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The tense marker i te is used to say that something was happening in the past:
I te oma au.
I was running.
This indicates continuous action - I must have been running for a duration of time.
Another tense marker indicates that something happened at a particular point in time, perhaps only once. This uses i as the tense marker:
I oma au.
I ran.
The difference between "I ran" and "I was running", or "she sang" and "she was singing" can be quite subtle, but one refers to continuous action and the other refers to a particular moment in time when an event happened.
Kei te kōrero ia.
She is talking.
I te kōrero ia.
She was talking.
I kōrero ia.
She spoke.
Kei te waiata ngā tamariki.
The children are singing.
I te waiata ngā tamariki.
She were singing.
I waiata ngā tamariki.
The children sang.
I waiho ahau i te koti ki tō whare.
I left the coat at your house.I kite a Pita i te katipō.
Pita saw a katipō.I pātōtō tonu ia i runga i te tēpu.
She kept knocking on the table.I whakatā māua i te whare.
We (me and one other) rested at the house.I haere au ki te whare horoi kākahu.
I went to the laundry.I haere rāua ki te whare pikitia inanahi.
Those two went to the movies yesterday.I aha koe inapō?
What did you do last night?I haere a Hemi ki te whare pikitia.
Hemi went to the cinema.I haere mātou ki Te Tai Tokerau inanahi.
We went to town yesterday.I pakipaki te katoa me tō rātou kore e tino mārama ki tāua i kī ai.
Everyone applauded though they did not entirely understand what he had said.I haere au ki te pāka ki te hikoi.
I went to the park to walk.I haere a Hori ki te kanikani ki te kimi hoa wahine.
Hori went to the dance to look for a girlfriend.I kai au i taku parakuihi.
I ate breakfast.I kite au i a rātou e hī ika ana.
I saw them fishing.I whānau au i Poihākena, i Ahitereiria.
I was born in Sydney, Australia.I tae atu rātou ki reira me ā rātou pū.
They arrived there with their guns.I hoko a Rangi i te waka.
Rangi bought the car.I haere au ki to awa ki to hīkoi, i toro auto ki tōku hoa, ā, i kai tahi hoki me tōku whānau.
I went to the river to go walking, I visited my friend and I are together with my family.I tiaki tamariki au.
I looked after kids.I hoatu a Mere i te keke ki tana tama.
Mary gave the cake to her son.I tapahi a Marama i a ia.
Marama cut herself, or, Marama cut him.I taku taenga atu ki te kāinga, kua maoa kē i a ia ngā kai.
When I got home, he had already cooked dinner.I konei rāua i nanahi.
They were here yesterday.I titiro atu ia ki te rā, ka tihewa.
He look at the sun and sneezed.I kite a Tame i a ia anō.
Tame saw himself.I pēnei anō te tītere o te moana inanahi nei i tēnei rā.
The sea yesterday was as rough as it is today.I kauhoe atu ia ki te motu.
He swam to the island.I kaha taku kai.
I had lots to eat.I noho rātou ki te kāinga o Aria.
They stayed at Aria's home.I tatari mātou i te kēti.
We walked by the gate.I āhua makariri a Hēmi.
Hēmi was somewhat cold.I kai au tahi me...
I ate with...I tākaro teihana tākaro au.
I played Play Station.I pēwhea hoki tō moe, e Mā?
How was your sleep, Mum?I mahi poka noa au ki te keri i te whenua, ka kohete mai ia, 'E tama e! Me taki karakia i te tuatahi'.
I heedlessly started digging and she growled at me, 'Boy! You should do karakia first!'I kōrero a Tīmoti ki te whakaminenga.
Tīmoti addressed the assembled people.I pai taku moe, tuahine.
My sleep was good, sister.I tērā pō, ka tae mai ētahi manuhiri.
Last night, some visitors arrived.I haere ā tāua tamariki ki tō rātou wharekura.
Our children went to their school.I hiainu koe.
You were thirsty.I āwhina mai ia. He atawhai nōna.
She helped me, She is very kind.I noho au i reira i tērā tau.
I stayed there last year.I tihewa ia i te pō roa nei.
She sneezed all night.I taraiwa māua ko taku hoa ki te whare wānanga i te waru karaka.
Me and my friend drove to uni at 8 o'clock.I ngā rā o mua, mā te hōiho kē te moua e tō.
In former times, a horse pulled the mower instead.I kai koe i te aha i nāpo?
What did you eat last night?I ngā hōtoke kei ngā raorao, kei ngā mānia, ā, i ngā raumati kei ngā maunga.
In the winter they were on the foothills and on the plains, and in the summer they were in the mountains.I pīrangi a Tau ki te haere hei mema pāremata.
Tau wanted to become an MP.I oma te tama ki te kura.
The boy ran to school.I tino pai a Rangi.
Rangi was very good.I hiakai ia.
He or she was hungry.I haere koutou ki te aha?
What did you go for?I haere rāua i te tahataha awa.
They walked beside the river.I waiata rāua i te hui?
Kāore rāua i waiata i te hui?I tākaro mātou i te kōti tuarua.
We played on the second court.I tērā tau i hūnuku tōku whānau ki ngā roto o Kai Iwi.
Last year, my family moved to the lakes of Kai Iwi.I tauomaoma rātou e rua maero i te one.
They had a race for two miles along the beach.I whara au taku waewae.
I hurt my leg.I tāraia te waka ki te toki pounamu.
The canoe was carved with a jade adze.I pai. I au taku moe.
It was good. I slept well.I pahure atu au i te whare.
I walked past the house.I tino hiamoe ahau.
I was very sleepy.I pātōtō ia i runga i te tēpu.
She knocked on the table.I rangona e koe tērā haruru?
Did you hear/feel that rumble?I tū tētahi tamaiti tāne.
A certain boy stood.I haere au ki te kauhoe.
I went for a swim.I pekepeke te tamaiti i te taiapa.
The child jumped backwards and forwards over the fence.I āhua wera koe.
You were somewhat hot.I mutu tōmua tātou i tēnei rā.
We finished early today.I haere koe ki te toa?
Kāore koe i haere ki te toa?I kite au i te kurī i te pāmu.
I saw the dog at the farm.I oma mai te katipō nō raro mai i te takapau.
The spider ran out from under the mat.I tupu hoki ahau i reira.
I also grew up there.I pou māua i ētahi rākau māori: he tōtara, he tarata, he kōwhai hoki.
We planted some native trees: tōtara, tarata and kōwhai.I haere te kura ki te tāone ki te whakataetae mō te kapa haka.
The school went to town to compete for the kapa haka.I kite koe i te pirihimana?
Kāore koe i kite i te pirihimana?I haere ia ki te tāone.
She went to town.I aha koe i tēnei ata?
What did you do this morning?I tākaro poitūkohu au.
I played basketball.I noho ngā wāhine ki te marae.
The women stayed at the marae.I whānau mai au i Tūranga-nui-a-Kiwa.
I was born in Gisborne.I tono ahau kia mutu te tetū.
I ordered that the rowdy behaviour should stop.I aha koe i te mutunga wiki?
What did you do in the weekend?I karanga atu ki ngā manuhiri au.
I called to the guests.I rapu haere ia i ana kī.
He went around looking for his keys.I hīkoi ia ki te kura.
She walked to school.I tiki au i ngā tamariki.
I got the kids.I whakaakona māua ki te raranga harakeke e tō māua kaiako.
We (2 exclusive) were taught to weave flax by our teacher.I haere au ki te pāka hei te hikoi.
I went to the park in order to walk.I Kohitātea ka whakatā tonu mātou.
We always take our holidays in January.I whiwhi paetae au.
I got achieved.I pakeke ake ia i Te Waipounamu.
He grew up in the South Island.I rongo a Ari i te kurī.
Ari heard the dog.I whakatō i ētehi kai māori pērā i te kūmara me te kōkihi.
We planted native food like kūmara and native spinach.I haere rātou ki te ngahere inānahi.
They went to the forest yesterday.I pēwhea tō moe, tungāne?
How was your sleep, brother?I hīkoi au me te kurī.
I walked the dog.I kai ngā tamariki i te parāoa.
The children ate the bread.I tipu au i Ahitereiria.
I grew up in Australia.I tae mai ia mā raro.
He arrived on foot.I uru ia ki te kura.
She entered the school.I taku whare te hui.
The meeting was at my place.I pai tāna waita.
His singing was good.I horoi pēpi au.
I washed baby.I waruwaru rīwai au.
I peeled spuds.I haere au ki te awa ki to hīkoi i te mutunga wiki.
I went to the river to go walking in the weekend.I toro au ki ngā hoa.
I visited friends.I noho au ki te mahi.
I stayed and worked.I mahi au i te māra, ā, āe, i pānui pukapuka, ā, i tunu hoki au i te kai mā te whānau.
I worked in the garden, yeah, I read books and I cooked for the family.I tae tōmuri mai ia i te pō rā.
He arrived late last night.I kite au i tērā tamaiti tāne.
I saw that boy.I pānui a Toa i tērā pukapuka.
Toa read that book.I haere au ki te whare horoi kākahu.
I went to the laundry.I mahi kai mātou i mua i te hui.
We prepared food before the meeting.