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 kōrero ana ngā wāhine.
The women are talking.

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

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

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

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

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

E more ana a Hine.
Hine is sleeping.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

E āwhina ana a Hera i a Ataahua.
Hera is helping Ataahua.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

E ua ana.
It is raining.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

E pēhea ana koutou?
How are you all now?

E titiro ana a Honi.
Honi is looking.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

E mauāhara ana a Mia ki a Aria.
Mia is holding a grudge against Aria.

E ana te tamaiti tāne.
The boy is standing.

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

E moe ana te pēpi.
The baby is sleeping.

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

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

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

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

E kata ana a Tame.
Tame is laughing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

E ana te whare.
The house is standing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

E haere ana a Ari.
Ari is going.

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

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

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

E whiti ana te .
The sun is shining.

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

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

E takoto ana rāua.
They're lying down.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

E kihi ana a Taika kāua ko Moana.
Taika and Moana are kissing.

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

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

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

E waiata ana rātou.
They are singing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

E tika ana te kōrero.
The statement is correct.

E hiahia pukapuka ana ahau.
I want a book.

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

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

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

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

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

E heke ana te hukarere.
The snow is falling.

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

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

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

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

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 paki ana.
It is sunny.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

E paru ana ana ringa.
He has dirty hands.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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