mā ... anake
Responsibility Limited to One Actor
Mā + actor + anake + e + action + affected phrase.
How It Works
Prospective actor emphasis introduces the responsible actor with mā and the action with e. Placing anake after the actor phrase restricts responsibility to that participant. Names follow independent mā; singular pronouns use combined forms such as māku. The action base remains unsuffixed and the affected phrase has no active object marker i.
Compare Mā Hana e whakatuwhera te tatau, “Hana will open the door,” with the first example. Anake excludes other responsible actors rather than identifying the only door. With koutou, the restricted actor is a group of three or more addressees.
Context determines whether responsibility is an arrangement, expectation or instruction. Place anake with the actor phrase when the restriction concerns who takes responsibility; moving it can change what is exclusive.
Examples (3)
- Mā Hana anake e whakatuwhera te tatau.
Only Hana will open the door.
Anake restricts the responsible actor.
- Māku anake e tuhi te rārangi.
I alone will write the list.
Māku combines mā with the singular first-person actor.
- Mā koutou anake e horoi ngā tēpu.
Only you, as a group, will clean the tables.
The restriction applies to three or more addressees.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Introduce anake directly after the actor phrase to exclude other responsible actors. The restricted participant may be one person or a whole group; the restriction concerns responsibility rather than the number of affected items.
Related Patterns
Practice mā ... anake in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Māori lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
