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