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 kata hoki ana a Tawa.
Tawa is also laughing.

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

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

E āwhina ana a Pāora i a Mia.
Pāora is helping Mia.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

E hiahia pukapuka ana ahau.
I want a book.

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

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

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

E takoto ana rāua.
They're lying down.

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

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

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

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

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 region.

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

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

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

E titiro ana a Ari.
Ari is looking.

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

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

E waiata ana rātou.
They are singing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

E paki ana.
It is sunny.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 moe ana te pēpi.
The baby is sleeping.

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

E kata ana a Kauri.
Kauri is laughing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

E more ana a Hine.
Hine is sleeping.

E ua ana.
It is raining.

E paru ana ana ringa.
He has dirty hands.

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

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

E ana te whare.
The house is standing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

E whiti ana te .
The sun is shining.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

E ana te tamaiti tāne.
The boy is standing.

E pēhea ana koutou?
How are you all now?

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

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

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

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

E tika ana te kōrero.
The statement is correct.

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

E mauāhara ana a Pita ki a Ataahua.
Pita is holding a grudge against Ataahua.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

E haere ana a Hēmi.
Hēmi is going.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

E heke ana te hukarere.
The snow is falling.

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

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

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

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

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

E pīrangi ana a Niko ki tēnā aihikirimi.
Niko 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 pīrangi ana ahau ki te hoki ti Taupō.
I want to return to Taupō.

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

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

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

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

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

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

E kōrero ana ngā wāhine.
The women are talking.

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

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