Te Reo

Te Reo Fundamentals

kei te kai au i te āporo

i am eating the apple

ka haere rātou

they will go

i kai ia i te kai

he ate the food

kei te

present/ongoing action

i (tense)

past

ka

future/starting action

kua

recent past (has/have)

e…ana

present tense

i te

continuous past tense

kua kai au

i have eaten

au

i (pronoun)

koe

you

ia

he/she

tāua

we (you and me, two people)

māua

we (two people, not you)

rāua

them (those two)

tātou

all of us (3+)

mātou

we (3+, not you)

koutou

you all

rātou

they (3+, not us)

kei te haere mātou

we (not you) are going

kāore

not/no (negation)

kāore au e haere

i am not going

kāore au i haere

i did not go

ki

to, towards

e

used in commands

haere ki te toa

go to the shop

kei te kāinga au

i am at home

i te kāinga au

i was at home

tāku

my (a category: things I control)

tōku

my (o category: things I don’t control)

tāku kurī

my dog

tōku whaea

my mother

wai

who

aha

what

hea

where

ko wai tērā?

who is that?

kaua e haere!

don’t go!

āhea

when

pēhea

how

tōu/tāu

your

tōna/tāna

his/her

tōku pōtae

my hat

tāku pene

my pen

tōu pōtae

your hat

tāu pene

your pen

tōna pōtae

his/her hat

tāna pene

his/her pen

Ā category

things you control, initiate, acquire, use, or have responsibility for

Ō category

things you don’t have a control over, or relationships/possessions that are not initiated or controlled by you

kei te (negation)

kāore … i te

kāore ia i te oma

she is not running

e ana (negating)

kāore … e … ana

kāore ia e oma ana

she is not running

kua (negating)

kāore āno … kia

kāore anō ia kia kai

she hasn’t eaten yet

ka (negating)

kāore … e

kāore ia e haere

she will not go

i (negating)

kāore … i

kāore ia i haere

she didn’t go

i te (negating)

kāore … i te

kāore ia i te kai

she wasn’t eating

ki te kore … e …, kāore … e …

if (pronoun) do not …, (pronoun) will not …

ki te kore koe e ako, kāore koe e mōhio

if you don’t study, you won’t know

ki te kore … e …, ka …

if (pronoun) don’t …, (pronoun) will …

ki te kore koe e ako, ka wareware koe

if you don’t study, you will forget

kaua e …

don’t …

kaua e oma

don’t run

kaua e kai

don’t eat

kaua e haere

don’t go

taihoa e …

don’t … yet (wait)

taihoa e haere

don’t go yet

taihoa e kai

don’t eat yet

kāti te …

stop …

kāti te kōrero

stop talking

kāti te oma

stop running

kāti te tākaro

stop playing

he aha tēnei?

what is this?

he pene tēnei

this is a pen

he aha tāu?

what do you have?

he aha māu?

what do you want?

he paramanawa māku

i want a sandwich

māu/mōu

for you

mānā

for him/her

mā tātou

for us (inclusive)

mā mātou

for us (exclusive)

mā koutou

for you all

mā rātou

for them

he kawhe māku

a coffee for me

he koha mōu

a gift for you

kei a wai?

who has it?

kei a wai tōku pōtae?

who has my hat?

kei a Miria tōu pōtae

Miria has your hat

kei a wai te pene?

who has the pen?

e hia?

how many?

e hia ngā hēki?

how many eggs (are there)?

e rua ngā hēki

six eggs

kia hia?

how many (are desired)?

kia hia ngā hēki?

how many eggs are needed?

kia ono ngā hēki

six eggs (are needed)