Kupu o te Rā

reka

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 12:00:00 GMT

reka: tasty, sweet, juicy, yummy

He tino reka te mīti!
The meat is yummy!
- this is an example of a classifying sentence

He reka ake tāku rare i tāu.
My lolly is yummier than yours.
- this is an example of a classifying sentence

rongo (rangona)

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 12:00:00 GMT

rongo (rangona): hear, smell, taste, feel

Kua rongo rātou i te kai.
They (3/+) have tasted/smelled the food.
- this is an example of an active sentence

rongo using takes ‘i’ to mark its direct object, but can sometimes take ‘ki’.

I rangona e koe tērā haruru?
Did you hear/feel that rumble?
- this is an example of a passive sentence

kai(nga)

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 12:00:00 GMT

kai(nga): eat / food

Kei te kai te pēpi i ngā rīwai.
The baby is eating the potatoes.
- this is an example of an active sentence

Kei te kainga ngā rīwai e te pēpi.
The potatoes are being eaten by the baby.
- this is an example of a passive sentence

Kainga tāu āporo!
Eat your apple!
- this is an example of a command in simple passive form

He kai pai te kūmara.
Kumara is good food. (Kumara is good/healthy food.)
- this is an example of a classifying sentence

Tāwhirimātea

Sun, 14 Jun 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Tāwhirimātea: Atua of the wind and storms

Ko Tāwhirimātea te atua o te hau me ngā āwhā.
Tāwhirimātea is the atua of the wind and storms.
- this is an example of an equative sentence

Atua means primeval ancestors with influence over particular domains.

Also see hau.

Ngā tohu a Tāwhirimātea.
The weather – literally, the signs of Tāwhirimātea.

Learn more at Te Ara.

hau

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 12:00:00 GMT

hau: wind

Kei te pupuhi te hau.
The wind is blowing.
- this is an example of an active sentence

Kei te pūhia ngā kākahu e te hau.
The clothes are being blown by the wind.
- this is an example of a passive sentence

Also see Tāwhirimātea.

whiti(a)

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 12:00:00 GMT

whiti(a): shine

Kei te whiti te rā.
The sun is shining.
- this is an example of an active sentence

Kei te whitia au e te rā.
I am being shone on by the sun.
- this is an example of a passive sentence

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.
- this is an example of a passive sentence
- this example uses "ai" to indicate purpose

whāwhai

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 12:00:00 GMT

whāwhai: rush, hurry

Kei te whāwhai atu rāua ki waho kia tīkina ngā kākahu horoi.
They are rushing outside to fetch the washing.
- this is an example of an active sentence

ua

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 12:00:00 GMT

ua: rain

E ua ana ki waho.
It’s raining outside.
- this is an example of an active sentence

Titiro ai au ki te ua.
I watch the rain.
- this example uses "ai" for customary action

E whakamākūtia ana ngā kākahu e te ua.
The clothes are being drenched by the rain.
- this is an example of a passive sentence

In the first example ua is used as a verb; in the second and third ua is used as a noun.

whakairi(a)

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 12:00:00 GMT

whakairi(a): hang

E whakairi ana taku tāne i ngā kākahu horoi.
My husband is hanging the washing.
- this is an example of an active sentence

Mā taku hoa tāne ngā kākahu horoi e whakairi.
My boyfriend will hang the washing.
- this is an example of the agent emphatic

uta(ina)

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 12:00:00 GMT

uta(ina): load

I utaina e au ngā kākahu ki roto i te mīhini horoi.
The clothes were loaded into the washing machine by me.
- this is an example of a passive sentence

Ka uta au i ngā kākahu ki te kete kākahu.
I will load the clothes into the clothes basket
- this is an example of an active sentence

Note: uta also means ashore.

wehewehe(a)

Sun, 07 Jun 2026 12:00:01 GMT

wehewehe(a): sort out, separate, divide

Ka wehewehea ngā kākahu i runga anō i te tae.
The clothes will be sorted according to colour.
- this is an example of a passive sentence

Māu te kete kākahu e wehewehe.
You will sort the clothes basket.
- this is an example of the agent emphatic