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