Commands With a Passive Verb
Passive verb + affected phrase: Horoia te pereti! — Wash the plate!
How It Works
A common affirmative instruction begins directly with an established passive verb. No ordinary past or present particle precedes it. The affected phrase follows without active object i, and the addressee is usually understood.
Compare Horoia te pereti!, “Wash the plate!” with I horoia te pereti., “The plate was washed.” The first directs an action; the second reports one. English need not reproduce the command's passive morphology.
Demonstrative and indefinite affected phrases also fit: Hikitia tēnei pouaka!, “Lift this box!” The suffix does not agree with the number of things or addressees. In Horoia ngā kapu, e Mere!, the separated e Mere addresses Mere. Negative instructions use the distinct kaua e construction.
Examples (4)
- Horoia te pereti!
Wash the plate!
The passive verb begins the command.
- Hikitia tēnei pouaka!
Lift this box!
The demonstrative affected phrase has no object i.
- Karia he rua iti!
Dig a small hole!
He introduces an indefinite affected phrase.
- Horoia ngā kapu, e Mere!
Wash the cups, Mere!
E Mere is direct address.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Read Horoia te pereti as an instruction beginning directly with a lexical passive form. Contrast it with a past report, and distinguish the separated vocative e Mere from predicate or agent marking.
- Who Receives the Action
The affected-subject pattern explains why te pereti follows horoia without active object i in both the reported event and the command.
Level 3 - e + commandA Short Command
The earlier command lesson establishes instructions with understood addressees and shows that affirmative commands do not all require initial e.
Level 1
Related Patterns
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice Commands With a Passive Verb in Bubblegum
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