Exercise Four

Exclaiming about the character or quality of something or someone

Here are two useful ways to exclaim about the character or quality of something or someone:

Tētahi rangi ātaahua!What a beautiful day!

It is important to note that the quality follows after the noun and not before as is in English.

Tētahi tāne purotu!What a handsome man!
Tētahi whare teitei!What a tall building!
Tētahi kōtiro pukumahi!What a hard working girl!
Tētahi mīhini koretake!What a useless machine!

Te mahana hoki o te wai nei!

This sentence construction differs from the above but still expresses the character of something. This second method is often used for more temporary qualities. Here is the sentence pattern that should be followed when using this structure:

Te … hoki o…

These are the stable parts of this pattern and the quality being spoken of goes between te and hoki. Because the quality of something is being expressed, o not a, is used.

Te reka hoki o ngā ārani nei!How tasty these oranges are!
Te mataku hoki o ngā tamariki rā!How scared those kids are!
Te pōrangi hoki o te tangata rā!How stupid that man is!
Te kaha hoki o tana kakara!How strong her perfume is!
Te ātaahua hoki o te kōtiro rā!How beautiful that girl is!

Further explanations and exercises: Te Kākano p. 58; Te Aka

Whakamāoritia ngā kōrero nei.

Kei wareware i a koe ngā piko, ngā tohu pātai, ngā ira kati me ngā tohutō i ngā wāhi e tika ana.

How fast that horse is!

What a lazy dog!

What a beautiful woman!

How beautiful this day is!

How dark this night is!

What an ugly dress!

How sharp that nanny is!

What a useless book!