Māori Grammar

The particle ai has many uses, one of which is to indicate that an action happens habitually, regularly, or as a usual practice.

In this structure, ai follows the verb. The verb normally appears without a tense or aspect marker:

Waiata ai ia.
She always sings.

Tākaro ai ngā tamariki.
The children always play.

The word ai does not literally mean “always”. Rather, it tells us that the action is something that happens as a normal or repeated pattern. Depending on the context, it can be translated as usually, regularly, often, or sometimes always.

The habitual meaning can be made more specific by adding a time expression:

Waiata ai ia i ngā ata.
She usually sings in the mornings.

Tākaro ai ngā tamariki i ngā Rāhoroi.
The children usually play on Saturdays.

See also:

• In order to - kia... ai
• The reason for an action - ...ai.
• The reason why something happened - nā... i... ai
• The reason why something will happen - mā... e... ai
• Why did? - He aha... i... ai?

▶

She is always swimming in the sea

Use of "ai" as habitual action

▶

I habitually go to the supermarket in order to buy food

Ai

Haere ai ia mā runga pahikara ki te mahi ia ata ia ata.
He always goes to work by bike every morning.

Noho ai ngā wāhine ki konei.
The always women sit here.

Mātakitaki pouaka whakaata ai au, ia pō.
I always watch television every night.

Mai i tōku tamarikitanga pīrangi ai ahau ki te mahi nēhi.
Since childhood I have always wanted to be a nurse.

Oho ai au i te wari karaka i te ata.
I usually wake up at eight o'clock in the morning.

Titiro ai au ki te ua.
I always watch the rain.

Haere ai au ki Pōneke.
I am always going to Wellington.

I ia Rāhoroi haere ai a Hēmi ki te hoko tīkiti Rotarota.
Every Saturday Hēmi always goes to buy a Lotto ticket.

Ako ai au ia rā, ia rā.
Learn something habitually every day.

Ia rā, ia rā, oho ai au ki te horoi i ngā kākahu.
Every day, I always get up to wash the clothes.

Tū ai ngā whakamātautau i te mutunga o te tau.
The exams always take place at the end of the year.

Mahi ai au, ia te rā, ia te rā, hāunga anō ko ngā Rātapu.
I work regularly, every day except on Sundays.

Haere ai mātou ki Rotorua i ngā hararei.
We regularly go to Rotorua in the holidays.

Hokihoki ai ia ki te wā kāinga.
He returned home regularly.

Tae mai ai te pahi, i ia hāora, i ia hāora.
The bus regularly arrives every hour.

Waiata ai ngā manu i ngā ata.
The birds usually sing in the mornings.

Hīkoi ai au ia rā, ia rā.
I always walk each and every day.

Ia rā, ia rā, tunu ai au i te hapa.
Every day I always cook dinner.

Ia rā, ia rā, tunu ai au i te hapa.
Every day, (each day) I always cook dinner.

Tuhituhi reta ai ia.
He regularly writes letters.

Oma ai a Pita ki te mahi i ngā rā katoa.
Pita always runs to work every day.

Pānui ai au i ia pō, i ia pō.
I always read each and every night.

Tunu kai ai ahai i a pō, i a pō.
I always cook food every night.

Inu ai au i te waipiro ia wiki ia wiki.
I always drink alcohol every week.

Haere ai a Koa ki te marae ia rā, ia rā.
Koa always goes to the marae each and every day.

Mau pāhau ai ia? Kāo!
Does he always have a beard? No!

Inu ai au i te waipiro ia rā ia rā.
I always drink alcohol every day.

I ngā ata, haere ai ngā kaimahi ki te ngahere.
In the mornings, the workers always go to the bush.

I ngā Rāpare, mātakitaki ai au i Coronation Street.
On Thursdays I always watch Coronation Street.

Mai i tōku tamarikitanga pīrangi ai au ki te mahi hei nēhi.
Since childhood I have always wanted to work as a nurse.

Kai ai te ngeru i ngā kiore.
The cat always eats mice.

Karakia ai au ia ata, ia ata.
I always pray every morning.

Kai ai ngā manu i ngā kākano o tēnei rākau hua.
The birds usually eat the seeds of this fruit tree

Tirotiro ai ia i ngā pānui mō ngā matenga i ia rā, i ia rā.
She checks out the death notices religiously every day.

Kai ai au i te pāreti ia ata, ia ata.
I always eat porridge each and every morning.

Tunu rēwena ai ia i ia Rātapu.
She always bakes bread every Sunday.

Inu ai au i te kawhe ia ata, ia ata.
I always drink coffee every morning.

Ia Rāapa ia Rāapa waea ai tāku tamāhine ki a au.
Every Wednesday my daughter always phones me.

Āe. Hīkoi ai au ia rā, ia rā.
Yes, I always walk each and every day.

Maranga mai ai au ia rā, ia rā i te whitu karaka.
I always get up every day at seven o'clock.

Hīkoi ai a Ataahua ki te kura.
Ataahua always walks to school.

Noho ai rātou ki Waiwera ia tau, ia tau.
They always stay at Waiwera each year.

Mau mōhiti ai ia.
He always wears glasses.

Horoi ai au i aku niho i te ao, i te pō.
I habitually brush my teeth day and night.