Māori Grammar

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").

I pīrangi a Tau ki te haere hei mema pāremata.
Tau wanted to become an MP.

I toro au ki ngā hoa.
I visited friends.

I konei rāua i nanahi.
They were here yesterday.

I mutu tōmua tātou i tēnei rā.
We finished early today.

I pātōtō tonu ia i runga i te tēpu.
She kept knocking on the table.

I pēwhea tō moe, tungāne?
How was your sleep, brother?

I tupu hoki ahau i reira.
I also grew up there.

I pānui a Toa i tērā pukapuka.
Toa read that book.

I ngenge koe.
You were tired.

I haere ā tāua tamariki ki tō rātou wharekura.
Our children went to their school.

I rangona e koe tērā haruru?
Did you hear/feel that rumble?

I kai koe i te aha i nāpo?
What did you eat last night?

I kaha taku kai.
I had lots to eat.

I pai ia.
He or she was good.

I tāraia te waka ki te toki pounamu.
The canoe was carved with a jade adze.

I waruwaru rīwai au.
I peeled spuds.

I haere au ki te pāka ki te hikoi.
I went to the park to walk.

I noho au i reira i tērā tau.
I stayed there last year.

I haere koe ki te toa?
Kāore koe i haere ki te toa?

I taraiwa au.
I drove.

I hoko a Rangi i te waka.
Rangi bought the car.

I haere āno ia.
He went again.

I okioki au.
I relaxed.

I pekepeke te tamaiti i te taiapa.
The child jumped backwards and forwards over the fence.

I tērā pō, ka tae mai ētahi manuhiri.
Last night, some visitors arrived.

I ngā rā o mua, mā te hōiho kē te moua e tō.
In former times, a horse pulled the mower instead.

I tēnei wiki.
This week.

I rapu haere ia i ana kī.
He went around looking for his keys.

I pēnei anō te tītere o te moana inanahi nei i tēnei rā.
The sea yesterday was as rough as it is today.

I ngā hōtoke kei ngā raorao, kei ngā mānia, ā, i ngā raumati kei ngā maunga.
In the winter they were on the foothills and on the plains, and in the summer they were in the mountains.

I haere au ki te pāka hei te hikoi.
I went to the park in order to walk.

I tihewa ia i te pō roa nei.
She sneezed all night.

I tērā tau i hūnuku tōku whānau ki ngā roto o Kai Iwi.
Last year, my family moved to the lakes of Kai Iwi.

I kite au i a rātou e hī ika ana.
I saw them fishing.

I oma te tama ki te kura.
The boy ran to school.

I waiata rāua i te hui?
Kāore rāua i waiata i te hui?

I aha koe?
What did you do?

I mahi au i te māra, ā, āe, i pānui pukapuka, ā, i tunu hoki au i te kai mā te whānau.
I worked in the garden, yeah, I read books and I cooked for the family.

I aha koe i tēnei ata?
What did you do this morning?

I uru ia ki te kura.
She entered the school.

I whānau mai au i Ahuriri.
I was born in Napier.

I tākaro mātou i te kōti tuarua.
We played on the second court.

I pātōtō ia i runga i te tēpu.
She knocked on the table.

I āhua wera koe.
You were somewhat hot.

I haere au ki te kauhoe.
I went for a swim.

I kōrero a Tīmoti ki te whakaminenga.
Tīmoti addressed the assembled people.

I kai au tahi me...
I ate with...

I hiakai ia.
He or she was hungry.

I tākaro teihana tākaro au.
I played Play Station.

I whakatō i ētehi kai māori pērā i te kūmara me te kōkihi.
We planted native food like kūmara and native spinach.

I pai. I au taku moe.
It was good. I slept well.

I tono ahau kia mutu te tetū.
I ordered that the rowdy behaviour should stop.

I hiainu koe.
You were thirsty.

I tērā tau.
Last year.

I haere au ki te awa ki to hīkoi i te mutunga wiki.
I went to the river to go walking in the weekend.

I haere ia ki te tāone.
She went to town.

I whakaakona māua ki te raranga harakeke e tō māua kaiako.
We (2 exclusive) were taught to weave flax by our teacher.

I kauhoe atu ia ki te motu.
He swam to the island.

I hīkoi au me te kurī.
I walked the dog.

I tae atu rātou ki reira me ā rātou pū.
They arrived there with their guns.

I kite au i te kurī i te pāmu.
I saw the dog at the farm.

I haere mātou ki Kāpiti inanahi.
We went to town yesterday.

I tauomaoma rātou e rua maero i te one.
They had a race for two miles along the beach.

I kite a Mia i te katipō.
Mia saw a katipō.

I noho rātou ki te kāinga o Hera.
They stayed at Hera's home.

I kite au i tērā tamaiti tāne.
I saw that boy.

I ora ahau.
I was well.

I kai ngā tamariki i te parāoa.
The children ate the bread.

I aha koe i te mutunga wiki?
What did you do in the weekend?

I karanga atu ki ngā manuhiri au.
I called to the guests.

I whiwhi paetae au.
I got achieved.

I horoi pēpi au.
I washed baby.

I haere koutou ki te aha?
What did you go for?

I Kohitātea ka whakatā tonu mātou.
We always take our holidays in January.

I aha koe inapō?
What did you do last night?

I kai au i taku parakuihi.
I ate breakfast.

I mahi poka noa au ki te keri i te whenua, ka kohete mai ia, 'E tama e! Me taki karakia i te tuatahi'.
I heedlessly started digging and she growled at me, 'Boy! You should do karakia first!'

I tainahi.
Yesterday.

I tino pai a Rangi.
Rangi was very good.

I haere rāua ki te whare pikitia inanahi.
Those two went to the movies yesterday.

I hīkoi ia ki te kura.
She walked to school.

I whara au taku waewae.
I hurt my leg.

I mahi kai mātou i mua i te hui.
We prepared food before the meeting.

I oma mai te katipō nō raro mai i te takapau.
The spider ran out from under the mat.

I haere au ki to awa ki to hīkoi, i toro auto ki tōku hoa, ā, i kai tahi hoki me tōku whānau.
I went to the river to go walking, I visited my friend and I are together with my family.

I taku whare te hui.
The meeting was at my place.

I haere a Hori ki te kanikani ki te kimi hoa wahine.
Hori went to the dance to look for a girlfriend.

I haere rātou ki te ngahere inānahi.
They went to the forest yesterday.

I haere au ki te whare horoi kākahu.
I went to the laundry.

I kite a Rangi i a ia anō.
Rangi saw himself.

I pou māua i ētahi rākau māori: he tōtara, he tarata, he kōwhai hoki.
We planted some native trees: tōtara, tarata and kōwhai.

I rongo a Ari i te kurī.
Ari heard the dog.

I pai koe.
You were good.

I noho ngā wāhine ki te marae.
The women stayed at the marae.

I āwhina mai ia. He atawhai nōna.
She helped me, She is very kind.

I tae mai ia mā raro.
He arrived on foot.

I tiaki tamariki au.
I looked after kids.

I tū tētahi tamaiti tāne.
A certain boy stood.

I tapahi a Marama i a ia.
Marama cut herself, or, Marama cut him.

I tiki au i ngā tamariki.
I got the kids.

I tae tōmuri mai ia i te pō rā.
He arrived late last night.

I taku taenga atu ki te kāinga, kua maoa kē i a ia ngā kai.
When I got home, he had already cooked dinner.

I noho au ki te mahi.
I stayed and worked.

I haere te kura ki te tāone ki te whakataetae mō te kapa haka.
The school went to town to compete for the kapa haka.

I taraiwa māua ko taku hoa ki te whare wānanga i te waru karaka.
Me and my friend drove to uni at 8 o'clock.

I tākaro poitūkohu au.
I played basketball.

I hīkoi au.
I walked.

I tērā wiki.
Last week.

I pai taku moe, tuahine.
My sleep was good, sister.

I haere rāua i te tahataha awa.
They walked beside the river.

I pahure atu au i te whare.
I walked past the house.

I a Huria.
Huria did.

I whakatā māua i te whare.
We (me and one other) rested at the house.

I hoatu a Mere i te keke ki tana tama.
Mary gave the cake to her son.

I waiho ahau i te koti ki tō whare.
I left the coat at your house.

I tino hiamoe ahau.
I was very sleepy.

I mania a Pani.
Pani slipped.

I āhua makariri a Hēmi.
Hēmi was somewhat cold.

I titiro atu ia ki te rā, ka tihewa.
He look at the sun and sneezed.

I pai tāna waita.
His singing was good.

I tatari mātou i te kēti.
We walked by the gate.

I kite koe i te pirihimana?
Kāore koe i kite i te pirihimana?

I haere au ki te whare horoi kākahu.
I went to the laundry.

I taraiwa māua.
We drove.

I haere a Hemi ki te whare pikitia.
Hemi went to the cinema.

I oma au.
I ran.

I pakeke ake ia i Te Waipounamu.
He grew up in the South Island.

I tipu au i Ahitereiria.
I grew up in Australia.

I pēwhea hoki tō moe, e Mā?
How was your sleep, Mum?

I pakipaki te katoa me tō rātou kore e tino mārama ki tāua i kī ai.
Everyone applauded though they did not entirely understand what he had said.

I whānau au i Poihākena, i Ahitereiria.
I was born in Sydney, Australia.