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 mauāhara ana a Nikau ki a Mia.
Nikau is holding a grudge against Mia.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 whāngai ana a Ari i te kurī.
Ari is feeding the dog.

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

E kihi ana a Pāora kāua ko Aria.
Pāora and Aria are kissing.

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

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

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

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

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

E paki ana.
It is sunny.

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

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

E ana te tamaiti tāne.
The boy is standing.

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

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

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

E moe ana te pēpi.
The baby is sleeping.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

E hiahia pukapuka ana ahau.
I want a book.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

E pēhea ana koutou?
How are you all now?

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

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

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

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

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

E heke ana te hukarere.
The snow is falling.

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

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

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

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

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 waiata ana rātou.
They are singing.

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

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

E ana te whare.
The house is standing.

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

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

E kōrero ana ngā wāhine.
The women are talking.

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

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

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

E titiro ana a Hera.
Hera is looking.

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

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

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

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

E more ana a Hine.
Hine is sleeping.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

E takoto ana rāua.
They're lying down.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

E āwhina ana a Pita i a Manu.
Pita is helping Manu.

E tika ana te kōrero.
The statement is correct.

E paru ana ana ringa.
He has dirty hands.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

E haere ana a Amaru.
Amaru is going.

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

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

E kata ana a Tame.
Tame is laughing.

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

E whiti ana te .
The sun is shining.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

E ua ana.
It is raining.

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

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

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