Māori Grammar

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The spoon is to the left of the plate

Runga, raro, mua, muri

hea: where
kō: yonder place
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
tua: 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

 

See also:

• Away - atu

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

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

I korā te whare.
The house was over there.

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

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

Kei konei ngā tamariki.
The children are here.

Ki runga ki te whenua.
Upon earth.

I konei ngā tamariki.
The children were here.

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

Kei kō te motokā.
The car is yonder.

I uta te waka.
The boat was ashore.

Ki runga ake.
Upwards.

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

I runga ake i te kūaha.
Above the door.

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

Ko Moanakei te akomanga o Tau 7, ko te teina kei te akomanga o raro iho, ko te tuakana kei tō runga ake.
Moana 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 mua te kuri i te waka.
The dog was in front of the car.

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

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

Kei toro i te kāpata.
In the cupboard.

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

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

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

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

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 uta te waka.
The boat is ashore.

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.

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

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

Kei korā te whare.
The house is over there.

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

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

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.

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

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

Kei te ātaahua a waho.
It is beautiful outside.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kei reira ngā pukapuka.
The books are there.

I reira ngā pukapuka.
The books were there.

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