Māori Grammar

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Te Reo Māori Level 1
Simple sentences: present tense - e... ana

Sentences in the present tense often use kei te:

Kei te haere au.
I am going.

This can also be expressed with the tense marker e... ana...:

E haere ana au.
I am going.

This is different from other tense markers in that the verb (in this case, haere) comes between the two words e and ana instead of after them, as in kei te.

Also, e... ana... can be be used to indicate action in the past or in the future as well as the present:

E haere ana au.
I am going.
I was going.
I will be going.

Whether it is past, present or future, e... ana... relates to continious action ("I was going" rather than "I went" or "I will be going" rather than "I will go").

E whakamārama ana te kaiako i te mahi ki ngā tamariki.
The teacher is explaining the work to the children.

E whakakākahuana ia i a ia anō ki ōna kākahu tino pai.
He's getting himself dressed in his best clothes.

E kimi ana a Manu i tāna waea pūkoro.
Manu is searching for his cell phone.

E tika ana te kōrero.
The statement is correct.

E waiata ana māua i te hui.
We (me and one other person) are singing at the gathering.

E haere ana au ki te rūma horoi hīrere ai.
I'm going to the bathroom for a shower.

E paru ana ana ringa.
He has dirty hands.

E moe ana te kuia .
The old lady is speaking.

E hui ana a Rama rāua ko Pita ki te pātaka kōrero.
Rama and Pita are meeting in the library.

E pīrangi ana ahau ki te hoki ti Taupō.
I want to return to Taupō.

E mōhio ana ia he porotaka te ao.
He knows that the earth is round.

E mātakitaki ana rātou i te netipāora.
They are watching the netball.

E hiahia pukapuka ana ahau.
I want a book.

E tākaro ana rāua i te papa tākaro.
They (two people) are playing at the playground.

E kāia ana hoki he tino toa koe ki taua mahi.
It is also said that you were a real champion at that job.

E hoki ana ia ki te kani.
He was returning to the saw.

E rapu ana ia i tētahi rangimarietanga.
He's looking for peace of mind.

E ana te waka ki te huarahi.
The car is parked on the road.

E maumahara ana ahau ki rāua arunga e te kurī .
I remember them being chased by that dog.

E ana te tamaiti tāne.
The boy is standing.

E mahi ana ia i Pōneke.
She works in Wellington.

E kōwhiti ana te tamaiti i ngā kuku.
The mussels are being shelled by that child by you.

E paki ana.
It is sunny.

E moe ana te pēpi.
The baby is sleeping.

E haka ana te iwi whenua i te haka.
The local people were performing the haka.

E rerere ana te manu i runga tata iho i te ngata.
The bird is hovering just above the snail.

E waiata ana ngā tamariki.
The children are (or were) singing.

E hiahia ana ia ki te kani.
He wanted the saw.

E whana ana te tama i te pōro.
The boy is kicking the ball.

E mārama ana au ki te kōrero.
I understand what is being said.

E kimi ana a Manu i tāna waea pūkoro.
Manu is searching for his cell phone.

E pānui ana te tama i te pukapuka.
The boy is reading the book.

E haere atu ana au ki .
I'm going over there.

E māngere ana ngā tamariki i te pouaka whakaata.
The television is making the children lazy.

E whakapono ana au ki a koe.
I am believing in you.

E pīrangi ana a Māui ki tēnā aihikirimi.
Māui desires/wants that icecream by you.

E kīia ana te kōrero...
The saying goes...

E tunu ana a Mere i te kai.
Mere is cooking the food.

E whakarongo ana ngā pirihimana ki te tangata.
The policemen are listening to the person.

E whakatā ana tāua i te ngahere.
We (you and I) are resting in the forest.

E kōrero ana au ki a ia.
I am speaking to her.

E heke ana te hukarere.
The snow is falling.

E more ana a Hine.
Hine is sleeping.

E moe ana te paruauru i roto i te wharau.
The gardener is sleeping in the shed.

E huna ana te pūngāwerewere i roto i te pouaka rēta.
The spider is hiding in the letterbox.

E haere ana koe ki te kura āpōpō.
You're going to school tomorrow.

E kauhoe ana ia ki te moutere.
She is going to swim to the island.

E haere ana mātou ki Wānaka ā tērā wiki.
We are going to Wānaka next week.

E rere ake ana te manu ki te kōmata o te rākau.
The bird is flying to the top of the tree.

E whakatipua ana te pātītī e Papa--ā-nuku.
The grass is being grown by Papa-tū-ā-nuku.

E haere ana ngā wāhine ki te toa.
The women are going to the shop.

E kimi ana te ngeru ki te kiore.
The cat is searching for the mouse.

E kai ana te pēpi i ngā rīwai.
The baby is eating the potatoes.

E kai ana ngā tamariki i ngā āporo.
The children are eating the apples.

E noho ana au i te rohe o Pōneke.
I am living in the Wellington area.

E mātakitaki pouaka whakaata ana a Aria.
Aria is television watching.

E ako ana au ki te raranga harakeke.
I am learning to weave flax.

E noho ana au i te rohe o Pōneke.
I am living in the Wellington region.

E ana tāna.
What she/he said was incorrect.

E āwhina ana a Hēmi i a Taika.
Hēmi is helping Taika.

E mahi ana au i te hōhipera.
I work at the hospital.

E kihi ana ia i tātahi ngeru pango.
She is kissing a black cat.

E kauhoe ana te hoiho i te moana.
The yellow-eyed penguin is swimming in the sea.

E titiro tonu ana aku whatu, ka whakairia oratia.
My eyes were still open and yet you suspended me alive.

E haere ana tātou ki te toa āpōpō.
We will be going to the store tomorrow.

E kihi ana a Taika kāua ko Rina.
Taika and Rina are kissing.

E whai ana ngā tamariki i te pōro.
The children are chasing the ball.

E whaikōrero ana te koroua.
The elderly man is making a speech.

E tae katoa mai ana ngā manuhiri.
All the visitors are arriving.

E mātakitaki ana te ngeru ki te manu.
The cat is watching the bird.

E mauāhara ana a Amaru ki a Honi.
Amaru is holding a grudge against Honi.

E haere ana mātou ki te one āpōpō.
We are going to the beach tomorrow.

E kōrero ana ia ki ngā tamariki.
He is talking to the children.

E mohio ana au ki ana kupu.
I know what her words mean.

E tono ana ia kia haere ia ki te whakatā.
He is requesting to go for a break.

E pīrangi ana a Rangi ki tēnā aihikirimi.
Rangi is wanting that icecream by you.

E whakapono ana ia ki te Atua.
She believes in God.

E pōuto ana ia i te rākau .
He is chopping down the treee.

E tapahi ana ia ki te kani.
He was cutting with the saw.

E kai ana te kurī i te kai.
The dog is eating the food.

E mōhio ana ahau ki te kaukau.
I am knowing how to swim.

E maumahara ana ahau ki taku tino matukutanga.
I am remembering being very frightened.

E mātaki-kiriata ana mātou.
We're movie-watching.

E haere ana ia ki te whakarongo.
He is listening.

E pōwhiri ana rātou ki a mātou.
They are welcoming us.

E kauhoe ana ia ki te motu.
She is going to swim to the island.

E mataku ana ia ki a au?
Is she afraid of me?

E haere ana a Ari.
Ari is going.

E ana te whare.
The house is standing.

E tata ana ia ki te matapihi ka haere tonu ia ki te kūaha.
Being near the window, she walked to the door.

E mōhio ana au ki te tangata e kōrero koe.
I know the person you're talking about.

E pēhea ana tērā kerēwatiki?
How is that clever dickie?

E hiahia ana ahau ki te ako i te reo Māori.
I want to learn Māori.

E whakamutu ana ia i tana horonga.
She is finishing the washing.

E hui ana te kōmihana o te Taura Whiri ia marama te rua .
The Māori Language Commission meets each month for two days.

E whiti ana te .
The sun is shining.

E titiro ana a Mia.
Mia is looking.

E takoto ana rāua.
They're lying down.

E kōrero ana a Hemi ki te kaiako.
Hemi is talking to the teacher.

E haere ana au ki te mahi.
I am going to work.

E mau ana mātou i te wahie i te rori ki te whare.
We are carrying the firewood from the road to the house.

E inu ana ia i te kapu wai.
She is drinking a cup of water.

E hīkoi ana rātou ki te tūnga pahi.
They're walking to the bus stop.

E aroha ana ahau ki a Rangi.
I love Rangi.

E tatari ana au ki te rārangi kia hoko ai i ōku .
I am waiting in the queue to pay for my shoes.

E moe ana au i tētahi rākau kākāriki.
I am sleeping in a green tree.

E horoi ana a Amaru i a ia.
Amaru is washing himself.

E tangi haere mai ana te ope.
The group are weeping as they come.

E ua ana ki waho.
It's raining outside.

E haere ana mātou ki te one.
We are going to the beach.

E kaingākau ana ia ki tana mokopuna ki a Tīwana.
She is very fond of her grandchild, Tīwana.

E kata ana a Nikau.
Nikau is laughing.

E whai ana ngā tamariki i te pōro.
The children are chasing the ball.

E ua ana te ua.
It is raining (lit: "the rain is raining").

E haere ana ngā tamariki katoa ki waho.
All of the children are going outside.

E āwhina ana ahai i a ia.
I am helping him.

E haere ana tātou ki te hui raranga.
We are going to the weaving meeting.

E hiahia ana au ki tērā kākahu kahurangi.
I want that blue dress.

E titiro ana te tauhou ki a au.
The stranger was looking at me.

E tātaku ana tērā i ngā kauhau o nehe, me te kōrero i ngā mahi a ngā tūpuna i mahia i tēnei taha.
They recited the old recitations from ancient times, and talked about the deeds of the ancestors.

E pēhea ana tērā tāne pai?
How is that good man?

E mōhio ana koe ki te kaukau?
Are you knowing how to swim?

E whiri ana au i tētahi kōnae.
I am braiding a food basket.

E ana ia ki mua i Te Rōpū Whakamana i te Tiriti o Waitangi.
He is standing in front of the Treaty of Waitangi.

E mea ana koe ko Ponga hei ariki mōu?
Are you saying that Pongo is to be your lord?

E pōwhiri ana rātou ki a mātou.
They are welcoming us.

E kihi ana ia i tētahi ngeru pango.
She is kissing a black cat.

E kata hoki ana a Manu.
Manu is also laughing.

E ake ana ia ki te marae.
He is standing up on the marae.

E haere ana koe ki te kura āpōpō.
You're going to school tomorrow.

E hiahia ana ia ki te haere ki tāwāhi.
Do you want to go to.

E whakarongo ana māua ko Paora ki te tumuaki.
Paora and I are listening to the head-master.

E whāngai ana a Pita i te kurī.
Pita is feeding the dog.

E ua ana.
It is raining.

E hui ana te kōmihana ia marama te rua .
The Commission meets for two days in each month.

E tika ana kia mihi au ki a koe me whānau i tēnei pōuri.
It is appropriate for me to greet you and your family at this sad time.

E titiro ana te tauhou ki ahau.
The stranger was looking at me.

E whiti ana te ki Kaikohe.
The sun is shining in Kaikohe.

E pīrangi ana koe ki tēnei hāte kōwhai?
Are you wanting this yellow t-shirt?

E kōrero ana ngā wāhine.
The women are talking.

E puta ana ngā tamariki katoa ki waho.
All of the children are going outside.

E waiata ana rātou.
They are singing.

E mōhio ana au ki ana kupu.
I am knowing what her words mean.

E tika ana me ki te mihi atu ki a koe.
It is appropriate to stand and acknowledge you..

E kai ana ngā tamariki i te hapa.
The children are eating dinner.

E kauhoe ana rātou i ngā ngaru.
They are swimming in the waves.

E noho ana mātou i Kawakawa.
We were living in Kawakawa.

E haere ana koe ki hea?
Where are you going now?

E haere mai ana te ope ki runga i te marae.
That group over there is coming onto the marae.

E pīrangi ana a Hana ki tēnā aihikirimi.
Hana desires/wants that icecream by you.

E oma ana ngā tamariki ki te kura.
The children are running to school.

E pīrangi ana ahau ki te āporo .
I am wanting that apple.

E pēhea ana koutou?
How are you all now?

Kāore au e ako ana i te reo Māori.
I am not learning the Māori language.