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The tense marker i te is used to say that something was happening in the past:
I te oma au.
I was running.
This indicates continuous action - I must have been running for a duration of time.
Another tense marker indicates that something happened at a particular point in time, perhaps only once. This uses i as the tense marker:
I oma au.
I ran.
The difference between "I ran" and "I was running", or "she sang" and "she was singing" can be quite subtle, but one refers to continuous action and the other refers to a particular moment in time when an event happened.
Kei te kōrero ia.
She is talking.
I te kōrero ia.
She was talking.
I kōrero ia.
She spoke.
Kei te waiata ngā tamariki.
The children are singing.
I te waiata ngā tamariki.
She were singing.
I waiata ngā tamariki.
The children sang.
I rongo a Koa i te kurī.
Koa heard the dog.I haere a Hemi ki te whare pikitia.
Hemi went to the cinema.I pahure atu au i te whare.
I walked past the house.I mahi kai mātou i mua i te hui.
We prepared food before the meeting.I haere rāua i te tahataha awa.
They walked beside the river.I pēwhea tō moe, tungāne?
How was your sleep, brother?I haere koutou ki te aha?
What did you go for?I noho ngā wāhine ki te marae.
The women stayed at the marae.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 tērā tau i hūnuku tōku whānau ki ngā roto o Kai Iwi.
Last year, my family moved to the lakes of Kai Iwi.I tae atu rātou ki reira me ā rātou pū.
They arrived there with their guns.I haere au ki te kauhoe.
I went for a swim.I toro au ki ngā hoa.
I visited friends.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 tipu au i Ahitereiria.
I grew up in Australia.I whakatō i ētehi kai māori pērā i te kūmara me te kōkihi.
We planted native food like kūmara and native spinach.I whakaakona māua ki te raranga harakeke e tō māua kaiako.
We (2 exclusive) were taught to weave flax by our teacher.I kai au i taku parakuihi.
I ate breakfast.I horoi pēpi au.
I washed baby.I kaha taku kai.
I had lots to eat.I karanga atu ki ngā manuhiri au.
I called to the guests.I rangona e koe tērā haruru?
Did you hear/feel that rumble?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 haere au ki te pāka ki te hikoi.
I went to the park to walk.I tino hiamoe ahau.
I was very sleepy.I tono ahau kia mutu te tetū.
I ordered that the rowdy behaviour should stop.I kite a Amaru i te katipō.
Amaru saw a katipō.I kai au tahi me...
I ate with...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 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 tiki au i ngā tamariki.
I got the kids.I whānau au i Poihākena, i Ahitereiria.
I was born in Sydney, Australia.I haere au ki te pāka hei te hikoi.
I went to the park in order to walk.I whānau mai au i Te Tai Hauāuru.
I was born in the Westland region.I ngā rā o mua, mā te hōiho kē te moua e tō.
In former times, a horse pulled the mower instead.I haere au ki te whare horoi kākahu.
I went to the laundry.I kite koe i te pirihimana?
Kāore koe i kite i te pirihimana?I haere ia ki te tāone.
She went to town.I aha koe i tēnei ata?
What did you do this morning?I whakatā māua i te whare.
We (me and one other) rested at the house.I oma te tama ki te kura.
The boy ran to school.I pātōtō tonu ia i runga i te tēpu.
She kept knocking on the table.I titiro atu ia ki te rā, ka tihewa.
He look at the sun and sneezed.I hiakai ia.
He or she was hungry.I haere rātou ki te ngahere inānahi.
They went to the forest yesterday.I aha koe inapō?
What did you do last night?I tāraia te waka ki te toki pounamu.
The canoe was carved with a jade adze.I pēwhea hoki tō moe, e Mā?
How was your sleep, Mum?I tino pai a Rangi.
Rangi was very good.I tapahi a Marama i a ia.
Marama cut herself, or, Marama cut him.I rapu haere ia i ana kī.
He went around looking for his keys.I haere koe ki te toa?
Kāore koe i haere ki te toa?I pēnei anō te tītere o te moana inanahi nei i tēnei rā.
The sea yesterday was as rough as it is today.I noho au ki te mahi.
I stayed and worked.I tihewa ia i te pō roa nei.
She sneezed all night.I āhua makariri a Hēmi.
Hēmi was somewhat cold.I mutu tōmua tātou i tēnei rā.
We finished early today.I pānui a Toa i tērā pukapuka.
Toa read that book.I hoko a Rangi i te waka.
Rangi bought the car.I pekepeke te tamaiti i te taiapa.
The child jumped backwards and forwards over the fence.I Kohitātea ka whakatā tonu mātou.
We always take our holidays in January.I kite au i te kurī i te pāmu.
I saw the dog at the farm.I tupu hoki ahau i reira.
I also grew up there.I tae mai ia mā raro.
He arrived on foot.I noho au i reira i tērā tau.
I stayed there last year.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 haere a Hori ki te kanikani ki te kimi hoa wahine.
Hori went to the dance to look for a girlfriend.I pātōtō ia i runga i te tēpu.
She knocked on the table.I aha koe i te mutunga wiki?
What did you do in the weekend?I kai ngā tamariki i te parāoa.
The children ate the bread.I pou māua i ētahi rākau māori: he tōtara, he tarata, he kōwhai hoki.
We planted some native trees: tōtara, tarata and kōwhai.I kai koe i te aha i nāpo?
What did you eat last night?I tauomaoma rātou e rua maero i te one.
They had a race for two miles along the beach.I konei rāua i nanahi.
They were here yesterday.I kite au i a rātou e hī ika ana.
I saw them fishing.I tākaro mātou i te kōti tuarua.
We played on the second court.I kōrero a Tīmoti ki te whakaminenga.
Tīmoti addressed the assembled people.I āhua wera koe.
You were somewhat hot.I kite a Manu i a ia anō.
Manu saw himself.I taku whare te hui.
The meeting was at my place.I haere rāua ki te whare pikitia inanahi.
Those two went to the movies yesterday.I pai taku moe, tuahine.
My sleep was good, sister.I kite au i tērā tamaiti tāne.
I saw that boy.I haere au ki te whare horoi kākahu.
I went to the laundry.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 tiaki tamariki au.
I looked after kids.I waiata rāua i te hui?
Kāore rāua i waiata i te hui?I pai. I au taku moe.
It was good. I slept well.I pakeke ake ia i Te Waipounamu.
He grew up in the South Island.I āwhina mai ia. He atawhai nōna.
She helped me, She is very kind.I pai tāna waita.
His singing was good.I tākaro teihana tākaro au.
I played Play Station.I tērā pō, ka tae mai ētahi manuhiri.
Last night, some visitors arrived.I waiho ahau i te koti ki tō whare.
I left the coat at your house.I oma mai te katipō nō raro mai i te takapau.
The spider ran out from under the mat.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 uru ia ki te kura.
She entered the school.I whiwhi paetae au.
I got achieved.I hīkoi ia ki te kura.
She walked to school.I tae tōmuri mai ia i te pō rā.
He arrived late last night.I hīkoi au me te kurī.
I walked the dog.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 whara au taku waewae.
I hurt my leg.I hoatu a Mere i te keke ki tana tama.
Mary gave the cake to her son.I hiainu koe.
You were thirsty.I haere mātou ki Ōtautahi inanahi.
We went to town yesterday.I tatari mātou i te kēti.
We walked by the gate.I pīrangi a Tau ki te haere hei mema pāremata.
Tau wanted to become an MP.I waruwaru rīwai au.
I peeled spuds.I noho rātou ki te kāinga o Manu.
They stayed at Manu's home.I haere ā tāua tamariki ki tō rātou wharekura.
Our children went to their school.I kauhoe atu ia ki te motu.
He swam to the island.