Previous | Back | Next |
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 uru ia ki te kura.
She entered the school.I kaha taku kai.
I had lots to eat.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 pakeke ake ia i Te Waipounamu.
He grew up in the South Island.I haere au ki te pāka ki te hikoi.
I went to the park to walk.I tupu hoki ahau i reira.
I also grew up there.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 noho ngā wāhine ki te marae.
The women stayed at the marae.I haere ia ki te tāone.
She went to town.I kite au i a rātou e hī ika ana.
I saw them fishing.I ngā rā o mua, mā te hōiho kē te moua e tō.
In former times, a horse pulled the mower instead.I rongo a Manu i te kurī.
Manu heard the dog.I waiho ahau i te koti ki tō whare.
I left the coat at your house.I tauomaoma rātou e rua maero i te one.
They had a race for two miles along the beach.I pahure atu au i te whare.
I walked past the house.I kai koe i te aha i nāpo?
What did you eat last night?I kai ngā tamariki i te parāoa.
The children ate the bread.I whakatō i ētehi kai māori pērā i te kūmara me te kōkihi.
We planted native food like kūmara and native spinach.I āhua makariri a Hēmi.
Hēmi was somewhat cold.I aha koe i te mutunga wiki?
What did you do in the weekend?I haere rāua i te tahataha awa.
They walked beside the river.I pai taku moe, tuahine.
My sleep was good, sister.I waiata rāua i te hui?
Kāore rāua i waiata i te hui?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 kite a Tawa i a ia anō.
Tawa saw himself.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 hiainu koe.
You were thirsty.I kite au i tērā tamaiti tāne.
I saw that boy.I noho au i reira i tērā tau.
I stayed there last year.I mutu tōmua tātou i tēnei rā.
We finished early today.I pai tāna waita.
His singing was good.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 tipu au i Ahitereiria.
I grew up in Australia.I pēwhea tō moe, tungāne?
How was your sleep, brother?I haere koutou ki te aha?
What did you go for?I rangona e koe tērā haruru?
Did you hear/feel that rumble?I āwhina mai ia. He atawhai nōna.
She helped me, She is very kind.I tihewa ia i te pō roa nei.
She sneezed all night.I noho rātou ki te kāinga o Aria.
They stayed at Aria's home.I toro au ki ngā hoa.
I visited friends.I haere au ki te whare horoi kākahu.
I went to the laundry.I pai. I au taku moe.
It was good. I slept well.I tākaro mātou i te kōti tuarua.
We played on the second court.I tapahi a Marama i a ia.
Marama cut herself, or, Marama cut him.I haere a Hori ki te kanikani ki te kimi hoa wahine.
Hori went to the dance to look for a girlfriend.I pānui a Toa i tērā pukapuka.
Toa read that book.I tērā pō, ka tae mai ētahi manuhiri.
Last night, some visitors arrived.I tino pai a Rangi.
Rangi was very good.I karanga atu ki ngā manuhiri au.
I called to the guests.I mahi kai mātou i mua i te hui.
We prepared food before the meeting.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 whara au taku waewae.
I hurt my leg.I whiwhi paetae au.
I got achieved.I hoatu a Mere i te keke ki tana tama.
Mary gave the cake to her son.I tino hiamoe ahau.
I was very sleepy.I kite a Amaru i te katipō.
Amaru saw a katipō.I haere a Hemi ki te whare pikitia.
Hemi went to the cinema.I pēnei anō te tītere o te moana inanahi nei i tēnei rā.
The sea yesterday was as rough as it is today.I tiaki tamariki au.
I looked after kids.I āhua wera koe.
You were somewhat hot.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 aha koe i tēnei ata?
What did you do this morning?I haere ā tāua tamariki ki tō rātou wharekura.
Our children went to their school.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 tiki au i ngā tamariki.
I got the kids.I pēwhea hoki tō moe, e Mā?
How was your sleep, Mum?I pīrangi a Tau ki te haere hei mema pāremata.
Tau wanted to become an MP.I pātōtō ia i runga i te tēpu.
She knocked on the table.I whānau mai au i Heretaunga.
I was born in Hastings.I kai au i taku parakuihi.
I ate breakfast.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 Kohitātea ka whakatā tonu mātou.
We always take our holidays in January.I noho au ki te mahi.
I stayed and worked.I hīkoi ia ki te kura.
She walked to school.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 kōrero a Tīmoti ki te whakaminenga.
Tīmoti addressed the assembled people.I tākaro teihana tākaro au.
I played Play Station.I haere au ki te kauhoe.
I went for a swim.I pātōtō tonu ia i runga i te tēpu.
She kept knocking on the table.I oma te tama ki te kura.
The boy ran to school.I pou māua i ētahi rākau māori: he tōtara, he tarata, he kōwhai hoki.
We planted some native trees: tōtara, tarata and kōwhai.I tāraia te waka ki te toki pounamu.
The canoe was carved with a jade adze.I kite koe i te pirihimana?
Kāore koe i kite i te pirihimana?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 whakaakona māua ki te raranga harakeke e tō māua kaiako.
We (2 exclusive) were taught to weave flax by our teacher.I tākaro poitūkohu au.
I played basketball.I pekepeke te tamaiti i te taiapa.
The child jumped backwards and forwards over the fence.I whānau au i Poihākena, i Ahitereiria.
I was born in Sydney, Australia.I haere koe ki te toa?
Kāore koe i haere ki te toa?I tū tētahi tamaiti tāne.
A certain boy stood.I tae tōmuri mai ia i te pō rā.
He arrived late last night.I aha koe inapō?
What did you do last night?I kauhoe atu ia ki te motu.
He swam to the island.I haere au ki te pāka hei te hikoi.
I went to the park in order to walk.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 titiro atu ia ki te rā, ka tihewa.
He look at the sun and sneezed.I hīkoi au me te kurī.
I walked the dog.I horoi pēpi au.
I washed baby.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 konei rāua i nanahi.
They were here yesterday.I kai au tahi me...
I ate with...I rapu haere ia i ana kī.
He went around looking for his keys.I tae mai ia mā raro.
He arrived on foot.I haere mātou ki Rakiura inanahi.
We went to town yesterday.I hiakai ia.
He or she was hungry.I taku whare te hui.
The meeting was at my place.I tatari mātou i te kēti.
We walked by the gate.I haere rātou ki te ngahere inānahi.
They went to the forest yesterday.I waruwaru rīwai au.
I peeled spuds.I tono ahau kia mutu te tetū.
I ordered that the rowdy behaviour should stop.