whaka- + adjective

Bringing About a State

Level 3

Roa describes length or duration; whakaroa can express causing greater duration.

How It Works

With a suitable descriptive base, whaka- forms a verb that brings about a property. Prefix and base are written together. Learn established formations individually; the pattern does not license every conceivable combination.

Compare He roa te hui., “The meeting is long,” with I whakaroa te kaiako i te hui., “The teacher extended the meeting.” The first describes duration; the second introduces an actor who changes it. Active object i marks the affected meeting.

Whakapotohia te reta!, “Shorten the letter!” uses an established passive form from the poto family. The affected phrase follows without active object marking. Derived verbs do not acquire person or number agreement endings. Their passive stems and suffixes require individual evidence; this example does not establish a universal passive ending for descriptive bases.

Examples (3)

  1. I whakaroa te kaiako i te hui.

    The teacher extended the meeting.

    The causative changes duration.

  2. I whakaroa au i te wā mō te kēmu.

    I extended the time for the game.

    Whakaroa expresses extending an allotted period.

  3. Whakapotohia te reta!

    Shorten the letter!

    The established derived passive gives an instruction.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

whaka- + adjectiveLevel 3Bringing About a State

Learn This First

Apply causative formation to suitable descriptive bases, separating having a property from causing a change in it. Treat whakapotohia as an established derived passive rather than a suffix template.