Māori Grammar

Simple sentences: past tense - i te

Kei te is the tense marker used to indicate that something is happening in the present:

Kei te oma au.
I am running.

The past tense is indicated by using i te.

I te oma au.
I was running.

I te rāmere i kai ai au me Aria.
On Friday I ate with Aria.

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

I te tau ra, i hangaa te poutāpeta.
In that year the Post Office was built.

I te tau 1984 ka haere au ki te whare wānanga.
In 1984 I went to university.

I te whitu karaka i te ahiahi, ka mate ia.
At seven o'clock in the evening, he died.

I te wā o te āraitanga e haere ana mātou ki te one.
At the time of the eclipse, we were going to the beach.

I te poutūtanga i kite au i taku hoa.
At lunchtime I saw my friend.

I te ahiahi.
In the afternoon.

I te pō...
In the evening...

I te tau 1996, ka tuhi ahau i tētahi pukapuka.
In 1996, I wrote a book.

I te ata o te Rāhoroi ka haere mātou ko taku whānau ki Taranaki ki te whakatā.
On Saturday morning my family and I went to Taranaki for a holiday.

I te tau 1976, i whānau ai ia.
She was born in 1976.

I te ata o te Rātū te hui.
The meeting was on Tuesday morning.

I te wā...
When...

I te haurua mai i te ono karaka i te ata.
6:30am (past).

I te mutunga o te wānanga ka ngana a Nikau ki te whakawehe i ōna mātua.
At the conclusion of the wānanga Nikau attempted to separate his parents.

I te whitu karaka, kua haere mai ia.
He will have left at seven o'clock.

I te tekau mā tahi karaka i te ata te karakia.
The service was at 11 am.

I te Kirihimete, e tākaro ana ngā tamariki ki ā rātou takoha.
At Christmas, the children were playing with their gifts.

I te ahiahi i hoki au ki te kāinga.
In the afternoon I returned home.

I te ata pō tonu, ka timata te oreore o te marae.
Even before dawn, the marae began to stir.

I te mutunga o te hui, ka tū he konohete.
At the end of the hui, a concert was held.

I te tekau karaka.
At ten o'clock.

I te ata i hīkoi au.
In the morning I walked/went for a walk.

I te pō i kai hapa au, ā, i mahi au.
At night I had dinner and worked.

I te whā karaka i te atu ai i wehe atu ai ki Te Whanganui-a-Tara.
I left for Wellington at 4 in the morning.

I te nuinga o te wā.
Most of the time.

I te Wenerei, ka tae mai taku whanaunga.
On Wednesday my relation arrived.