Māori Grammar

In, on, by, under... - kei runga...

Here are the important locative words:

hea: where
konei: here, this place (by me)
konā: there, that place or thereabouts (by you)
korā: over there
mua: in front, before
muri: behind, after
raro: under, beneath
reira: there, the aforementioned place or time
roto: in, inside, into
runga: on, above
tai: seaward
tawhiti: in the distance, afar
te taha matau: the right-hand side
te taha mauī: the left-hand side
tu: beyond, on the other side
tātahi: the seaside, the beach
tāwāhi: overseas, abroad, the other side
uta: ashore, landward
waenganui: between, middle, amid
waho: outside

Ko Ariakei te akomanga o Tau 7, ko te teina kei te akomanga o raro iho, ko te tuakana kei tō runga ake.
Aria is in the Year 7 class, her younger sister is in the class beneath that, and her older sister is in the class above.

I haere ia ki runga ki te maunga.
He went up the mountain.

Kei waho te kuri i te whare.
The dog is outside the house.

I runga te rorohiko i te tēpu.
The computer was on the table.

Kei waenganui ngā tamariki i te rori.
The children are in the middle of the road.

I turuturu mai te wai nō runga ake.
The water dripped down from above.

I waho te kuri i te whare.
The dog was outside the house.

I tua te maunga i te awa.
The mountain was beyond the river.

Ko te whetū i runga ake i te whare.
The star was above the house.

I uta te waka.
The boat was ashore.

I te waka te pirihimana.
The policeman was in the car.

Kei runga ake te manu i te tama.
The bird is above the boy.

Kei te taha matau ngā pukapuka.
The books are on the right-hand side.

Kei te taha mauī te motokā.
The car is on the left-hand side.

Kei toro i te kāpata.
In the cupboard.

Kei raro ngā hū i te tūru.
The shoes are under the chair.

I tawhiti ngā maunga.
The mountains were in the distance.

I ū te ngaro ki runga ake i te tēpu.
The fly landed above the table.

I konei ngā tamariki.
The children were here.

Ko Papatūānuku te aorangi tuatoru mai i te rā. Kei waho atu i a tātou ko Matawhero, ā, kei waho atu i a ia, ko Pareārau. Ā, ko Kōpū, ko Whiro kei roto atu.
The Earth is the third planet from the sun. Farther out from us is Mars, and out from Mars is Jupiter. Further in from us our Venus and Mercury.

I runga ake i te kūaha.
Above the door.

Kei runga ake te manu aute i te rākau.
The kite is above the tree.

I mua te kuri i te waka.
The dog was in front of the car.

Whakairingia ki raro iho i te matapihi.
Hang it below the window.

I runga ake te kaitohutohu i a kōrua.
The instructor was higher up than you two.

Kei runga te rorohiko i te tēpu.
The computer is on the table.

Kei runga ake ngā kī i te whata mātao.
The keys are above the fridge.

Kei roto te ngeru i te whare.
The cat is inside the house.

Kei tawhiti ngā maunga.
The mountains are in the distance.

I raro ngā hū i te tūru.
The shoes were under the chair.

I roto te ngeru i te whare.
The cat was inside the house.

Ka rere ngā wakarererangi i runga ake i taku whare i ngā rā katoa.
Planes fly over my house every day.

Ki runga ake.
Upwards.

Kei korā te whare.
The house is over there.

I muri te tēpu i te whare.
The table was behind the house.

Kei muri te tēpu i te whare.
The table is behind the house.

I tāwāhi tōna whānau.
His/Her family was overseas.

I tātahi ngā tamariki e tākaro ana.
The children were playing at the beach.

Kei tāwāhi tōna whānau.
His/Her family is overseas.

I konā tō pukapuka.
Your book was there (by you).

Kei te ātaahua a waho.
It is beautiful outside.

I te taha mauī te motokā.
The car was on the left-hand side.

Kei reira ngā pukapuka.
The books are there.

Kei tua te maunga i te awa.
The mountain is beyond the river.

Kei te haere te motok? ki raro iho
The car is going down below, to the bottom.

I te taha matau ngā pukapuka.
The books were on the right-hand side.

Ki runga ki te whenua.
Upon earth.

Kei tātahi ngā tamariki e tākaro ana.
The children are playing at the beach.

Kei konei ngā tamariki.
The children are here.

Kei tai te waka.
The boat is by the sea.

Kei uta te waka.
The boat is ashore.

I reira ngā pukapuka.
The books were there.

Kei whea te mamae, kei tō uma? Kāo, kei raro iho. Kei taku puku.
Where's the pain – in your chest? No, it's further down. It's in my stomach.

Kei mua te kuri i te waka.
The dog is in front of the car.

I korā te whare.
The house was over there.

I waenganui ngā tamariki i te rori.
The children were in the middle of the road.

I tai te waka.
The boat was by the sea.

Kei kō te motokā.
The car is yonder.

Kei konā tō pukapuka.
Your book is there (by you).

Kei runga ake i ngā pakiaka ko te kahiwi, kei runga ake i tērā ko ngā manga, ā, kei runga ake i ērā ko te kāpuhipuhi.
Up from the roots is the trunk, up from the trunk are the main branches, and above those comes the crown/fine branches and leaves.