Māori Grammar

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It was as if - ānō nei

Anō can mean "again":

Ka kite anō i a koe.
See you again.

When paired with nei it has the meaning of "as if". When used as a comparative, it usually has a macron over the initial a: ānō nei.

Kei te hīkoi ia ānō nei he ngeru.
He is walking like a cat.

E kaha tohutohu mai ana ia ānō nei ko au tana mōkai.
He was ordering me around as if I was his servant.

This is used in a comparative sentence where an action happens ("he was walking") and this is can be likened to something else.

Ānō nei can begin a sentence or a phrase.

Ānō nei he tamaiti ia.
He is like a child.

I tangi ia, ānō nei he tamaiti ia.
He was crying as if he was a child.

Ānō nei does not itself mark tense. The tense or aspect comes from the clause around it.

Kei te tangi ia, ānō nei he tamaiti ia.
He is crying as if he is a child.

Ka tangi ia, ānō nei he tamaiti ia.
He will cry as if he is a child.

A variation is anō... me he...

Ānō tōna tangi me he pēpi.
His crying was like a baby's.

It is related in meaning to rite tōnu:

He rite tonu ia ki te pēpi ki te tangi.
He is just like a baby when it comes to crying.

It is also related to pēnei as a comparative:

E tangi pēnei ana ia i te tamaiti.
He is crying like a child.

These comparisons can be used to say someone or something is like something else in a metaphorical way. The man is not actually a baby and if we say that someone swims like a dolphin we know that the person is not actually a dolphin. If we wish to make a comparison that might actually be true we use me te mea nei which s the equivalent of “it looks as if” or “it is as if”. For example, she is crying as if she broke up with her boyfriend (maybe she did), or he is spending money as if he won Lotto (perhaps he did):

Comparisons with ānō nei, pēnei me, rite ki and similar structures can liken one person, thing or action to another. If we want to say that something appears to be the case — “it looks as if”, “it seems as though” — we can use me te mea nei. The situation following me te mea nei may actually be true; the speaker is describing how things appear.

Following that me te mea nei construction:

Kei te tangi ia, me te mea nei kua wehe rāua ko tana hoa tāne.
She is crying as if she has broken up with her boyfriend.

Kei te whakapau moni ia, me te mea nei kua toa ia i te Lotto.
He is spending money as if he has won Lotto.

Me te mea nei kei te moe kē rātou.
It looks as if they are already asleep.

I te kōrero mai a Pāpā ānō nei he kūare māua.
Dad was talking to us as if we (2) are stupid.

Kei te hīkoi ia ānō nei he kau.
He is walking like a cow.

E kōrero pākiwaha mai ana ia ānō nei ko ia te toa o te kēmu.
He was boasting as if he won the game.

I te kōrero mai te kaiako ānō nei he taringa kōhatu mātou.
The teacher was talking to us as if we were deaf.

E kaha ana tāna tohutohu i a mātou ānō nei ko ia te kuīni o te kīhini.
She was telling us all what to do like she was the queen of the kitchen.

E pararē ana ia ānō nei kua whati tana waewae.
She was screaming as is if her leg was broken.

I tū kau, kāore i paku nekeneke. Ānō nei kua whakakōhatutia.
She just stood there and didn't move a whisker. It was as if she'd been turned to stone.

Kei te hīkoi ia ānō nei he ngeru.
He is walking like a cat.

E tū whakapakoko ana ia ānō nei kua kōhatutia.
He was standing like a statute as if he had become stone.

Kei te oma ia anō nei he hōiho.
She is running like a horse.

I te tohutohu mai taku tamāhine ānō nei he matua kē ia.
My daughter was bossing me as if she was a parent

E apu kai ana ānō nei kāore e ara te rā āpōpō.
He was stuffing food into his mouth like there was no tomorrow.

E kaha tohutohu mai ana ia ānō nei ko au tana mōkai.
He was ordering me around as if I was his servant.

I te kōrero mai ia ānō nei he tamariki mātou.
He was talking to us as if we were kids.

E hūrori haere ana te kuia ānō nei kua māuiui.
The old woman was staggering along as if she was sick.

I te kōrero mai a Māmā ānō nei he tamaiti au.
Mum was talking to me as if I was a kid.

E hūrori haere ana ia ānō nei kua haurangi.
He was staggering along as if he was drunk

I te kōrero mai ia ānō nei he tamaiti ahau.
He was talking to me as if I was a child.

I titiro māi rātou ānō nei he kūare māua.
They were staring at us as if we were stupid.