (vehicle/canoe), kai (food).

Ordinal numbers use 'tua-' prefix: tuatahi (first), tuarua (second), tuatoru (third). Also: whakamutunga (last), mua (before/first), muri (after/behind).

Asking and expressing quantity: 'E hia?' (How many?), 'Tokohia?' (How many people?). Answers use 'e' + number for objects: 'E rua' (two). People use 'toko-': 'Tokorima' (five people).

School and work vocabulary: kura (school), kaiako (teacher), ākonga (student), akomanga (classroom), mahi (work), kaiwhakahaere (manager). 'Kei te haere au ki te kura' (I go to school).

Health and emotion vocabulary: ora (well/alive), māuiui (sick), hari (happy), pōuri (sad), riri (angry), mataku (afraid), ngenge (tired). 'Kei te pēhea koe?' (How are you?).

The particle 'i' before the verb marks simple past tense: 'I haere au' (I went). For past with continued relevance, 'kua' is used: 'Kua tae mai ia' (He/She has arrived).

The particle 'kua' marks completed action with present relevance (like English present perfect). 'Kua tae mai ia' (He/She has arrived). Also used for change of state.

Māori distinguishes A-category (tāku/āku) for things you actively acquire or create, and O-category (tōku/ōku) for things innate or passively received. Crucial distinction.

Basic conjunctions: me (and, with), engari (but), rānei (or, in questions), nō reira (therefore/so). Temporal: ka (then/next), i mua i (before), i muri i (after).

Demonstratives: tēnei (this, near me), tēnā (that, near you), tērā (that, far). Locatives: konei (here), konā (there near you), korā (there far). Directionals: mai (toward), atu (away).

The construction 'e + verb + ana' marks ongoing or habitual action: 'E haere ana au ki te kura' (I go to school regularly). Differs from 'kei te' which is more immediate.

Everyday objects: pukapuka (book), pepa (paper), motokā (car), tēpu (table), tūru (chair), kākahu (clothes), moni (money), waea (phone), pouaka whakaata (television).

Quantity words: nui (many/much), iti (few/little), katoa (all), ētahi (some), tēnā/tēnei mau (these/those). Plurality expressed through articles (ngā) and context rather than noun inflection.

Expressing ability: 'ka taea e au' (I can), 'e kore e taea' (cannot). Permission: 'ka pai kia...' (it's OK to...). Obligation: 'me' (must/should). These are modal expressions.

Indefinite determiners: tētahi (a certain/some, singular), ētahi (some, plural). Distinguished from 'he' (a/an, general). 'Tētahi tangata' (a certain person) vs 'he tangata' (a person).

Expressing habitual or regular actions using 'e...ana' and time expressions. 'E kai ana au i ngā ata katoa' (I eat every morning). Adverbs: i ngā wā katoa (always), i ētahi wā (sometimes).

Expressing preferences: 'He pai ki a au' (I like it, lit. it is good to me), 'Kāore au e rata' (I don't like), 'He tino pai' (very good/I really like). Emotional responses to things.

The particle 'ka' marks future or inceptive aspect (about to happen). 'Ka haere au āpōpō' (I will go tomorrow). Also used in sequential narration: 'ka...ka...' (and then...and then).

Commands use 'e' + verb for singular, 'e' + verb for plural (context determines). Polite with 'koa'. Suggestions: 'me' (should). Invitations: 'kia' + verb.

Passive is very important in Māori, often preferred over active. Formed by adding suffixes to the verb: -tia, -a, -hia, -ina, -na, -ria. Agent marked with 'e': 'I patua te kurī e Hēmi.'

Relative clauses follow the noun and often use 'ai' as a resumptive particle. 'Te tangata i haere mai ai' (the person who came). Position and 'ai' mark the relativized element.

Comparisons use 'atu' (more) after the stative verb: 'nui atu' (bigger). Superlative: 'rawa' (most). Equality: 'rite ki' (same as), 'pērā i' (like).

Subordinate clause types: nō te mea (because), ahakoa (although), kia (so that/until), mehemea (if), ki te (if/when). Subordinate clause often precedes the main clause.

The resumptive particle 'ai' appears at the end of relative, causal, and temporal clauses, referring back to an earlier element. Essential for complex Māori sentences.

Adverbs and intensifiers: rawa (very/most), tino (really/very), noa (just/only/freely), anō (again/also), tonu (still/indeed), āta (carefully/slowly), tata (nearly).

Verbs of transfer: homai (give to me), hoatu (give away), tuku (send/release), riro (get/obtain/be taken). 'Homai te pukapuka' (Give me the book).

Possessive predicate patterns: 'Nāku/Nōku tēnei' (This is mine). 'Nā wai?' (Whose?). Emphasis and ownership expressed with nā/nō + possessor before the possessed item.

Basic uses of whaka- before adjectives and nouns: whakanui (enlarge/celebrate), whakapai (improve), whakamāori (translate to Māori), whakatū (establish). Highly productive prefix.

Different passive suffixes attach to different verbs. No simple rule exists; each verb's passive must be learned: patu → patua, tuhi → tuhia, kite → kitea, rongo → rongohia.

Agent marking in passive sentences: 'e' (by, in passive), 'nā' (by, past agent), 'mā' (by, future agent). 'I patua te kurī e Hēmi' (The dog was hit by Hēmi).

The prefix 'whaka-' creates causative meanings: nui (big) → whakanui (to enlarge/celebrate), pai (good) → whakapai (to improve). Very productive in word formation.

Direct quotation with 'ka mea' (said) or 'ka kī' (said). Indirect speech: 'I kī ia kia haere' (He/She said to go). No systematic tense shifting; context and particles guide meaning.

Conditional constructions: 'ki te' (if, likely), 'mehemea' (if, hypothetical), 'me i' (if, counterfactual past). Result clauses use 'ka' or 'kua'.

Directional particles: mai (toward speaker), atu (away from speaker), ake (upward), iho (downward). Also: nei (here/this), nā (there by you), rā (there far). They modify verbs for spatial meaning.

Turning verbs into noun phrases using 'te...anga' (the act of doing): 'te haerenga' (the going/journey). Suffixes -anga, -tanga, -manga create abstract nouns from verbs and adjectives.

Advanced connectors: heoi anō (however/but then), otirā (moreover/indeed), arā (that is/namely), nā reira (therefore/so then), i te mea (since/because), ahakoa (despite).

Complex pronoun usage: emphatic 'ko au anō' (I myself), reflexive 'ia anō' (himself/herself), reciprocal 'rātou anō' (each other). Includes all dual and plural forms with inclusive/exclusive.

Māori creates new words through compounding: whare + pukapuka = wharepukapuka (library), waka + rererangi = waka rererangi (airplane). Reduplication adds intensity or repetition.

Indirect questions: 'Kāore au e mōhio mehemea...' (I don't know whether...). Embedded clauses: 'te mea i kōrero ai ia' (the thing he/she said). Complex information reporting.

Figurative language: 'anō ko' (as if), 'pērā i' (like), 'me he' (as though). Comparing things metaphorically: 'anō ko te rā' (as if the sun). Important for literary and formal Māori.

Formal speechmaking on the marae: traditional greetings to the dead, the land, and the living. Uses archaic vocabulary, set phrases, and elevated register distinct from everyday Māori.

Advanced multi-clause constructions: embedded relative clauses, nominalized verb phrases, purpose clauses with 'hei' (for the purpose of), and complex temporal chaining.

Traditional Māori proverbs encoding cultural values, wisdom, and worldview. They use metaphor, parallel structure, and compressed syntax. Essential for formal speech.

Older Māori vocabulary and grammatical forms found in traditional songs (waiata), chants (karakia), and genealogies (whakapapa). Many terms have been revived for modern use.

Māori songs (waiata) and chants (karakia) use specific poetic structures, melodic patterns, and elevated language. Types include waiata tangi (lament), waiata aroha (love song), karakia (prayer/incantation).

Māori place names encode geography, history, and tribal associations. Environmental vocabulary reflects deep ecological knowledge: roto (lake), awa (river), motu (island), ngahere (forest).

Language for cultural protocols: pōwhiri (welcome ceremony), tangihanga (funeral), karanga (welcoming call by women), mihimihi (introductions). Each has specific linguistic conventions.

Māori used in education, science, and mathematics. Features technical neologisms, translated terminology, and formal syntax for academic contexts. Essential for Māori-medium education.

Productive affixes: kai- (person who does), -tanga (abstract quality), -anga (action/result), -ranga (collective), whaka- (causative). Understanding these unlocks new vocabulary derivation.

Regional differences across tribal dialects: Tainui, Ngāi Tahu, Tūhoe, and others. Variations in vocabulary, pronunciation, and some grammatical features. 'h' dropping in some regions.

Formal Māori used in legislation (Te Tiriti o Waitangi), courts, and government. Specialized legal vocabulary, formal syntax, and conventions of official Māori documents.

Contemporary spoken Māori including code-switching patterns with English, modern neologisms, informal register features, and the language of Māori media and social platforms.

Language used in reciting genealogies (whakapapa), tribal histories (kōrero tuku iho), and origin narratives. Features formulaic phrases, sequential listing, and specialized vocabulary for lineage.

Māori as used in broadcasting (Māori Television, iwi radio), journalism, and public communication. Features formal but accessible register, technical neologisms, and standardized pronunciation.