Māori Grammar

PreviousBack Next
Te Reo Māori Level 1
Locatives (at the moment, something is somewhere) - kei te

Kei te means that something is happening at the moment. However, kei can also indicate that something is located somewhere at the moment.

Kei te hokomaha ahau.
At the moment, I am located at the supermarket.
I'm at the supermarket.

Kei te wharepaku ia.
At the moment, she's located in the toilet.
She's in the toilet.

This might seem a little confusing, because you might think that kei te hokomaha ahau means "I am supermaketing" in the same way that kei te oma ahau means "I am running". But, in fact, this is more or less what it means. 

In English, sentences with verbs like "run" and "sing" are different from sentences where we say where we are. But in te reo Māori, they are very closely related. In Māori, a sentence with a verb actually tells someone where a person is located:

Kei te hikoi ahau.
At the moment, I am located at the walking.
I'm walking.

Kei te waiata ia.
At the moment, she is located at the singing.
She is singing.

Of course, in English, no one would ever say "I am located at the walking" to indicate that they were going for a walk, but in te reo, kei te is a kind of locative.

Kei te papa tākaro ngā tamariki.
The children are at the playground.

Kei te papa purei te pōro.
The ball is on the field.

Kei te kura a Mere.
Mere is at school.

Kei te toa ngā āporo.
The apples are at the shop.

Kei te whare wānanga ngā tauira.
The students are at the university.

Kei te rūma horoi kākahu ō .
Your shoes are in the laundry.

Kei te hōhipera māmā.
Your mother is at the hospital.

Kei te kāinga tōna tuahine.
Her sister is at home.

Kei te kīhini ngā kapu.
The cups are in the kitchen.

Kei te kura.
At school.

Kei Whakatamacr;ne a Aroha.
Aroha is in Whakatamacr;ne.

Kei te kuaha.
At the door.

Kei te māra a Māmā.
Mum's in the garden.

Kei te papa tākaro rāua.
Those two are at the playground.

Kei a wai āku kihi?
Who's got my keys?

Kei Pōneke te kāinga tūtru o Pita.
Pita's permanent home is in Wellington.

Kei Whakatū te pāpā.
The father is in Nelson.

Kei te kāpata te puruma.
The broom's in the cupboard.

Kei te kaitiaki whare.
The caretaker has them.

Kei te Kāpiti au e noho ana.
I am living in Kāpiti.

Kei te hokomaha.
At the supermarket.

Kei te kura ngā tamariki.
The children are at school.

Kei te mahi ia.
She is at her place or work. OR: She is working.

Kei Matipō Tirīti rātou kāinga.
Their house is in Matipō Street.

Kei te hui rātou.
They are at the meeting.

Kei te kāpata te huka.
The sugar's in the cupboard.

Kei te pakitara ngā whakaahua.
The photos are on the wall.

Kei te māra whutupōro.
Your football's by the garden.

Kei te kāinga te pēpi.
The baby is at home.

Kei te tākarokaro ki waho.
Playing outside.

Kei te whare pikitia au.
I'm at the movie theatre.

Kei te kāpata te paraoa.
The bread is in the cupboard.

I hea?
Where was?

Kei te rūma horoi kākahu ō .
Your shoes are in the laundry.

Kei te te waka i te huarahi.
The car's parked on the road.

Kei waho ōku hoa.
My friends are outside.

Kei hea ngā pounamu mīraka?
Where are the milk bottles?

Kei te tauranga waka waka?
Is your car in the carpark?

Kei te kāpata.
In the cupboard.

Kei tērā tamaiti waea pūkoro.
That child has your cell phone.

Kei te tāone.
At town.

Kei te toa au.
I'm at the shop.

Kei te wharepaku ia.
She's in the toilet.

Kei a Niko te waka.
Niko has the car.

Kei te huarahi o Kuini.
On Queen Street.