Māori Grammar

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Te Reo Māori Level 1
Simple sentences: present tense - e... ana

Sentences in the present tense often use kei te:

Kei te haere au.
I am going.

This can also be expressed with the tense marker e... ana...:

E haere ana au.
I am going.

This is different from other tense markers in that the verb (in this case, haere) comes between the two words e and ana instead of after them, as in kei te.

Also, e... ana... can be be used to indicate action in the past or in the future as well as the present:

E haere ana au.
I am going.
I was going.
I will be going.

Whether it is past, present or future, e... ana... relates to continious action ("I was going" rather than "I went" or "I will be going" rather than "I will go").

E haere ana ngā tamariki katoa ki waho.
All of the children are going outside.

E mātaki-kiriata ana mātou.
We're movie-watching.

E mōhio ana koe ki te kaukau?
Are you knowing how to swim?

E moe ana te paruauru i roto i te wharau.
The gardener is sleeping in the shed.

E aroha ana ahau ki a Koa.
I love Koa.

E hiahia ana ia ki te haere ki tāwāhi.
Do you want to go to.

E kimi ana a Manu i tāna waea pūkoro.
Manu is searching for his cell phone.

E kai ana te kurī i te kai.
The dog is eating the food.

E kata hoki ana a Hera.
Hera is also laughing.

E ua ana ki waho.
It's raining outside.

E tata ana ia ki te matapihi ka haere tonu ia ki te kūaha.
Being near the window, she walked to the door.

E pōwhiri ana rātou ki a mātou.
They are welcoming us.

E mārama ana au ki te kōrero.
I understand what is being said.

E mōhio ana ahau ki te kaukau.
I am knowing how to swim.

E hui ana te kōmihana o te Taura Whiri ia marama te rua .
The Māori Language Commission meets each month for two days.

E tangi haere mai ana te ope.
The group are weeping as they come.

E ana tāna.
What she/he said was incorrect.

E whakapono ana au ki a koe.
I am believing in you.

E kauhoe ana te hoiho i te moana.
The yellow-eyed penguin is swimming in the sea.

E pīrangi ana ahau ki te āporo .
I am wanting that apple.

E noho ana au i te rohe o Pōneke.
I am living in the Wellington region.

E moe ana te pēpi.
The baby is sleeping.

E tunu ana a Mere i te kai.
Mere is cooking the food.

E whakapono ana ia ki te Atua.
She believes in God.

E kāia ana hoki he tino toa koe ki taua mahi.
It is also said that you were a real champion at that job.

E āwhina ana ahai i a ia.
I am helping him.

E kauhoe ana ia ki te moutere.
She is going to swim to the island.

E hiahia ana ahau ki te ako i te reo Māori.
I want to learn Māori.

Kāore au e ako ana i te reo Māori.
I am not learning the Māori language.

E whāngai ana a Pāora i te kurī.
Pāora is feeding the dog.

E whakarongo ana ngā pirihimana ki te tangata.
The policemen are listening to the person.

E tapahi ana ia ki te kani.
He was cutting with the saw.

E whakatā ana tāua i te ngahere.
We (you and I) are resting in the forest.

E whai ana ngā tamariki i te pōro.
The children are chasing the ball.

E mōhio ana ia he porotaka te ao.
He knows that the earth is round.

E mataku ana ia ki a au?
Is she afraid of me?

E paki ana.
It is sunny.

E mau ana mātou i te wahie i te rori ki te whare.
We are carrying the firewood from the road to the house.

E mauāhara ana a Aroha ki a Amaru.
Aroha is holding a grudge against Amaru.

E haere ana tātou ki te toa āpōpō.
We will be going to the store tomorrow.

E kai ana te pēpi i ngā rīwai.
The baby is eating the potatoes.

E whakarongo ana māua ko Paora ki te tumuaki.
Paora and I are listening to the head-master.

E takoto ana rāua.
They're lying down.

E titiro ana te tauhou ki ahau.
The stranger was looking at me.

E ana te whare.
The house is standing.

E kauhoe ana rātou i ngā ngaru.
They are swimming in the waves.

E mātakitaki pouaka whakaata ana a Manu.
Manu is television watching.

E titiro tonu ana aku whatu, ka whakairia oratia.
My eyes were still open and yet you suspended me alive.

E kata ana a Rangi.
Rangi is laughing.

E haere ana mātou ki Wānaka ā tērā wiki.
We are going to Wānaka next week.

E haere ana koe ki hea?
Where are you going now?

E kīia ana te kōrero...
The saying goes...

E kōrero ana a Hemi ki te kaiako.
Hemi is talking to the teacher.

E pīrangi ana a Hana ki tēnā aihikirimi.
Hana desires/wants that icecream by you.

E haka ana te iwi whenua i te haka.
The local people were performing the haka.

E mahi ana au i te hōhipera.
I work at the hospital.

E pēhea ana tērā kerēwatiki?
How is that clever dickie?

E moe ana te kuia .
The old lady is speaking.

E tika ana me ki te mihi atu ki a koe.
It is appropriate to stand and acknowledge you..

E haere mai ana te ope ki runga i te marae.
That group over there is coming onto the marae.

E maumahara ana ahau ki rāua arunga e te kurī .
I remember them being chased by that dog.

E haere ana a Niko.
Niko is going.

E kauhoe ana ia ki te motu.
She is going to swim to the island.

E kaingākau ana ia ki tana mokopuna ki a Tīwana.
She is very fond of her grandchild, Tīwana.

E haere ana au ki te mahi.
I am going to work.

E hiahia ana ia ki te kani.
He wanted the saw.

E pōwhiri ana rātou ki a mātou.
They are welcoming us.

E kōrero ana ia ki ngā tamariki.
He is talking to the children.

E ana te tamaiti tāne.
The boy is standing.

E moe ana au i tētahi rākau kākāriki.
I am sleeping in a green tree.

E oma ana ngā tamariki ki te kura.
The children are running to school.

E pīrangi ana a Kauri ki tēnā aihikirimi.
Kauri is wanting that icecream by you.

E kōrero ana au ki a ia.
I am speaking to her.

E whakamārama ana te kaiako i te mahi ki ngā tamariki.
The teacher is explaining the work to the children.

E huna ana te pūngāwerewere i roto i te pouaka rēta.
The spider is hiding in the letterbox.

E mōhio ana au ki te tangata e kōrero koe.
I know the person you're talking about.

E haere ana koe ki te kura āpōpō.
You're going to school tomorrow.

E titiro ana a Rangi.
Rangi is looking.

E pānui ana te tama i te pukapuka.
The boy is reading the book.

E horoi ana a Manu i a ia.
Manu is washing himself.

E mea ana koe ko Ponga hei ariki mōu?
Are you saying that Pongo is to be your lord?

E tae katoa mai ana ngā manuhiri.
All the visitors are arriving.

E puta ana ngā tamariki katoa ki waho.
All of the children are going outside.

E inu ana ia i te kapu wai.
She is drinking a cup of water.

E whakatipua ana te pātītī e Papa--ā-nuku.
The grass is being grown by Papa-tū-ā-nuku.

E mahi ana ia i Pōneke.
She works in Wellington.

E pīrangi ana koe ki tēnei hāte kōwhai?
Are you wanting this yellow t-shirt?

E whakakākahuana ia i a ia anō ki ōna kākahu tino pai.
He's getting himself dressed in his best clothes.

E kōrero ana ngā wāhine.
The women are talking.

E tika ana kia mihi au ki a koe me whānau i tēnei pōuri.
It is appropriate for me to greet you and your family at this sad time.

E hui ana a Rama rāua ko Pita ki te pātaka kōrero.
Rama and Pita are meeting in the library.

E kimi ana te ngeru ki te kiore.
The cat is searching for the mouse.

E whaikōrero ana te koroua.
The elderly man is making a speech.

E kai ana ngā tamariki i te hapa.
The children are eating dinner.

E waiata ana ngā tamariki.
The children are (or were) singing.

E mātakitaki ana rātou i te netipāora.
They are watching the netball.

E tika ana te kōrero.
The statement is correct.

E waiata ana māua i te hui.
We (me and one other person) are singing at the gathering.

E hoki ana ia ki te kani.
He was returning to the saw.

E kimi ana a Manu i tāna waea pūkoro.
Manu is searching for his cell phone.

E rapu ana ia i tētahi rangimarietanga.
He's looking for peace of mind.

E paru ana ana ringa.
He has dirty hands.

E more ana a Hine.
Hine is sleeping.

E mohio ana au ki ana kupu.
I know what her words mean.

E hiahia pukapuka ana ahau.
I want a book.

E whakamutu ana ia i tana horonga.
She is finishing the washing.

E hui ana te kōmihana ia marama te rua .
The Commission meets for two days in each month.

E pīrangi ana ahau ki te hoki ti Taupō.
I want to return to Taupō.

E kihi ana a Tawa kāua ko Rina.
Tawa and Rina are kissing.

E haere ana tātou ki te hui raranga.
We are going to the weaving meeting.

E haere ana ngā wāhine ki te toa.
The women are going to the shop.

E heke ana te hukarere.
The snow is falling.

E ana te waka ki te huarahi.
The car is parked on the road.

E pēhea ana koutou?
How are you all now?

E pōuto ana ia i te rākau .
He is chopping down the treee.

E ua ana te ua.
It is raining (lit: "the rain is raining").

E haere atu ana au ki .
I'm going over there.

E mōhio ana au ki ana kupu.
I am knowing what her words mean.

E rerere ana te manu i runga tata iho i te ngata.
The bird is hovering just above the snail.

E whana ana te tama i te pōro.
The boy is kicking the ball.

E whiri ana au i tētahi kōnae.
I am braiding a food basket.

E pīrangi ana a Māui ki tēnā aihikirimi.
Māui desires/wants that icecream by you.

E whai ana ngā tamariki i te pōro.
The children are chasing the ball.

E whiti ana te ki Kaikohe.
The sun is shining in Kaikohe.

E kōwhiti ana te tamaiti i ngā kuku.
The mussels are being shelled by that child by you.

E māngere ana ngā tamariki i te pouaka whakaata.
The television is making the children lazy.

E haere ana mātou ki te one āpōpō.
We are going to the beach tomorrow.

E tākaro ana rāua i te papa tākaro.
They (two people) are playing at the playground.

E noho ana mātou i Kawakawa.
We were living in Kawakawa.

E kihi ana ia i tātahi ngeru pango.
She is kissing a black cat.

E rere ake ana te manu ki te kōmata o te rākau.
The bird is flying to the top of the tree.

E noho ana au i te rohe o Pōneke.
I am living in the Wellington area.

E ako ana au ki te raranga harakeke.
I am learning to weave flax.

E ake ana ia ki te marae.
He is standing up on the marae.

E waiata ana rātou.
They are singing.

E hīkoi ana rātou ki te tūnga pahi.
They're walking to the bus stop.

E ua ana.
It is raining.

E tono ana ia kia haere ia ki te whakatā.
He is requesting to go for a break.

E tātaku ana tērā i ngā kauhau o nehe, me te kōrero i ngā mahi a ngā tūpuna i mahia i tēnei taha.
They recited the old recitations from ancient times, and talked about the deeds of the ancestors.

E kai ana ngā tamariki i ngā āporo.
The children are eating the apples.

E haere ana koe ki te kura āpōpō.
You're going to school tomorrow.

E haere ana au ki te rūma horoi hīrere ai.
I'm going to the bathroom for a shower.

E āwhina ana a Tawa i a Honi.
Tawa is helping Honi.

E kihi ana ia i tētahi ngeru pango.
She is kissing a black cat.

E hiahia ana au ki tērā kākahu kahurangi.
I want that blue dress.

E mātakitaki ana te ngeru ki te manu.
The cat is watching the bird.

E haere ana mātou ki te one.
We are going to the beach.

E haere ana ia ki te whakarongo.
He is listening.

E maumahara ana ahau ki taku tino matukutanga.
I am remembering being very frightened.

E pēhea ana tērā tāne pai?
How is that good man?

E titiro ana te tauhou ki a au.
The stranger was looking at me.

E tatari ana au ki te rārangi kia hoko ai i ōku .
I am waiting in the queue to pay for my shoes.

E ana ia ki mua i Te Rōpū Whakamana i te Tiriti o Waitangi.
He is standing in front of the Treaty of Waitangi.

E whiti ana te .
The sun is shining.