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

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

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

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

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

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

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

E pēhea ana koutou?
How are you all now?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

E kōrero ana ngā wāhine.
The women are talking.

E ua ana.
It is raining.

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

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

E takoto ana rāua.
They're lying down.

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

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

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

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

E more ana a Hine.
Hine is sleeping.

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

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

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

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

E kihi ana a Amaru kāua ko Mia.
Amaru and Mia are kissing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

E paki ana.
It is sunny.

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

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

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

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

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

E āwhina ana a Rangi i a Rangi.
Rangi is helping Rangi.

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

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

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

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

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

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

E hiahia pukapuka ana ahau.
I want a book.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

E whiti ana te .
The sun is shining.

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

E ana te whare.
The house is standing.

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

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

E moe ana te pēpi.
The baby is sleeping.

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

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

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 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 a Kauri.
Kauri is going.

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

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

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

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

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

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 mauāhara ana a Aria ki a Hera.
Aria is holding a grudge against Hera.

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

E heke ana te hukarere.
The snow is falling.

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

E waiata ana rātou.
They are singing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

E ana te tamaiti tāne.
The boy is standing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

E kata ana a Nikau.
Nikau is laughing.

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

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

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

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

E paru ana ana ringa.
He has dirty hands.

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

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

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

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

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

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

E tika ana te kōrero.
The statement is correct.

E titiro ana a Pāora.
Pāora is looking.

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

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

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

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