Māori Grammar

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Te Reo Māori Level 3
Habitual action - ai

The particle ai can be used in a variety of different ways.

When it follows a verb at the start of a sentence, it has the meaning "habitually" or "regularly".

Kai ai au.
I always eat.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tuhituhi reta ai ia.
He regularly writes letters.

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

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

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

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

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

Mau mōhiti ai ia.
He always wears glasses.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I ngā raumati, kaukau ai au i te moana.
In the summer, I regularly swim in the sea.

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

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

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