Māori Grammar

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I am leaving because of the crying of the baby

nā... e... ai

Nā... can be used to give the reason for something happening. When used with i... ai it refers to the past:

nāku - I was the reason
nāu - you were the reason
nāna - he.she was the reason

nā tāua - you and I were the reason
nā māua - the two of us (not you) were the reason
nā kōrua  -  you two were the reason
nā rāua  -  those two (they two) were the reason

nā tātou  -  all of us (including you) were the reason
nā mātou  -  all of us (not you) were the reason
nā koutou  -  you all were the reason
nā rātou  -  they (all of them) were the reason

nā Rangi - Rangi was the reason
nā Rangi rāua ko Mere - Rangi and Mere were the reason
nā te kaiako - the teacher was the reason
nā ngā tamariki -  the children were the reason

Following the subject of the sentence is the object (without i). In the past, i and ai preceed and follow the verb:

Nāku te māmā  i harikoa ai.
I was the reason the mother was happy.

Nā te kaiako ngā tauira i hoha ai.
The teacher was the reason that the students were bored.

Nā koutou ahau i pōhara ai.
You were the reason that I was broke.

Nā Mere a Hemi i oho ai.
Mere was the reason Hemi woke up.

Note the difference between past, present and future:

Nā te ua ngā tamariki i māku ai.
The rain was the reason the children got wet.

Nā te ua ngā tamariki e māku nei.
The rain is the reason the children are getting wet.

Mā te ua ngā tamariki e māku ai.
The rain is the reason the children will get wet.