Māori Grammar

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

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

I uta te waka.
The boat was ashore.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

I konei ngā tamariki.
The children were here.

I korā te whare.
The house was over there.

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

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

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

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

Kei korā te whare.
The house is over there.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kei kō te motokā.
The car is yonder.

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

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

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

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

I reira ngā pukapuka.
The books were there.

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

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

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

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

Kei uta te waka.
The boat is ashore.

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

Ki runga ake.
Upwards.

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

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

Kei konei ngā tamariki.
The children are here.

I runga ake i te kūaha.
Above the door.

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

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

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

Kei reira ngā pukapuka.
The books are there.

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

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

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

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

Ko Miakei te akomanga o Tau 7, ko te teina kei te akomanga o raro iho, ko te tuakana kei tō runga ake.
Mia 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 muri te tēpu i te whare.
The table was behind the house.

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

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